Thermometer issues

[Katie Jo]

Hi to all! I'm new to hatching eggs, hopefully getting eggs toward the end of the month from halo (Kathy---yes, her beautiful blue/barred crosses!). My uncle gave me an LG w/fan and turner kit for Christmas (isn't he AWESOME??!!) so I figured I should fire it up to make sure everything worked before I got the eggs.
Well, I got it going, and I have 2 thermometers in it. One is the little thermometer that came with the incubator, the other is a digital therm/hygrometer I bought from Walmart. The one that came with the bator is reading about 6-8 degrees higher than the digital. I bought 2 of the digital thermometers and left them outside of the bator for a couple hours, and they ended up reading identically, so I wouldn't think the digital one would be that far off. Has anybody used the thermometer that came with their incubator, or is it just a throw-away? I just want to make sure everything is perfect before I get the eggs in there....it'd kill me if I destroyed a whole batch of eggs (my FIRST batch) on account of a bad thermometer!! Any help is much appreciated!
Katie

 

[Irajoe]

I purchased the 9200 recently...the thermometer that came with it consistently reads 4 degress less than the actual temperature (as measured with a medical thermometer. I've got a new digital on order and plan to throw away the one that came with the incubator. On a positive note...it's consistent...always 4 degrees less than the actual temp.

 

[BeardedChick]

Are they at the same height? If ones at the level of the eggs and one is at the top of the 'bator, there could be that much of a temperature difference.

If they are the same height, ruh-roh.

 

[Akane]

Did you try putting the thermometer outside the incubator with the digitals? Different areas of the incubator can have slightly different temp. Less issue with a fan but with a still air mine can be as much as 6F off from the middle to the edge. Digitals are also more sensitive and will reflect temp changes quicker than the other making them usually show a few degrees different depending when the heater just kicked on and off. About all you can do is try incubating some eggs and if they hatch early your thermometer is low (temp is higher than the average needed) and if they hatch late your thermometer is reading high. The thermometer that cam with my incubator works fine. I keep it right on 101-102 with it sitting on the eggs and all my eggs have hatched exactly on time. My digital reads 96-97F since I have a still air and put it in a different location from the other thermometer.

 

[jvls1942]

you do not have to throw that thermometer away.. once you get a thermometer that you can trust just adjust the one you have to match,,

CAREFULLY loosen the wire holding it to the card and slide it until the mercury matches the proper number.. then fasten it again and presto, another working thermometer..

 

[Chicken Woman]

I tossed mine. I use 2 digital temp/hygrometer combo and have tested the hygrometer with salt as we should. It was 2 off so i just account for it. The temp is right on whan tested against a scientific thermometer in my house.

 

[Katie Jo]

Thanks for the quick replies! The digital therm is on the stand (meant for the original therm that came with the bator), so that would put it about level with the eggs. The other is clipped to an empty turner rail, since I don't have egg cups on every rail, but it is directly next to the digital thermometer, but lower down.

I will try and adjust the little thermometer to see if I can get them to match. Hopefully it works!!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Definitely toos the one that came with the bator. When I first got my LG, the temp between the bator thermo and the digital was only about 2 degrees, but that would make a huge difference in the hatch!
I just got a hovabator, and the thermo that came with it read a full 8 degrees lower than the digital. The ones that come with the bators are a joke!