I'm Building an Incubator - please don't bother asking permission to laugh at me

[Wickedchicken6]

So it runs and has been holding a fairly steady temp, but i dont like that it drops to 97.6* before it kicks back on
currently it is a still air bator but that should be fixed tomorrow, as well as the turner will be wired

It "should" be very sensitive. I think last time I checked, mine turns on/off with a half of a degree or less differential. It circulates air clockwise and reaches the thermostat last. My thermometers are placed at different levels throughout the bator. Once you've got eggs for a heat sink it'll hold heat at a constant temperature without fluctuating. With 100 eggs mine takes anywhere between 3-5 hours just to get to optimum temperature...depending on their temp when I placed them in.

franken-turner



i understand why he thinks i am trying to burn the house down

Just like Banty said...I took mine out to the shop to a 30 amp breaker and it flipped the breaker super quick. No fires.
I was SO mad because I thought it was the old wiring of this farm. Oops.

Mention to your hubby that my incubator has been running steady since the Christmas HAL of 2015...lol.
I've only stopped mine to clean it twice and eggs went right back into it.

Both bulbs have been replaced because I've put that many hours on it...

And mines just styrofoam...so it'd light up super quick if fire did start...lol.

Ta da!


I like the way you taped your wires. Maybe I should consider doing that.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Just had a light bulb moment...you probably have room at the bottom for water bottles or the like for additional heat sink.
That would hold the temps in the event of a power outage etc.
The only room I have for heat sink is the McCain pan under the floor of mine when I have it full of water.

And...for me, one full McCain cake pan full of water lasts 2-3 days with the amount of vent holes I have in mine...if that helps any.
I'm considering plugging one of the big holes in mine.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

It "should" be very sensitive. I think last time I checked, mine turns on/off with a half of a degree or less differential. It circulates air clockwise and reaches the thermostat last. My thermometers are placed at different levels throughout the bator. Once you've got eggs for a heat sink it'll hold heat at a constant temperature without fluctuating. With 100 eggs mine takes anywhere between 3-5 hours just to get to optimum temperature...depending on their temp when I placed them in.



Just like Banty said...I took mine out to the shop to a 30 amp breaker and it flipped the breaker super quick. No fires.
I was SO mad because I thought it was the old wiring of this farm. Oops.

Mention to your hubby that my incubator has been running steady since the Christmas HAL of 2015...lol.
I've only stopped mine to clean it twice and eggs went right back into it.

Both bulbs have been replaced because I've put that many hours on it...

And mines just styrofoam...so it'd light up super quick if fire did start...lol.

Ta da!


I like the way you taped your wires. Maybe I should consider doing that.

My cats are wire chewers

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Just had a light bulb moment...you probably have room at the bottom for water bottles or the like for additional heat sink.
That would hold the temps in the event of a power outage etc.
The only room I have for heat sink is the McCain pan under the floor of mine when I have it full of water.

And...for me, one full McCain cake pan full of water lasts 2-3 days with the amount of vent holes I have in mine...if that helps any.
I'm considering plugging one of the big holes in mine.

I plan on putting some mason jars in it, just have to find them

 

[DwayneNLiz]

i'm out of ovates

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote:
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I get it now.

I wouldn't have thought of that. No kitties in the house here.

Quote:

i'm out of ovates

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I get it now.

I wouldn't have thought of that. No kitties in the house here.

lol, you should see the back of my TV

but i also dont like the looks of wires being everywhere
I think i need a different color tape, or i need to run it symmetrically

 

[MeepBeep]

I took mine out to the shop to a 30 amp breaker and it flipped the breaker super quick. No fires.

I take it you had a major wiring short in it? There is no reason anything short of a huge bedroom sized incubator should need that much juice...

With that said there is always a risk of fire with any heating element and it should be noted that breakers do not eliminate the risk in all cases...

On thing people should really consider when doing home built incubators is to attach closed electrical boxes to the outside or inside and make all wire connections inside the boxes...

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote:
I had the thermostat wired incorrectly. I had listened the gentleman who sold the thermostat.

The house I have it in is 100+ years old and one only has to look at a breaker sideways to have it trip because everything shares breakers.
The room my incubator's in has several large items sharing plugins and I originally thought it was an overload issue.
This old house isn't like mine where there's one electrical box that's custom wired where everything has a dedicated breaker.

I took it to the coop to try it where I happen to be using a 30 amp fuse. Obviously there was an issue once it blew the fuse.
Everything was working before I wired the thermostat in so I immediately corrected the issue.
Of course the incubator doesn't need that many amps, I tried it there because it was a dedicated fuse.

There can be a risk of fire with many things one does, especially involving electricity.
Right now I'm looking at a burn spot on the roof above me at the light fixture where the wiring started fire on the previous owner.
A person should be cognizant that everything one does involves risk.

I was simply pointing out that an incubator "should" be able to run without bringing the house down in flames.
Otherwise how does she incubate if her husband won't let her keep it on for the hatch??

Perhaps one "could" consider wiring in a closed electrical box on the outside if they have risk factors.
I don't think placing an electrical box inside an incubator is good idea.
I have no kids or pets in the house and no adults that want any part of getting remotely close to wet, gooey chicks.
All my wired connections are deep within the marrettes and sealed...so not going to be happening here.

 

[MeepBeep]

I don't think placing an electrical box inside an incubator is good idea.

As an electronics design engineer by trade and a former home remodeler that has wired entire houses and basements by myself as well as uncountable other house wiring, can you explain why you form that opinion?

I can tell you straight up that when I have built and when I will build again, the electrical connections are always inside boxes that are located inside or in the wall of the incubator not outside...