hot water heater thermostat in homemade bator - help!

[birdbrain5]

im still toying with the thermostat to get it just right. unfortunetly, it gets up to 100 or 102 and then the light shuts off and it drops to like 95 or 96! im wanting to use this bator for hatch only, but i know the temp cant be getting that low. this is the first time i've made an incubator and followed a lot of the ways i've seen people do it, so i imagine everyone elses light turns off and on too. does your temp go up and down too? i wouldnt have thought this would happen. i thought it would get to 100 once i had it set right, turn off, then not let it get more than a degree or two lower and then turn back on.. any advice or input to get it to stay more steady?

 

[paddock36]

There are some different tricks that you can try to help. First, where is the thermostat placed in relation to the light? You might need to move it. If the placement is good then you might try drilling a couple holes in the housing that holds the thermostat. I have seen it on here (never done it myself) and it is supposed to solve that problem. As far as the temp fluctuating. It will change some as the light turns off and the bator starts to cool. I would worry more about the high temp anyway.

 

[jvls1942]

there is some sort of bi-metal switch or a wafer that controls something like a micro-switch.. whatever set-up you thermostat has, there is a certain amount of distance the buton on the micro switch has to travel.. the speed in which your wafer expands and contracts has a lot to do with how soon the switch goes on or off..

you either have to get a quicker wafer, or figure a way to shorten the travel of your switch..

another good alternative is to buy a Reptitherm 500 .. I have one in one of my brooders and it holds right on the temp I set.
Mine cost me $31.oo shipping included.. a bit pricey, but you will hae it for many years and you can use it anywhere you need a thermostat..

 

[galanie]

Check the link in my sig to CMfarm. Here it is here: http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html Watch the second video on the page.

Basically you put the back (metal part) of the thermostat close to the bulb. After toying with it a day or so (give it HOURS before re-adjusting) you'll be able to get close to zero variation.

PS - I have been using only my homemade incubator set this way and it has been working perfectly. I tried the "drilling holes in the back" trick first and it didn't help one bit. But the method in the link above will do it perfectly.

 

[birdbrain5]

thank you so much for that link! im going to work on it today!