Is Too Large a Fan an Issue?

[MeepBeep]

This thermostat keeps cycling on and off constantly, I don't know what's up with that.

Where is the probe in relationship to the heat source? This could also just be the fact that the thermostat has a tight swing, is the swing adjustable?

Also consider putting the big fan up front, tilted at about a 45° angle upwards and back towards the lights instead of straight up at the lights, and mount the computer fans up front blowing backwards as well instead of downward this will create better rotational air flow... And if possible you can better this rotational air flow by putting a swoop or angled board behind the lights... I would put the temp probe for the thermostat in the location marked with the green star...

Quick and dirty picture of the concept...

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Where is the probe in relationship to the heat source? This could also just be the fact that the thermostat has a tight swing, is the swing adjustable?

Also consider putting the big fan up front, tilted at about a 45° angle upwards and back towards the lights instead of straight up at the lights, and mount the computer fans up front blowing backwards as well instead of downward this will create better rotational air flow... And if possible you can better this rotational air flow by putting a swoop or angled board behind the lights... I would put the temp probe for the thermostat in the location marked with the green star...

Quick and dirty picture of the concept...

better stated !!!

 

[donrae]

We'd found a second large fan and pulled it out of the housing *great minds think alike* and that's what I tried on the floor this morning. Honestly, it makes me nervous working with it uncovered, I may wait until Honey or a boy are home to try that again. I'd wondered about mounting it to the ceiling? I can sure try placing it in different areas. right now I've got the large fan on the top shelf, at a 45degree angle toward the ceiling and the front. Temps are not reading as even as when I'd had it pointed right to the ceiling the other day.

Thermostat probe is currently on the middle shelf. I'd thought that would give the best indication of the temp throughout the unit, is that wrong? If I put it on top near the heat source, won't the rest of the cabinet possibly to too cool?



In this pic, the thin black wire wrapped around the middle shelf is the thermostat probe, to show where it is.

 

[MeepBeep]

I've got the large fan on the top shelf, at a 45degree angle toward the ceiling and the front. Temps are not reading as even as when I'd had it pointed right to the ceiling the other day.

The reason most will advise you point it backward is so when you open the front it doesn't blow all the hot air out and continue to be blowing in your face and also if the seal on the front is not good you will be forcing/blowing hot air out the cracks...

Thermostat probe is currently on the middle shelf. I'd thought that would give the best indication of the temp throughout the unit, is that wrong? If I put it on top near the heat source, won't the rest of the cabinet possibly to too cool?[.quote]

You want to control the heat source closer to the heat source, this will reduce the on/off cycles and more important prevent overheating closer to the heat source... This is kind of hard to understand and even for me to fully explain, but, the thermostat has a swing, meaning if it has a swing of 4° and you set it for 100° it will wait until the temp falls to 98° degrees before coming on and then ramp up to 102° before shutting off... This is why it's important to put the thermostat probe close to the heat source as to not exaggerate that swing further in one direction... That doesn't mean you want the probe on top of the heat source that is too close you just want it in close proximity... Consider this as an example of what happens when the probe is put too far away and how it can effect the swing and thus cycle times... If we go back to the same swing where the heater is going to shut off at 102° if the probe is in the middle of the incubator it might take a few extra minutes for the temp in the middle of the incubator to reach that 102° temp, meanwhile the temp up high closer to the heater continues to climb above 102°... Same in reverse... Now in a perfect forced air system where air flow is even this exaggeration of the swing is minimal but it's still best to control heat closer to the source...

You might very well find out that running the thermostat at say 101° up top with the probe in the location I suggest produces a nice median 99.5° - 100° on the shelves bellow...

Also I don't know if your thermostat has adjustable swing but if it does you can tinker with it, as eggs don't change temp as fast as the air and will settle at a median temp thus the bigger swing isn't necessarily a bad thing and will reduce cycle times...

 

[donrae]

Thanks for the explanation Meep, I get what you're saying now.

I'm not sure my thermostat has a swing variation, though. Seriously. It's set for 99.5, then dips to 99.4 and the lights come on. It's literally every second or so, flashing on and off. I wish it had more of a variation but there's no way to set one. I can change the set point, but whatever it is has that same tight point where the lights come back on. And in this box I have a hard time believing the temp drops that fast and constantly. Maybe we just need to try a new thermostat....kind of a hard decision since my Honey bought this one for me and it was pretty spendy.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

hows the bator running?

 

[donrae]

Well... I'm not sure.

I had 4 different batches of eggs.

Gene gave me 9 eggs. I have no idea how they were stored prior to incubating, but I do know they were all fresh. 5 didn't develop at all, no vein, etc. 2 look like quitters but I left them in for now. 2 look good. Hatch date for these is next Tues/Wed.

Judy gave me a dozen eggs. Again, not sure how they were stored, and I think they could have been older. Not a single one developed at all. She says her rooster is young and has one rooster to 8 hens. IDK what happened here.

I bought a dozen Colombian Wyandotte eggs from a local lady. She had "helpfully" left them under her broody for a few days to keep them warm for me

. Looks like 3 are good, I can't recall right off how many were quitters and how many were clear. Hatch date for these will be next Fri/Sat.

Then, Honey fell in love with some calico bantam cochins at a swap, so we came home with a dozen hatching eggs. I can't recall exactly (I candled last night, that was a long time ago for my chemo-brain lol) but I think 8 are good, with some quitters. only 1-2 clear. They're due next Sat/Sun.

Temp is holding nice and steady throughout the unit, so that's good. I'm doing dry, humidity is mid 30s. I'm going to have to move this monster at some point as it's near the wood stove, but I'm just using blankets in the morning so far to avoid building a fire. Once these eggs hatch, I'll rearrange the space to give it more distance from the wood stove. I also thought I probably want to finish the interior somehow, Verathane or something on the bottom at least. With all those non-developing eggs, I realized what a horrible mess I could be looking at if one broke/exploded with that unfinished plywood

. I've never had an egg explode or break, but I know there's a first time for everything......

What I really need is for my own birds to mature and start laying, so I know how the eggs were handled and how fresh, not transported, etc. Waiting stinks

 

[Sally Sunshine]

hey walnut is refurbing a cabinet right now! see what he used inside his! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1023254/updating-an-old-gqf-1402-cabinet-incubator

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I here you on the wood stove, we had to break down and start the coal stove last monday and then roasted tues and wed and now cold again

 

[donrae]

Update---first chicks hatched! The batch from Gene. Set 9, 5 were duds, 2 looked like quitters--I'll crack them open this afternoon and see what I see. But I've got 2 live fluffy chicks for him

I used a styrobator for a hatcher and that seems to work well for me.

More eggs hatching end of the week. I also just bought some younger layers so we'll have eggs for breakfast. I know they're for eating, but I may have to pull some for hatching, all in the name of science, right? Controlled experiments and all that....