Still air vs. Forced air .......

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

I received a Little Giant 9200 still air incubator and turner for Christmas. They also bought me the fan kit. I turned it on today and am debating over whether to install the fan kit or not. It says "to be installed by electrician". I am no electrician, and am afraid I'll ruin the heating elements by incorrectly installing it. I have never had a forced air incubator before. I've used still air hovabators. I had o.k hatches.... about five or six chicks each hatch (out of about 30 eggs). SO, If you have a little Giant 9200, did you install the fan or not? Is it worth it? Any tips for operating a L.G 9200? Thanks!

 

[hatchcrazzzy]

i own and use 5 lgs no fan no turner and my hatches have been from 55%to 98 % you just have to use them where there are drafts and the temperteures hold fairly steady

 

[Barnyard]

I just bought a LG 9200 and I am as we speak hatching my first eggs in it. I would have to give this a thumbs up. I didn't like it at first because it was so hard to get the temp steady. But once I did, I haven't had any problem with it. It is holding strong at 101.4. I have the still air with the turner and I am impressed! Alote of people on here do not like it, so it really depends on the person. GOODLUCK!

 

[KYBOY]

Id say its worth it, espically since you already have it. Making mine forced air made a big difference.

 

[Ace_king_brahma]

When I bought mine and got the fan it wasn't very difficult to install and it worked perfectly well. That was 10 years ago and I have no idea how they are packaged these days but back then it was simple and no electrician necessary or claimed to be necessary by the instructions.

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

Well, I installed the fan kit tonight......After cutting through the wrong cords

(the ones leading to the heatin elements), realizing what I 'd done and crying , then realized that the cords really couldn't be severed because the whole thing wouldn't work, and then ripping the little blue connector box open to pull the cords out to inspect the damage--although the insulation was cut, the wires appear to be intact

! YAY

! So I attached the fan cords to the correct cords, and now the fan is working fine. I never realized how much faster the whole incubator heats up when there's a fan! WOW! The temp still doesn't want to cooperate- ranging from 97 to 101 degrees (after installing the fan 20 minutes ago) but maybe it will stop fluctuating so much.

 

[twigg]

Not only will it heat better, but crucially it will maintain humidity better, much better.

You will have warm air moving across the surface of the water, instead of relying on very small convection currents.

 

[fallenweeble]

mr. purple chicken was kind enough to take photos of how one needs to wire the fan to the LG 9200 unit! i of course, had gotten my details jumbled and didn't actually have the fan i though i did but that's not the point - the info purple chicken so patiently provided me should serve you very well!
here is the link to the that thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=34689

good luck and happy hatching!

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

The temp is much more stable now. Not quite as reliable as my hovabator was, but okay. The people at the post office jostled the eggs down the bumpy dirt road, left a notice, and jostled them back to the post office

un . So now I have to go to the post office

. I hope that that bumpy trip down the dirt road won't decrease the hatch.