How does a thermostat going bad act?

[onehorse_2000]

I have been having a devil of a time getting the temperature on this incubator set right. I was using it this spring and it was a diehard, set the temp and it held it well. Now, it is being a royal pain. Temperature is too low, I edge it up a little, still a little low, edge it up a bit more, and then it's jumps a degree. It will stay between 98 and 100.5, but 99.5, or even consistently close is being very elusive. Is this a bad thermostat? Dirty thermostat?

Thank you!

 

[bigdawg]

what are you using to check the temps. sounds to me your right on with a 99.5 average. my spot check thermometer reads from 98.5 to 100.5 = 99.5 average i dont think your wafer is bad. it doesnt hurt to have a spare though. round brass looking thing. what brand of bator are you using. little giants are very sensitive to ajustments.

 

[onehorse_2000]

Hovabator 2362N, but I am losing bantam eggs like no tomorrow? My LF seem to be handling the temperature changes but I have been fighting with bantams all summer. Right now, I have 4 different thermometers in there, the original, a digital, a Little Giant extra, and a digital with hygrometer.

 

[bigdawg]

wow. your temp readings are still ok. my hova bator 1602 temps range 98 to 100 and i have no problem hatching silkie banties. you do have a fan in the bator. unless temps are going over 102 and higher you may have a problem within your birds. such as feed, protien, birds being related. just some things to think about. there is something wrong somewhere,i am just not sure. hopefully some one else will chime in. 98 to 100.5 temp swings seem to work fine for me. there are so many could be, might be, in incubating it will drive you nuts figuring it out..........

 

[onehorse_2000]

Yup, it has a fan and auto-turner, and both are working. These are all hatching eggs purchased from different people who are stating up to 100% hatch rates on shipped eggs. Most of these eggs will start to develop, but then fade over the 3 weeks to just about nothing. I think it is the incubator. The thing is, I will check it for a temp at night, say 99.4 (I haven't touched the incubator, haven't touched the thermostat, because everything looked good), come back in the morning to check it and it's at 100.5 and the heat comes on as I'm standing there? This spring I could get this incubator to stay between 99.2 and 99.9 for 3 weeks, now I can't keep it in the 99 range for 24 hrs. Is that a bad thermostat or something else? Will dirt cause these kinds of problems? I have used this incubator for hatching also, it was cleaned between hatchings and disinfected, but there is still some dust in the fan and such as it has been on since spring, but has been getting worse and worse as far as hatches. This is getting to be a tempermental as the LG I borrowed this spring.

 

[bigdawg]

it very well could be the wafer. the room the bator is in, are the temps stable. i would have try a new wafer. my first one went bad around the 4th or 5 th hatch. cant remember for sure. there around 7.00 to 10.00 depending on where you get one from. not sure what state your in but tsc, co-op, alot a feed supply stores have them

 

[onehorse_2000]

Should I just replace the wafer or the entire thermostat? I can't get the dang thing above 99.2 now, been trying for 3 days now.

 

[bigdawg]

just the wafer. the other part is the snap switch. if it was bad it wouldnt turn on or off. try the wafer. if your temps are between 99 and 100 you should be fine anyway. temps due go up and down anyway. just get a 99.5 average