Temperature fluxuations in incubator

[marcbarsby13]

Hopefully this is a good thread to ask. I've got a hovabator and tilting the incubator rather than using my turner which broke after a few days. I'm having trouble with temp. I had it nailed down before I put the eggs in and stable. However I can't seem to get a good reading. When its flat on the ground I get the 99.5. When its tilted I may get 102-103 on one side. And when its tilted the other way about 100. Thoughts?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hopefully this is a good thread to ask. I've got a hovabator and tilting the incubator rather than using my turner which broke after a few days. I'm having trouble with temp. I had it nailed down before I put the eggs in and stable. However I can't seem to get a good reading. When its flat on the ground I get the 99.5. When its tilted I may get 102-103 on one side. And when its tilted the other way about 100. Thoughts?

Typical issues. Is it a still air model? Fans help equalize the temps throughout the incubator, but only to a better degree. It is seldom that the temperature is precisely equal everywhere, at the same time.

 

[blucoondawg]

In addition to what Fred said, having it tilted is going to effect the way the heat is rising and dissipating out the vent holes so that may contribute to some of the fluctuation as well, even my fan model farm innovators doesn't stay consistent throughout the incubator its a little warmer on one side than the other.

 

[Ryoohkey]

if your thermometer is digital it may be reading wrong i have 1 digital and 2 regular i use the digital for humidity, i've notice when my digital says 104 my other 2 say 99-100 then in a couple hours my digital will say 99

 

[TurkenItUp209]

i've notice when my digital says 104 my other 2 say 99-100 then in a couple hours my digital will say 99

I have this exact problem, we'll see in 10-12 more days if I did it right.

 

[Ryoohkey]

I candled my duck eggs i have right now and all 12 are doing just fine pulsating and all just looked at the again on sunday would make it 2 weeks and all are still alive so hopefully its just a random "hot spot" from my fan blowing around in there

 

[ChickenLegs13]

First of all it's not going to show a constant temperature. Even after it turns off the temp continues to rise because the element is still hot. Then when it turns back on it still continues to drop a bit because the air was cooling and engaged the thermostat.
With that understood, the trick is keep it midway between the high & low. Mine dips to 99.4* and peaks @ 100.6* so figure the ave temp inside the eggs is 100*. That's measuring with the remote sensor at top of egg height in the middle of the bator near where the fan blows.
Your 103* would concern me because that's too hot. You should stop tilting it if that whacks the temp and then you could probably keep a more consistant & uniform temp.
And another thing, the wafers are super sensitive to changes in barometric pressure so when the weather changes it whacks the temp, by about .5* either way depending on if it was a high pressure front or a low pressure front.
Just find 1 accurate thermometer and go with it. Using multiple thermometers in various locations and constantly tweaking the temp adjustment will drive you insane.

Hope that helped.