Large Incubator build - need help

[geareduplyn]

Check out my thread. "Do You Want to Build A Cabinet Incubator". There might be something there that will help you. I'll post some more pictures after I come in tonight.

 

[SportTees]

Quote:
I checked out the post- very nice

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

lil'chickies :

rebelcowboysnb - Do you have pics of your converted fridge units??




​

 

[lil'chickies]

Do you still use that one?? What's with the cinder blocks? Hair dryer? Do you have all the mechanics on one side and then the eggs on the other? I was thinking of doing that with an over/under fridge. We found one today. It was the only one that the doors still had a good seal on. I was thinking if I put all the mechanics in the freezer part with the bottom cut out to have room to circulate in the fridge part, I could just open the top to adjust, add water, whatever. Still going to cut windows out of the doors for easy viewing. That looks great, just can't make out all the hows and whys of it?

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=145236
The blocks an jugs of water are for thermal mass. The thermostat turns on an off a outlet. The hair dryer is the heat source. I also use a humidistat to run a foggier for humidity control.

My last hatch:
36 of my eggs, 2 quitters an 2 failed to hatch, 32 hatched
5 shipped eggs,1 quitter an 1 failed to hatch, 3 hatched

You could use a standard fridge but it would take heavy modification to keep the temp stable from top to bottom. The side by side model allows you to force the air to flow from top to bottom an back in a circular motion. Downward in the freezer/control side an back up on the egg/fridge side.

 

[SportTees]

I finally kinda got the temp regulated. It is staying about 1 deg different from top shelve to bottom shelve. I'm using a hot water heat thermostat and am wonderinf if the variation in temp will be a problem. Its high temp was 100.7 and the lowest temp was 96.2 on the top shelve. It took 5 minutes to get from high to low. The bottom shelve high was 98.8 and low of 95.7. The temps on both shelves say within a deg but the bottom shelve doesn't get any hotter then 98.8. Will the variation of 4-5 deg every 5 minutes hurt ?


Also how do you wire up an indicator light? Do you really need a backup thermostat and how would you wire that?

Here is the inside

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

If you are just wanting a light to show when the heat is on then you would get a lamp kit an hook the two wires to the opposite sides of the heat element. Mounting the light right by the thermostat would also help with your temp variation. The closer the two are the smaller the temp variation but the longer it takes to heat back up after you open the door.

 

[RioLindoAz]

Quote:
Sorry I didn't mean to sound mean or rude. thanks for the input

You weren't rude. Well, at least you didn't sound rude...?

Good luck on your bator!

 

[geareduplyn]

sporttees wrote
Also how do you wire up an indicator light? Do you really need a backup thermostat and how would you wire that?



sporttees, you are great case maker. Your dog crates are beautiful, but if you want to sell large incubators as indicated by your website, you're going to have to hit the books. Indicator lights are pretty much a necessity to tell if both the heater and the auto turner is working. A back up thermostat is a must. If the thermostat fails you usually wind up with a batch of cooked chicks, and if you don't know an ethnic group that think these are a delicacy "LOL" you just have to throw them away. There will be wiring instructions on my cabinet incubator post.

 

[SportTees]

Quote:
Thanks - I believe I'm going to stick with building the cases. There is more involved in incubators than I anticipated. I believe when I finish mine that will be it for me and building incubators.

I can't wait to see more on yours though