Incubators Anonymous

[Faverolling]

How adorable! What breed is George?

 

[gimmie birdies]

George is a blue splash maran/EE mix
his mom

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

my suggestion is wiring multiple light bulbs in series...  it decreases the voltage of each, one, but increases the life exponentially... in addition, the output is shifted more to the infrared range than visible light, so they are even more efficient in an incubator IMO... 

if you don't believe me, google it.  there are some light bulbs out there that have been running for close to a hundred years running at half their rated voltage.

You'd have to wire in parallel for that to work. In series if one light blows it will kill the remaning bulbs. In parallel if you lose one bulb the rest will remain powered. -MCF

 

[ki4got]

Quote:
wiring in series, it's doubtful either bulb would ever blow out, while in parallel the bulbs would still blow out, and her worry was that they won't be available down the road. so that was my point... if you're paranoid, wire it in series parallel. then you've got 2 pairs in series, but running parallel in case one side goes off... but IMO that would be overkill.

 

[DMRippy]

Standard incandescent bulbs will still be available. The standard bulbs are labeled rough service now. Calling them rough service exempts them from the law somehow.

That is great news! I didn't know that. they last longer too. I don't mind paying more if they last longer. Some of the reg ones die in days for no good reason. Maybe we will wire in a light.... like the light in there anyway. I am going to put in puck lights in the drawers so I can see in the trays easier.

 

[DMRippy]

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I may not get back on here tomorrow.

 

[seventreesfarm]

That is great news! I didn't know that. they last longer too. I don't mind paying more if they last longer. Some of the reg ones die in days for no good reason. Maybe we will wire in a light.... like the light in there anyway. I am going to put in puck lights in the drawers so I can see in the trays easier.

I've been looking for a puck light I can hardwire in the ceiling of my wine cooler bator. I put the fan/heater at the bottom just so I could use the neat switched light that was in the cooler, but it's not the greatest set up for even heat. So when I move it I still want a light controlled by that switch.

 

[chiqita]

Bringing the bator in the house today. Im not even going to screw with trying to keep the barn climate controlled for it.

Ya my styrafoambator is in the bedroom. If the fan gets too labored it wakes me up.

My son wired up the NEW hatcher I have had for MONTHS LOL.  I still have to get everything worked out but the thermostat is in and it will heat and COOL if needed.  It has a constant  electrical supply and a on off switch.... (just for safety reasons.... not that I have NEED to turn it off or anything) OOOOHHHH the hatcher is turned off sometimes for a couple of days LOL. 

QUESTION - to all of you that use lights to heat your bators..... what are you going to use now that light bulbs will be GONE in 2014?????

I am not even wiring a light in this new hatcher.  I bought a cheap ceramic heater I am going to try.  Seems like it would work well, my only fear is the humidity in the hatcher, but it is cheap under $19.  I figured if it ruined the electronic stuff we could still use the heating element.  I am also using flexwatt..... I like having 2 heat sources just in case one goes out.

For those of you getting the ceramic heating units. (I love them!) Do not get thwblack ones from China. The glue sucks and gives out with the changing temps . dead eggs cold chicks and fires oh my!

Merry Christmas everyone!wishing you 99% hatched pullets for you all!

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Pics of mine are in my sig. It would hold temp down in the 30's im sure jut it would kill my power bill lol

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: My puck lights are battery and remote controlled. I will just need them when I look in. I could not hard wire lights for each drawer. the drawers are as big as the box other than the tracks for the drawers.