Question on thermostats

[Lollypop]

I see a lot of people using water heater thermostats in their homemade incubators. Is there a particular reason for using that? Can you use a A/C thermo? Is there any other devices that work?

When I get into these projects I scour around for salvaged material to complete them. I need info so when I find stuff I'll know I can use it.

Thanks.

 

[Quail Jailer]

I see a lot of people using water heater thermostats in their homemade incubators. Is there a particular reason for using that? Can you use a A/C thermo? Is there any other devices that work?

When I get into these projects I scour around for salvaged material to complete them. I need info so when I find stuff I'll know I can use it.

Thanks.

You can get by with a blade thermostat from an old space heater, but I highly recommend a Ga Quail Farm Manufacturing wafer thermostat, they are about 25 bucks and as far as mechanical incubator thermostats go, they are the best.

 

[dirtychick]

I strongly agree themostats are very important and those are cheap + very good.

 

[Lollypop]

See this is the kinda stuff I need to know. I'm a jack of all trades and can build most anything but I like to get the info from experienced guys. Once I have all my options I can then figure out what avenue I want to take. Like a say I come across good stuff all the time I may find some super duper thermo out of Thrace shuttle somebody is throwing away. Lol

 

[Quail Jailer]

I see folk using water heater thermos which just does not make any sense, can you make it work? sure. should you?, hmmph I'd rather shoot myself in the foot.

A blade thermo will get a 2-5 degree swing, if you cant get that close get another one...BUT the GQF wafer will hold within a few tenths of a degree.

For the money(& Hassle) its the way to go, plus they are easy to mount and use.

 

[MeepBeep]

I see a lot of people using water heater thermostats in their homemade incubators. Is there a particular reason for using that?

They are about $8 can can be picked up at the local hardware store, and work sufficiently...
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It's hardly that much hassle, in fact it's no harder to get to work then anything else... For the quick and dirty low cost it's a nice alternative to consider if you are budget minded...

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This is true, I see about a 4° swing in the water heater thermostat I used for my hatcher, but in reality that is perfectly acceptable... Mine swings from about 98° to 102°... But based on multiple temps taken using a small 2oz and 4oz bottle of water to simulate eggs in there, the temp of that water in the bottle stays a pretty constant 100°, and has never exceeded 101°... Also I monitored the temp over several hours and about 80% of the time the temp was in the 99° to 101° range, the fall from 99° to 98° and the rise from 101° to 102° last literally about 30 seconds in my design so it's not at those extremes for long...

It's not like a broody bird is regulating to 1/10 of a degree, quite the opposite...

 

[dirtychick]

My 2 cents and it's free "advice is worth what you pay for it esp. if its good" and this is free - but seriously if you want to build one and not just useing a light bulb and strofoam the wafer therostat is worth the money about $23. plus shipping should lastlong time and usely when they quit about $10 screw on a nother wafer which controls a presser switch -easy simple cheap. Or you can rig something mess with it get it close and go's out lose a bunch of eggs,time, and your hair if you have any. //////////////Or as someone once said--anything worth doing is worth doing right the second time.----- it don't matter to us we -are trying to help------if you a mess with and waste your time rig something if you want to hatch eggs buy one. ---free 2 cents. //////////////QUAI L JAILER THANKS YOU DESERVE THE FANE!

 

[dirtychick]

QUAIL JAILER THAT WAS FAME! i CAN'T SPELL OR HIT THE RIGHT BUTTON.

 

[Lollypop]

Dirty chick, I must have missed the part in my own post where I argued with anyone about their advice or even indicated what I might use. I have NO IDEA one thermostat from another when it comes to raising fowl. That's why I initiated the post, to get ideas of what was out there and what had a proven track record. Maybe you misunderstood my posts or my tone but geez lighten up.

This is the second time someone has gotten testy over my question or posts and I've only posted three times.

Now for the helpful folks here without an attitude:

Why don't people use the A/C thermo? Accuracy?

What internally makes the water heater a good choice and the same question for the GQF?

So best I can figure so far the water heater thermo is a wafer type and the A/C thermo is a blade type. Correct?

 

[Quail Jailer]

Dirty chick, I must have missed the part in my own post where I argued with anyone about their advice or even indicated what I might use. I have NO IDEA one thermostat from another when it comes to raising fowl. That's why I initiated the post, to get ideas of what was out there and what had a proven track record. Maybe you misunderstood my posts or my tone but geez lighten up.

This is the second time someone has gotten testy over my question or posts and I've only posted three times.

Now for the helpful folks here without an attitude:

Why don't people use the A/C thermo? Accuracy?

What internally makes the water heater a good choice and the same question for the GQF?

So best I can figure so far the water heater thermo is a wafer type and the A/C thermo is a blade type. Correct?

Most AC thermos are a bimetal coil and a mercury switch, needs to be level- unsuitable

The GQF wafer is two airtight brass wafers that expand and contract (as all metals do ) with temperature fluctuations

you adjust it until the wafer(replaceable) presses the microswitch (replaceable) and thats your cut off point

they are very sensitive and ideally suited for this task. Hope this helps