What do you use for your homemade thermostat and how reliable is it?!?

[Wolf-Kim]

Turning a refrigerator into an incubator and want to know what the best thermostat for it is, while staying in a reasonable price range.

Waferstats cost $15-20, but they have to be hand set.

ZooMed Repti-Temp 500R is the one a site I am using to help build my bator uses. He said it is very reliable, but he incubates reptiles. It's a $30 thermostat.

A digital thermostat would be wonderful, but I imagine these are pricey and I don't know anyone who uses them.

I would appreciate any help!!

-Kim

 

[SterlingAcres]

Hmm... I had the original thermometer and wet bulb inside the chest cabinet. Until this hatch. I bought two accurites. One's regular, one's digital. Maybe that'd work for you? Buying both was about $16 I think.

Good luck and post lots of pix

 

[DawnSuiter]

I'm using one of the waterheater thermostats that MissPrissy used in her Chic Chick Bator... $8 at lowes. I've been testing for a few hours in my mini cooler bator and still trying to get it right, but others have had good success.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I use the $8.00 hot water heater thermostat from Lowes. It takes a bit of adjusting and the temp is going to swing a bit....but, if you use a water wiggler with a probe thermometer you will find that the internal temp of the egg doesn't swing more than 1 degree. My temp goes between 95 and 102 but the water wiggler stays 99-100 most of the time.

 

[tiki244]

I tried the hot water thermostat and ruined a lot of eggs. I dont have a Lowes here.Then I bought a brand new wafer for around $18 and had much better success.

 

[serendipity22]

I've had alot of success with the plug in reptile thermostats. One's on my LG right now. And I use it on my home made incubator (that isn't in commission right now).