I'm an amateur idiot! Someone please help meeeee with my thermostat!

[kellyn]

A while back my dad and I built a plywood incubator, and put styrafoam in it a insulation. A year late I decided that the temperature jumps more than a rabbit on carrot juice. My dad wired a water heater thermostat into it, and it turns off and all, it just either stays 7 degrees too cold(93*) or 7 degrees too hot(106). Too hot if I turn in the LG heating element, or too cold if I leave it off. 97 and 102 are the cosest I've gotten. So far...

I have two heating elemnts as well, but they're on the sides for emergency use only, and as an added heat source when the weathe is beow 60 degres farenheight. It has plenty of ventilation which I can covr up(it makes NO difference). It's well insulated. It doesn't get direct sunlight except really early in the morning, on the rare oucasions the curtains are not drawn.

I intend to put my eggs in tomorrow(was gonna today, for the Groundhogs day hatch, but I'm a bit too late...) so I really wanna fix It. I have two pictures in my album(chickens and incubators is the title) so if anyone has any suggentions on perhaps how I can fix it, I thank you in advance.

Or if there are any cheap thermostats less than 20 bucks that work? That's good too.

 

[kellyn]

This I my first attempt at posting a link... I apologize iif it doens work. It's kinda difficult to post and copy URLs using a cell phone...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/album/view/id/6153227/user_id/111976

 

[quintinp]

Well, I suggest a wafer thermostat. A lot of people recommend the Rancho thermostats. Believe me I have tried using a water heater thermostat in a fridge incubator, and even after the modifications I did to it, the temperature swings went from 100 to 102, and I didn't like it. Now I have the wafer thermostat, and I am very happy with it. Save about 15 dollars more, and you can get the thermostat assembly.

 

[Cynthia12]

I use the digital..can you in some way open your bator a bit, do you have a place that could have a plug? Like the bought ones do? Sometimes I find that I have to keep my front plug open a bit to get the temp or humidity down a little just after putting water in. Warms up in there for a while. Then I plug it up when it's right again..you could leave yours a little open the whole time..not sure if you have any holes in your bator for heat release...just my thoughts. Good luck.
Oh, and don't call yourself names..ya hear?

 

[kellyn]

You mean the ones in hovabators? I have 3 incubator heating elments and 2 are LG and the 3rd is a dinosaur that keeps trying to melt itself. I need a wafer for it. The one it has is.. ick.

Were do you get a Rancho thermostat? And what does it look like?

Jeesh! I've spent like at least 150 bucks on stuff for these incubators. I'm starting to regret not buying a store one...

 

[Cynthia12]

You mean the ones in hovabators? I have 3 incubator heating elments and 2 are LG and the 3rd is a dinosaur that keeps trying to melt itself. I need a wafer for it. The one it has is.. ick.
Were do you get a Rancho thermostat? And what does it look like?
Jeesh! I've spent like at least 150 bucks on stuff for these incubators. I'm starting to regret not buying a store one...

Ooos, you're talking thermostats..I thought you were talking thermometer..Not sure where to get those..anyone else?

 

[quintinp]

You mean the ones in hovabators? I have 3 incubator heating elments and 2 are LG and the 3rd is a dinosaur that keeps trying to melt itself. I need a wafer for it. The one it has is.. ick.
Were do you get a Rancho thermostat? And what does it look like?
Jeesh! I've spent like at least 150 bucks on stuff for these incubators. I'm starting to regret not buying a store one...

They are grey, and somewhat bulky, you can find them on Ebay. They are not really for a styrofoam incubator. They are really for the big cabinet incubators, and a lot of people use them in their fridge incubators. I have heard of people using them in their styro foam incubators though. They are REALLY good thermostats though. They are digital also.

 

[cva34]

IT"s" RANCO 111000" look it up on Ebay.There one or the best.The beauty is that its actual thermocouple is on the end of a 8' cable and thats all that goes inside the incubator the controler is on the outside.About 50.00. Wafer thermostats are old style but proved by many years service.About 25.00.My exp with water heater thermostats is about like shaveing with an AXE...cva

 

[3forfree]

this is a link to a u tube video showing you how to modify a hot water heater thermostat, it works, I use one in my coolerbator and it keeps temps real steady. I had mine running for two weeks before I put eggs in it, and it was right on the money at 100.0

 

[quintinp]

this is a link to a u tube video showing you how to modify a hot water heater thermostat, it works, I use one in my coolerbator and it keeps temps real steady. I had mine running for two weeks before I put eggs in it, and it was right on the money at 100.0

I do this modification to all of my water heater thermostats, but It doesn't change much in the fridge incubator. I still had fluctuation. I am using a wafer thermostat, and it is really great. I know that this thermostat is works more mechanically than the Rancho thermostat, and when the wafer goes bad, you can buy a new wafer. With the Ranco, It is nice, and digital, but when if goes out, you will have to buy another thermostat.