Problems with homemade incubator thermostat..

[wolftracks]

Quote:
I looked again and yeah it does need to be much closer to the bulb. That was out mistake with our first two. But we moved the thermostat and they worked perfect after that.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Distance from the bulb is everything it needs to be close. http://cmfarm.us/WHTincubator.html

Being under the bulb probably don't help ether. The heat off the bulb will cause convection an pull cold air from the bottom of the incubator up an around the thermostat.

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

Quote:
Okay so I think I am starting to get it.. We are going to rebuild it and we are going to mount the Thermostat to the side of the light bulb with the metal back facing towards the bulb.
New question is, what would be the easiest way to mount it like that? so in the second video in the link you posted, the thermostat will be facing just like they have the thermostat sitting on the bowl.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

An L shaped shelf bracket would be the easy way. Yep just like in the second video.

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

Okay so remounted the thromostat to the side and changed out the bulb to a 100w bulb and it actually isnt getting as hot as it was when I had the thermostat below the bulb.. It doesnt kick on until 83*F an kicks off at 97*F and that is even with the thermostat turned the whole way up!

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Silkiemomma2010, you might have to add another fan. I got mine running pretty good, but I noticed some spots were a little hotter. I have a small computer fan at the top of the back panel with an air hole behind it, but I decided to add a second fan in the incubator. Went to Walmart today and got a small fan for $6.00, put it in and now the temps are more even throughout. Within .7 degrees. This fan is a little more powerful, and I put it at the bottom blowing up toward the light to disperse the heat more evenly.

Also, and I'm just thinking out loud here, your styrofoam cooler may be more susceptible to outside temperature changes. If you can't get it to work, maybe you can try a big plastic cooler instead which may have a little more insulation. I'm just throwing that out there for after you have tried everything else. As I mentioned before, I am using an old dorm fridge, and it is doing well so far. Still tweaking just a little, but I have about got it now.

I know it can be aggravating, but hang in there and keep at it. I'm sure you will get it to work out. If'n I can do it, anybody can!

 

[TinyTotsSeramas]

I need to get this thing working by this weekend coming up! Theres Chickenstock on the 9th an they have hatching eggs!! an plus I just got a breeding pair of quail!!

 

[Orange Ribbon]

Here is a picture of what I have done with my homemade incubator. Yeah, I know it's a mess! HA! I had installed an electrical receptacle inside the fridge so I wouldn't have a bunch of cords running out of it. But when I added the fan in the bottom I had to put an additional plug in it. That is why you see all those wires and plug ends.

Okay, if you look closely just to the right of the big black plug end you can see the light bulb in the back. Right above it you see a white plastic thing with slots in it. Well, that is the cover that my thermostat is inside. The cover also deflects the light from shining directly onto any eggs on the turner above. The back of the thermostat is facing down toward the light. To the right of all that you can see my red fan. Behind the fan I have a little pan with a tube running into it from outside so I can put water in it without opening the door. The egg turner is above sitting on a metal screen, and the computer fan is above that blowing in from the back. That little bit of a black thing you can see at the top right mounted to a piece of screen is a digital thermometer/hygrometer. I also drilled a small hole down through the top of the box just big enough to stick a calibrated digital cooking thermometer right down in it. The point is about even with where the top of the eggs will be, and the display is on the outside of the fridge.

I was having a difference in temps between the two thermometers of about 2 degrees, the hottest place being at the door. Beats me why it did that. But with the second fan in there angled upward to blow at an angle across the bulb they are both reading within .7 degrees now. I think I can live with that. My over all temps are ranging right now between 97.7 and 98.8 so I need to turn the thermostat up just a tiny tad to get it around 99.5 to 100 degrees. I wish I could get it closer, like within 1/2 degree of turning off and on, but I think this will work okay. I might try a little something to see if I can get it closer. But compared to that LG I had this thing is a dream.

I hope this might help you out a little bit.