Thermostats

[snugglepup]

Ok, so my first (and only) incubator is a hovabator that we picked up slightly used. Have so far had 3 great hatches from it. Now I read that the hovabator is not great! Now that I know that, I am sure it will sabotage my next hatch.

So I'm thinking of modifying/updating it. Can't afford to buy a fancy big one (wouldn't a sportsman be great?). Seems most people don't like the wafer thermostat. I have read that you should replace the wafer frequently, but can you improve on the entire rig? I saw somewhere someone suggested replacing the thermostat with a GQF solid state thermostat. Has anyone done this? Why is it better?

 

[silkiechicken]

I say if it works, don't change it! Else you risk having to relearn how your bator works again.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

If it's working good for you why mess with it? Wafers have been used for years, but do have some drawbacks.

The solid state thermostats don't drift with atmospheric pressure changes and doesn't wear out. Since the wafer is a sealed bellows it changes setting as the barometric pressure changes. It also wears out after a while leaking out all the ether, but they are cheap to replace...

 

[speckledhen]

I like some things about wafers myself. You just need to change them out every hatching season to make sure you dont have one go out in the middle of a hatch and keep an extra or two on hand.

 

[snugglepup]

Ok, so I am ordering a couple more wafers. How can you tell when one is wearing out?

 

[speckledhen]

You wont know probably until the temp starts to spike unexplainably or you smell ether. It's good practice to just replace one every season. Around here, I can buy one for about $5.95 or so. Not expensive when you think about saving your chicks by having a new one in there.

 

[Marlinchaser]

You wont tell till it goes out. Speckledhen is saying to change it out at the beginning of the new season, and keep a spare on hand just in case it starts to go you could switch out midhatch if you catch it in time. Its doing preventative maintinence(-1SP) like changing a filter before it completely clogs.