styrofoam cooler incubator

[Aphrael]

how big is your cooler? I have made one couple years ago and it did not work, the temperature would not hold and was jumping high, I have fried those eggs, even though I made so many air holes and the top had to be partly open. It was horrible.

The absolute best investment you can make when building your own incubator is a good thermostat. There are people who use the dimmers with success, but they take constant monitoring to adjust for temp fluctuations. Myself, I have no where near that much patience. A good thermostat will do all that work for you, and they don't have to break the bank either. I use the STC 1000 digital temp controller, purchased on Amazon for $24. It works fantastic.

 

[tajuano]

would any temperature controller do? I found some on Amazon that is 17dollars but not sure about it, last time we used just plain light bulb. Is that why the temperature would not stay stable?

 

[sherrihargrove]

I'm using a 40 watt bulb with a plugin dimmer that I got at home depot for 12.00. be sure you put silver tape where the bulb is close to sides mine started melting to styrofoam. just play with the dimmer to get temp right mine is perfect and chicks due Sunday.

 

[MeepBeep]

Although not perfect an $8 hot water heater thermostat works incredibly well, especially if a fan is blowing across it... Yes it requires some basic wiring... I originally tossed one in my hatcher because I could pick it up same day and it was cheap, but after dialing it in, it works so well I have yet to replace it with anything else and that hatcher had become my primary incubator because it works so well...

I also picked up a small digital thermostat on Ebay that I have yet to test, it was under $5 delivered, curious to see how well it does...

 

[Aphrael]

would any temperature controller do? I found some on Amazon that is 17dollars but not sure about it, last time we used just plain light bulb. Is that why the temperature would not stay stable?

Well, some are going to be more reliable than others. But there are a lot you can get for cheap that work great. Some people have great success with the WHT like @MeepBeep . I myself had no luck with the WTH, it drove me nuts, but YMMV. If you can post a link to the one on Amazon maybe someone here may have experience with it and be able to let you know if it is reliable or not.

 

[tajuano]

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-All-p...orr&keywords=STC+1000+digital+temp+controller

Here is the link to it, but now I am a little confused, what should I use, the dimmer or thermostat?

 

[Aphrael]

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-All-p...orr&keywords=STC+1000+digital+temp+controller

Here is the link to it, but now I am a little confused, what should I use, the dimmer or thermostat?

That is the STC 1000 just like I use! It looks like they dropped the price on it. A dimmer can be used successfully. However, you have to monitor constantly to make adjustments because any change in the atmosphere around the incubator can cause the temps to change. If you can get the thermostat that is hands down the best way to go. The thermostat will make those changes for you. It controls your heat source so that when the temp dips below a certain point it turns the heat source on and when it reaches your set point it shuts it off. The STC 1000 for instance, has a .3 degree variance. So I set mine for 37.7C and it shuts the heat off as soon as it reaches 37.7C and turns it back on when it dips down to 37.4C. The dimmer does not turn the heat source off and on, it simply allows you to control the amount of power flowing to the heat source. You can dial it in to a perfect temp while you work on it. But it will not adjust for any changes that happen unless you adjust it manually each time.

 

[tajuano]

Yes, I think I will get this thermostat, and the price is the same as dimmer. Thank you for your detail explanation and patience. I will work on it and hopefully by spring time it will be ready, I wish I knew all this two years ago. It will be good science project for my kids and me.

 

[Aphrael]

Yes, I think I will get this thermostat, and the price is the same as dimmer. Thank you for your detail explanation and patience. I will work on it and hopefully by spring time it will be ready, I wish I knew all this two years ago. It will be good science project for my kids and me.

It will be a great science project! I think hatching is a wonderful learning experience for kids (and adults too!) Good luck with your project. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[tajuano]

Yes, indeed I will, it just have to wait until after Christmas, with holidays been so busy.