Question about homemade incubators

[OkieChickenDad]

I have noticed on the homemade section that folks are using the lower hot water heater thermostat and old pc fans. My question is why has nobody gone with the 2 element thermostat and hooked the fan up tp the thermostat as well? I am new to this and have only done still air, but seems to me you wouldnt want your fan running the whole time. And even with a 12 volt adapter you can wire it to the thermostat, maybe I missed its mention. Also, wouldnt air circulating while the heat source is off diminish the time that it would cycle? And wouldnt a constantly running fan in a vented system make it hard to control humidity?

 

[OkieChickenDad]

Anyone?

 

[OkieChickenDad]

I will revise...and ask why does the fan need to run 24/7, can it be set to come on and off with the light by the thermostat?

 

[srsmith69]

Not an expert, but my two cents are... The main idea in a incubator is to eliminate hot and cold spots as much as possible. The fan, constantly running, allows the incubator to heat throughout when the heat source is on and forces the incubator to cool throughout when the heat source is off. If the fan went off with the heat source, I would think you would wind up with a hot spot around the heat source. Light bulbs are used in a lot of homemade incubators. Lightbulbs don't cool off instantaneously when the electricity is shut off. There is residual heat that needs to be circulated. If not, the corners of the incubator farthest from the heat source would cool off first, but the area around the heat source would be warmer.