Which hygrometer do i go by?!?!? HELP!

[Poohb10454]

I have been running my incubator for almost 48 hours preparing to set eggs tomorrow morning. I have been having trouble getting the incubator above 30% on the hygrometer that is built in. So, today I went to walmart and bought a digital thermometer/hygrometer with probe. All the thermometers read the same (built in, digital and set in) but the hygrometers (built in and digital) are far off. The built in reads 60% and the digital reads 31%. This is a huge difference. Which should I use?

Thanks in advance!

Added: I just went and checked and the built in is almost 70% and the digital is still 31%...I've been adding water slowly with a dropper over the last few hours trying to bring it up

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Sometimes they don't read well with weak batteries or simply need to have the battery taken out and put back in. If that doesn't work then perform a salt test on the new hygrometer. That will tell you how accurate it is.

Search here or Google "salt test" or:

Get a ziplock type bag, some salt, a milk cap or similar size container and faucet dripping water.

Fill cap with salt. Let water drip onto it until it is a paste consistency (wet sand).

Put the cap and hygrometer into the ziplock bag and seal. Try to keep air in bag, slightly inflated.

Wait 6 hours and take the reading of hygrometer. It should read 75% exactly.

However much it is off mark on piece of tape and attach to hygrometer so you don't forget to add or subtract that amount leach time you take a reading.


It's best to use just one hygrometer and one or two thermometers or you could go batty. Calibrating the Walmart unit is easier so go by that once calibrated. Or use it to calibrate the incubator reading.

 

[DaveOmak]

I just purchased 3 of these.... I will see how they work.... I can stick them in a bag and salt/water mix to check accuracy... I will have spares... and they were cheap..... I have never..... never had good luck with electronic humidity measuring devices..... Dave

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Durable-Ana...5576?pt=US_Weather_Meters&hash=item48603732f8

 

[Poohb10454]

Sometimes they don't read well with weak batteries or simply need to have the battery taken out and put back in. If that doesn't work then perform a salt test on the new hygrometer. That will tell you how accurate it is.

Search here or Google "salt test" or:

Get a ziplock type bag, some salt, a milk cap or similar size container and faucet dripping water.

Fill cap with salt. Let water drip onto it until it is a paste consistency (wet sand).

Put the cap and hygrometer into the ziplock bag and seal. Try to keep air in bag, slightly inflated.

Wait 6 hours and take the reading of hygrometer. It should read 75% exactly.

However much it is off mark on piece of tape and attach to hygrometer so you don't forget to add or subtract that amount leach time you take a reading.


It's best to use just one hygrometer and one or two thermometers or you could go batty. Calibrating the Walmart unit is easier so go by that once calibrated. Or use it to calibrate the incubator reading.

Thank you! I am testing my digital hygrometer right now. It's been 4 hours and it till only reads 41% humidity. My built in is still saying 70% humidity in the incubator even though I have removed all water. ahhhhh I dont know but it's making me crazy. I just need to be able to trust one of them. I will add the digital back after I am done with the test