Incubator...

[LaurenV]

I'm in the process of making an incubator that should hold about 48 eggs. Does anyone know what bulb I should get and how many watts it should be?? The bulb will be at the bottom because heat rises... I think... so should I get a larger watt bulb???

 

[LaurenV]

Anyone... anyone at all???

 

[acy0029]

I think it depends on what materials you used, the size of the interior,how well it's insulated etc.etc. All factor in when it comes to holding a steady temp.

 

[LaurenV]

It is made out of foam insulator and then covered in would and it is about 3-4 feet high... And does anyone know how I can put water in there to humidify without opening the door???

 

[anderson1209]

Also you should put a fan in there to help regulate the heat and give you more even heat transfer over the eggs

 

[LaurenV]

I don't have a small fan or a pc fan that I can use for it... Any Ideas?? could I just put some vents in there that I can open and close when I need to???

 

[bairo]

its big...I would use two bulbs to help equalize the temp. Also try lining the bottom with thin bricks, this acts as a very good heat sink and stabilizes the temps. A fan is a really good idea when you hit anything big enough for more than 12 eggs. Try a computer repair shop, they have so many old ones laying around they might just give you one. Considering you can order new ones from newegg.com for 5-10 dollars. As far as water without opening: get some flexible rubber or plastic line from lowes in the plumbing section. They sell it by the foot. Take a small funnel with you (walmart for a dollar) and get a size line that the end of funnel slips into. Drill a hole just above water pan height in side of bator and slip line in that hole. lay line across top of bator and use funnel to fill water.

 

[free_loader]

Quote:
vents are no substitute for a fan... the fan is there to make sure the entire incubator is the same temp inside.. without it you'll get "hot spots".. the store bought "still air" incubators can get away without one because they use a heating element that is almost as big around as the incubator itself. .. with a lightbulb you're going to have problems without a fan

go look around a thrift store, or a computer parts store and you'll probably find a fan for a couple of bucks

 

[bairo]

size of bulbs is a trial and error thing. try 2-25 watt clears and let it go 24 hours to see what you can get for temp. That would be where i would start and will probably be workable.

 

[LaurenV]

Alright thanks guys... I'll try as many of these ideas as I can and i was thinking about the tubing for the water but an old water bottle that it could fit on... Thanks again