Incubator issue

[Dr Evy]

Hi there,
I’m going to try and make this post as short and informative as I can for you guys so we can hopefully skip the questions and get to bottom of this. So I have The Original Hatch Mate automatic incubator. I’ve literally only used it once, but had a 100% successful hatch. That was two years ago though. Now this year I’m hatching more eggs, which arrive Thursday (maybe sooner). Before I ordered the eggs I turned the bator on for a day to make sure it still ran nice and it did. It was perfect actually, exactly 99.5°F. I have two calibrated thermometers and a calibrated hydrometer in there.
Now I’m having an issue. I got the email that my eggs shipped so I turned the incubator on to get it ready, and now it’s running way low. I set it for 37.5°C and both thermometers were reading 94°F. I didn’t think that was a problem right away, because I can adjust the temp on the bator until it’s in range. But my incubator only goes to 40°C and both thermometers are reading 98°F. So my question is does anyone know why it’s doing this? The temp is staying stable wherever I set it, I just can’t get it high enough.
It’s really not in the budget to get another incubator right now either. Any ideas on how to fix this are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

 

[The-White-Elephant]

Hi there,
I’m going to try and make this post as short and informative as I can for you guys so we can hopefully skip the questions and get to bottom of this. So I have The Original Hatch Mate automatic incubator. I’ve literally only used it once, but had a 100% successful hatch. That was two years ago though. Now this year I’m hatching more eggs, which arrive Thursday (maybe sooner). Before I ordered the eggs I turned the bator on for a day to make sure it still ran nice and it did. It was perfect actually, exactly 99.5°F. I have two calibrated thermometers and a calibrated hydrometer in there.
Now I’m having an issue. I got the email that my eggs shipped so I turned the incubator on to get it ready, and now it’s running way low. I set it for 37.5°C and both thermometers were reading 94°F. I didn’t think that was a problem right away, because I can adjust the temp on the bator until it’s in range. But my incubator only goes to 40°C and both thermometers are reading 98°F. So my question is does anyone know why it’s doing this? The temp is staying stable wherever I set it, I just can’t get it high enough.
It’s really not in the budget to get another incubator right now either. Any ideas on how to fix this are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Maybe depends on the temp you have in your room?

 

[MGG]

Hi there,
I’m going to try and make this post as short and informative as I can for you guys so we can hopefully skip the questions and get to bottom of this. So I have The Original Hatch Mate automatic incubator. I’ve literally only used it once, but had a 100% successful hatch. That was two years ago though. Now this year I’m hatching more eggs, which arrive Thursday (maybe sooner). Before I ordered the eggs I turned the bator on for a day to make sure it still ran nice and it did. It was perfect actually, exactly 99.5°F. I have two calibrated thermometers and a calibrated hydrometer in there.
Now I’m having an issue. I got the email that my eggs shipped so I turned the incubator on to get it ready, and now it’s running way low. I set it for 37.5°C and both thermometers were reading 94°F. I didn’t think that was a problem right away, because I can adjust the temp on the bator until it’s in range. But my incubator only goes to 40°C and both thermometers are reading 98°F. So my question is does anyone know why it’s doing this? The temp is staying stable wherever I set it, I just can’t get it high enough.
It’s really not in the budget to get another incubator right now either. Any ideas on how to fix this are greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Try re-calibrating the thermometers to see if maybe they're off.
And yes, the temperature of the room will affect it too. Is it in the same place it was when you test ran it? Is the temperature in the room stable?

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I agree with the others
The temp of the room can affect them
You could try having a small blanket or towel wrapped around it to see if that helps bring up the temp

 

[Dr Evy]

Try re-calibrating the thermometers to see if maybe they're off.
And yes, the temperature of the room will affect it too. Is it in the same place it was when you test ran it? Is the temperature in the room stable?

I did recalibrate yesterday.
It is in the same place and I don’t think it’s any colder than it was before. I’ll set up a different thermometer in the room to see if it stays stable.

I agree with the others
The temp of the room can affect them
You could try having a small blanket or towel wrapped around it to see if that helps bring up the temp

I did do the blanket last night, it helped a bit but now the temp won’t stay stable.

 

[FunClucks]

Not sure what your bator looks like, but you could try adding insulation. One flexible option is Reflectix. Cut pieces to fit as much of the outside of the incubator as you can stand to cover - it should help the incubator retain more heat. Don't cover any vents that are supposed to remain open. Incubate the bottom surface, sides, and as much of the lid as you can. You can also make "windows" where you cut a flap, or plugs if your Reflectix is multiple layers, so it's in place to keep things warm, but you can flip it up or remove it/pull it out and peek at the chicks/eggs if you have a clear lid on your incubator but need to cover that surface. You can add multiple layers of Reflectix, and for any flat surfaces can use styrofoam also to insulate. This should do a better job than a towel, and by staying attached it keeps the temp more stable. I tape mine in place with 3M or Scotch tape. You want insulation with as high of an R value as possible.

Assuming that you've already verified your temperature gages are accurate and the temperature really is low.

https://www.amazon.com/Reflectix/s?k=Reflectix

 

[Hatch in chicks]

i saw a video for the hatch mate incubator and it said that if the room temp is under 65 use the strofoam box it came in and cover it up.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not familiar with that specific incubator so no detailed knowledge. Is the lid back on correctly? I had that problem once on mine. It affected the humidity more than temperature but that was a different type of incubator.

To me it sounds like an equipment failure, the heater is not putting out enough heat. Is the heater running continuously?

I'd contact the manufacturer and see what they have to say.