Incubator temps

[duckboatprincess]

So... I just built my incubator and well... it's ugly but hopefully works right? So, I plug it in and leave it. I come back a half hour later and it's a 60% humidity and 130 degrees! I need a lower wattage bulb, but what else helps to control the temperature and keep it at the right temp?

 

[speckledhen]

What wattage were you using? In our two homemade circulated air bators(link in my sig line), we use a 60 watt bulb. Do you have a fan? Are you really sure of the accuracy of your instruments you're using to measure temp/humidity?

 

[Kullas]

Quote:
are you using a thermostat?

 

[duckboatprincess]

I have a 40 watt bulb in there right now, but no fan. I haven't found one of those yet and as I'm impatient, I decided to try to run it like that for the moment. I can't be 100% on the thermometer but it seems to be pretty accurate. It's not a digital one though.

 

[Xero]

Things like a lower wattage bulb like Speckle said, dimmer switch, and/or getting a thermostat would help you get the temp where it should be.

*I also did the digital thermometer in the fake egg/water wiggler thing. I'd be patient adding eggs though. I spent an additional week tweaking mine until I was satisfied with the temps. Hate for you to set some and have them die

. What happened with the kid and the cpu fan?

 

[duckboatprincess]

I haven't heard back from him yet. I might just go buy one. We're just tight on money and I wanted to try to get one free but I don't know if I'm going to be able to get one without going to radioshack.

 

[chickenlittle32]

I'd try to test the thermometer with your temps of your house. What type of thermostat are you using?

 

[duckboatprincess]

It is a thermometer that has both the inside and outside temps on it and the humidity. It has a copper tube that runs out the bottom of it with a metal thing on the end to read the temp and humidity outside... or in this case, inside the incubator. I know that it was reading right when I bought it because it had the correct store temperature on both sides.

 

[Xero]

I'd just ask around my family and friends if they have a dead computer that I could take off their hands. Get a fan out of one of those, then splice the wires with some old adapter, add a bit of electrical tape and voila! Brand new fans are fairly costly for what they are. I'd order online or find one for free.

 

[Kullas]

Quote:
What they said

if ya dont have a thermostat 10 fans inside is not going to help