What does insulation do in an incubator?

[XxPandaxX]

I have lots in mine xD Also, how do you know when there is too much humidity? I ended up getting some 3 buck fish thermometers that another BYCer recommended. So far it's on point! But they had no hygrometers ): I'll be incubating 12 eggs tomorrow morning, and I have 2 bowls of water in there about 2 inches deep each. One maybe three. Is this too much humidity? Also I have a wool blanket and some foam (just a couple bits of foam along the side) , is this too much? What do insulators DO ? Raise the temp or the humidity?

 

[groundpecker]

You can get a digital Temp/Humidity gauge from a local department store. Then, there is no guessing if you have the correct settings.

 

[walkswithdog]

You can get a digital Temp/Humidity gauge from a local department store.  Then, there is no guessing if you have the correct settings.

Yup, those work and in a pinch I pick up a little reptile humidity indicator as backup, they're not battery powered and if you double check it's accuracy then you have something you don't have to worry about battery loss with.

I dry hatch. So I don't add water as long as the humidity is pretty even. Insulation keeps temperatures in a given range. Ideally you want an incubator to stay the same temperature, or in a very narrow range as all times. Though good hatches can be had with a five degree swing, staying in a one or two degree or less range, produces even better results.

My set up is swinging now between 100.2 and 100.8, not bad for a first run of an unfinished incubator. I used a wine cooler fridge, which like mini fridges has great insulation. I like them because of the double paned glass doors. Stability creates better Hatches.

My humidity is running in the fifties. Humid month here. Adding water would be insane. It's an art, not a science. It's amazing how many hatch despite all kinds of trouble. Try and keep trying, you'll figure it out. Good luck