Might be an odd question....which way does the fan suck/blow?

[paneubert]

So while I wait for my eggs to hatch, I started thinking about how I plan to add some more fans/airflow to my Farm Innovators 4250 before the next round. Lots of cold spots down in the lower half of the incubator that I want to deal with. I realized that every time I have tried to feel the airflow from the fan in the lid, it is so weak that I can't even tell if it is blowing down on the eggs, or if it is sucking air up from the eggs. Anybody want to weigh in? It may impact where I place my additional fans. My only observation so far is that it does seem to collect a little dust on the lid/behind/above the fan, so that might indicate it is sucking air up from the eggs versus blowing it down onto the eggs.

 

[R2elk]

So while I wait for my eggs to hatch, I started thinking about how I plan to add some more fans/airflow to my Farm Innovators 4250 before the next round. Lots of cold spots down in the lower half of the incubator that I want to deal with. I realized that every time I have tried to feel the airflow from the fan in the lid, it is so weak that I can't even tell if it is blowing down on the eggs, or if it is sucking air up from the eggs. Anybody want to weigh in? It may impact where I place my additional fans. My only observation so far is that it does seem to collect a little dust on the lid/behind/above the fan, so that might indicate it is sucking air up from the eggs versus blowing it down onto the eggs.

The normal procedure is to have the fan blow on the heating element.

 

[paneubert]

I had the same thought process. But I am not sure if it is as simple as that with this incubator. The heating element is a coil of wire that surrounds the fan. Wraps around it 4 or 5 times for about an inch of vertical space being "wrapped". So it is clearly not blowing directly on anything. But they might have designed it to pull air from below, basically pulling it up from egg level, then attempting to blow it out thru the heat wrapping. This would make sense due to the dust I see accumulate above the fan housing. Hmmm.....this could probably all be solved if I could hold a smoking candle up to it. Or used my brain to look at which direction the fan blades tip and which direction it spins. But alas it is currently in lockdown.

 

[paneubert]

Yeah, looking at a stock image, I think it has to be pulling from below and trying to blow out the sides. Seems like they are trying to duct it up and to the sides. Which is not working very well since I cant feel it blowing at all. Haha.

 

[paneubert]

Going to slap two of these babies onto the sides of the existing fan box, basically blowing air down the top of the lid of the incubator towards the "bottom" row of eggs.

 

[Kiki]

I'm here trying to learn.
Don't pay any attention to me.

 

[paneubert]

I'm here trying to learn.
Don't pay any attention to me.

We will see what happens! I don't know how powerful those new ducted fans are, so this might end up with a storm in the incubator. Only thing I could see this being an issue for would be increased humidity loss and accelerated evaporation/air sac development due to lots of airflow.

 

[Kiki]

Good luck with the hatch.
I'll be coming back for updates.

 

[Tabasco Jack]

Have you tried cleaning the fan? Every so often I have to take a air compressor and blow out the dust and dandruff from the fan housing.
When I hatch quail, I have to lay a piece of foil under the fan to prevent it from blowing directly on the eggs. They tend to dry out too quickly otherwise. So, additional fans in that small of a space my be too much air movement.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

IMO it's got to be blowing inwards very gently. Otherwise the fan wouldn't be able to control the temp. by sucking out air being heated right next to it