The manufacturer does not recommend running the bator above 65%. Many of us raise our humidity to 70%-75% at lock down. With many people on here stating that they are having issues with this bators control center (the temp is not accurate, having to reset it, read out is not what the bator temp actually is, etc....) I am trying to figure out if we are causing our own issues! If you have one of these bators please take the poll. I would love to figure this out. Thanks!!
I got it last year in April. I used it only for Incubation for 4 months. I kept humidity below 65%. It worked great and had better hatches than I did with the still air. I put it away (never been dropped etc.) Got it out this year and it worked for about 10 days.... then a 3rd power out,(always happens in Spring). But we have it plugged into 2 computer backups. After power returned , I found it at 108.5! on Inc.Temp., although still set on 99.5. I unplugged it twice, same thing . I then got out a still air and transfered tops, (not sure yet ,if the 30+ eggs at different stages are dead or ok. Some were just set, some a week old +. duck and goose eggs. I did spray the eggs and added water twice, I don't Think It got over 65% at all, but I wasn't checking every 10 min. Because of the fan, the humidity is hard to keep level... from my experience last year, had to sometimes add water almost daily... But I never hatch in it,I use my still airs for that. (mainly I was trying to keep the base clean) And I need to raise the humidity.... I called company, they told me I needed part 1871? anyway I ordered it , then the 75$ cost sunk in.
If this thing is gonna need to be replaced every year or incident.... I would do better to build my own .... for a hobbyist it is a $ hole... another "technology will make things easy and improved"......really? I am reasonably diligent, but I don't want to be OCDing about it constantly. Since I alreadyt ordered the part, I will have my family members who work on things like this take it apart and find out the culprit and see if we can repair the original and maybe use it on something. Could be another CCCC (Cheap Chinese Crud component ) was used .....not happy with the possible loss of my rare Silkie duck, Hookbill duck and Shetland geese eggs.
I keep seeing folks post on the forum that use a computer UPS to keep power on their incubator. I would advise against this *unless* you know they are a sine-wave quality backup system. Some of the "less expensive" ones are the modified square-wave output ones that can mess up some low voltage supplies (digital display ones) inside the 'bator. They may look like they are running ok...but won't for hours and hours and may mess up the control units.
Just a heads up.. but ymmv..
