New to incubation question

[Glenmar]

I have a new Brinsea ECO 20 that I am setting up.
It has been running for more than 4 days. I have adjusted the
temp down some. The top thermometer ( that came with the
incubator) reads 100. I have another glass thermometer
that I got from Walmart near the bottom that is reading 98.
Do I need to adjust again? Or get another thermometer.
Thanks

 

[hoog]

In my very limited experience those cheap Wal-mart thermometers are unreliable. I tried that too and thought the incubator was wrong but it turned out to be the thermometer. I suggest you get yourself a better thermometer if you want to test your incubator.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have that model but I understand it is a good one and that it is a forced air. You should be shooting for somewhere around 99.5 degrees F with a forced air.

Different thermometers have different accuracies. Those outdoor thermometers you get at Walmart or similar big box stores are meant to be accurate to within 1 or 2 degrees F. What you need for the incubator is one that is meant to be accurate to within 0.1 degrees. I ordered mine from Cutler Supply. I'm not sure what options you have locally to get one like that. Don't get the one that is a combined thermometer/hygrometer with digital readout. They are harder to calibrate and I think the humidity in the incubator may mess with the electronics over time. Mine started giving funny readings late in the hatch. You don't need that stress.

This accuracy I'm talking about here does not mean that the temperature they are reading is correct. It means that the thermometer will go back to the same reading within that accuracy. Maybe think of it more as precision than accuarcy. Say you have two days that it is 90 degrees outside. One day that thermoneter may read 89. The next time if is 90 degrees, it may read 91.

Due to manufacturing tolerances, not all thermometers read the correct temperature. This is different than precision. I've looked at Lowe's and my local hardware store and the same brand of outdoor thermometers on the same shelf in the same climate controlled conditions can read several degrees apart. I've seen as much as 9 degrees difference on the same shelf. When you get a thermometer, you need to calibrate it. This link might help you.

Rebel’s Thermometer Calibration
http://cmfarm.us/ThermometerCalibration.html

I don't know the accuracy or precision of that Brinsea thermometer, but I'd expect the Brinsea thermostat to be pretty good. You can use a medical thermometer that you use to take your temperature to help set that thermostat if you like. It is not a good way to monitor the temperature of the incubator during incubation, but if you shake it down and set it in there, you can adjust the thermostat until you are getting the right temperature, then just trust that thermostat to keep steady.

 

[Glenmar]

Thanks. I turned the temp down a little, and I have a digital thermometer in there now that is reading 99.3. it is one of those
thermometer/hydrometer combos. I will look around for something better.