Reptile & Amphibian Forums

For those that have wired a computer fan into your homemade incubators: How did you do so? Did you put it on a timer? A thermostat?
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Thanks
Chad Ramsey

I wired my fan to my thermostat! Works perfect!

I used an old AC Adapter. Simply figure out the volts of the PC fan you are using (it should be listed somewhere on the fan) and then dig out an old AC adapter with the same voltage (I save everything so I've got about 10 AC adapters in various drawers, if you don't have one head out to your local Radio Shack or other electronic store - they aren't expensive.)

Next, you'll need to cut off the adapter plug and strip the wires on your AC adapter. Now, splice the adapter wires and the fan wires together - soldier the wires if you have them, otherwise twist them together and use electrical tape to cover the wires.

On your fan you will have 2-3 wires. If you have a blue wire this can safely be ignored since it is used for a timer and you won't need it.

The BLACK wire on the fan connects to the ALL BLACK wire on the adapter.

The RED wire on the fan will connect to the other wire from the adapter which will will either be RED, Black with a WHITE line or Black with a DASHED WHITE line.

Make sure you hook up the appropriate wires - if you don't your fan will run for all of 30 seconds and burn itself out.

I don't worry about timers or turning the fan on and off since my goal is to circulate the air and create a continuously stable temperature within the incubator. If you have the fan turning on and off you will be creating hot spots that will fluctuate with the fan turning on and off - which is exactly what you don't want. The fan is there to create an even temperature throughout the incubator so just place it where it is the most effective, plug it in and leave it on.

Let us know if you have any additional questions.

thanks thats the EXACT response i was looking for
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Thanks
Chad Ramsey

by changing the polarity on the fan you can make the fan either push or pull the air. it all depends where you mount it and what exactly you want to do with it.

quick example......a house fan that you mount on your ceiling. most all ceiling fans have a switch on the motor casing to either push air (during those hot days) or pull air (during those cold days) either way will still move the air, although it's how the air moves is what you got to think about. hot air is always higher than colder air.

good luck!

Pitoon

>>thanks thats the EXACT response i was looking for
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>>Thanks
>>Chad Ramsey

The higher the Ma rating on the dc converter the better.I use a 450Ma for two 150Ma fans,and a 300Ma converter for another single 150Ma fan..Both converters stay warm,but never get hot.
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Charles Glaspie
http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c95/Coldthumb
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Thats exactly what I did to my last 3 incubators and my fans run non stop
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Damian Macioce
www.strongholdreptiles.com