Posted by:
HFR
at Thu Mar 17 14:54:08 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by HFR ]
>>Hi Joe,
>>
>>I too am looking into converting a standup freezer into an incubator. I have not started experimenting with it yet, but figured I will "have to" have a fan in it due to it's height (approx. 3ft). I do not know what the temp. gradient will be from top to bottom without the fan. I will be using a Helix thermostat, not sure what for a heating element, 5 cubic foot upright freezer maintained at 90 deg. F in a room approx. 70 deg. F. Are you able to maintain a uniform incubation temp. from top to bottom without a fan in this type of situation?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Glenn
Hey Glenn,
I'm a fan of the "old fridge" or freezer type incubator and have built a few of them. Unfortunately, I've also pulled some hair out while doing it, trying to get consistent temps without a fan. As you know, the problem with anything upright like that is that no matter where you put your thermostat's probe, the top is always going to be warmer than the bottom - if there's nothing to circulate the heat and the heat source is distributed throughout the shell. But, the fridge shells I've always used were full size. And the one you speak of is only 3' - which should pose less of a problem for you than a full sized fridge or upright freezer.
I'd experiment with the location of your heat source within the incubator if you intend on using flexwatt or pipe tape. I know of others that have used a single piece of 11" flexwatt up the back center of their incubator, and it did the job well enough to hatch Gilas in an incubator similar or just slightly smaller in size to yours, if I'm picturing your's correctly.
No matter what, the larger in height you go the more difficult it's going to be to regulate. There's nothing wrong with multiple smaller incubators instead of one big one as well. You may have to experiment with it a little bit, as every application's going to vary. But as long as you're building it before you actually need it, you should be able to work out the bugs. To lessen the "bugs," think horizontal and not vertical.  Just my thoughts on it. Good luck.
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Joe Yakelis
HellFire Reptiles
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RE: Building an Incubator question....... - HFR, Thu Mar 17 14:54:08 2005