hot-water-heater thermostat that only goes down to 110 F - ok to use?

[patandchickens]

Making a homemade incubator, but canNOT seem to find a hot water heater thermostat that is labelled for a lower setpoint than 110F. Y'all who are getting ones labelled with a lower limit of 90 F, they don't seem to be sold here (Toronto, Canada).

So has anyone successfully used one like this, or do I need to shell out for an actual incubator thermostat or something?

Or does anyone know enough about electrical stuff to know if I can somehow alter the 110-150F one to go a little bit lower?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Water heater thermostat is not accurate enough for use in any incubator, period.

Beware, there is one on Eggbid for $15.00 (seller does not say this is water heater therm) but picture says it clearly.

I would never use it, but some people will use it anyway and then cry "why my eggs do not hatch"

LOL

 

[patandchickens]

It seems like there are an awful lot of people with water-heater-thermostat based incubators that have hatched a lot of chicks with them, so while it may not be *as* good as an incubator thermostat, I guess I don't understand how it can be said to not work?

Just trying' to understand,

Pat

 

[pascopol]

Many people will stuff a light bulb in a carton box and hatch some chickens, it does not make a box with light bulb a usable incubator.

If you insist using 110F low point thermostat I suggest setting it 110 for rare fried eggs, 135 for medium and 150 for well done eggs

 

[patandchickens]

Look, I'm not "insisting" on anything -- I am trying to FIGURE OUT whether I can use this, eh? Which is why I was *asking*.

To me, something that, more often than not, hatches eggs would qualify as a usable incubator.

If anyone who USES a hot water heater thermostat, instead of wanting to berate me for even entertaining the idea, would like to respond to this thread, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Pat

 

[Jenski]

Hey Pat, sorry I don't have info on the hot water heater thermostat - - but if you can't find anything else why don't you perhaps send a shout out on the forum and have one of us get you a Yank thermostat? Could we mail you one?

Just a thought. I'll do it myself if you find one you want.

 

[jvls1942]

If you are going to go through the expense of buying one and then shipping it, then why not just order a solid state one or a wafer set-up right off the bat?? either one can be had for about $20.ooUS

 

[YeOleBroodie]

Quote:
Pat did you ask for a single pole water heater thermostat?
Goes from 90 F to 150 F degrees. I got mine at Rona's, so don't know if you have a Rona there in Ont.?
They are out there, just takes some looking as they seem to sell out faster. At least here they do.

Doesn't really help a lot but maybe...

Just did a google search and yes you have a Rona in Ont! Let me see if I can get an addy close to TO

Edited yet again.
Many stores in and around TO.
Do a google for ' Rona Ontario ', 3rd one down has list of Rona store addies.

Good luck!

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Wow you should have told me and about a couple hundred other people who have been building incubators for such a long long time now that we can't use a hot water thermostat.

Gosh, we better poke all those chicks back in the eggs and throw out all the bathwater along with the baby.

How sad the thermostat is so unreliable.

Pat, I use a lower or single pole thermostat. It goes down to 90F and up to 120F.

 

[wbjdmd]

I haven't hatched a ton of eggs but I have had two batches that were hatched in my homemade incubator successfully! My first hatch with "mutt" eggs hatched 14 of 16 fertilized eggs successfully and my second hatched 6 of 6 duck eggs successfully! My incubator uses a 60 watt light bulb and a water heater thermostat with a 90 degree minimum temperature. Just because you think you can't use a hot water heater thermostat doesn't mean it doesn't work. Mine keeps the temperature constant to withing .5 degrees. I think that is well within the range a mother hen does!