Posted by:
Chris_Harper2
at Sat Feb 28 09:44:16 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Chris_Harper2 ]
First, the absolute best thing you can do for consistent temps in a wine cooler incubator, short of using a good thermostat, is to add thermal mass. Bottles of water are easiest and what a lot of people use. I actually have several free samples of soapstone from various granite/stone companies that I plan to use.
Another issue that is often overlooked is room temperature. Incubators work best when the room temperature where the are used is at least 10* F cooler than desired incubation temperatures.
My best guess is that wine coolers do not have a radiant barrier for insulation so I would be inclined to add that over polyester or polystyrene insulation. Especially since the latter two are combustible.
Reflectix is probably the most readily available radiant barrier but really any of the products that looks like bubble wrap covered in aluminum foil will work.
It has the about the same R value as 3/4" extruded polystyrene but is fire rated and takes up less space. And in part because you'll be using radiant heat in your incubator it will actually be more effective in preventing heat loss than 3/4" extruded polystyrene.
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Currently keeping:
6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)
0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri
1.1 Philodryas baroni
1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata
0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus
0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
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RE: Adding insulation to incubator? - Chris_Harper2, Sat Feb 28 09:44:16 2009