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Ok, i'm converting an old True GDM-23 glass door cooler into an incubator. There is 23 cu. ft. of space inside the cooler. My question is how much 11" heat tape will I need (i'm assuming that is the best way to heat the inside) and how many fans should i hook up to circulate the air. Also, i have used Helix thermostats in the past but I see that Johnson Controls are a bit cheaper so I'm considering using one of those instead of buying another Helix. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks!

I used 5 feet for mine, temps are steady as can be...
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Chris & Alliey
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You want to run the 11" flex from the top to the bottom on the back of the cooler. Do not put any on the top of the cooler or run it on the bottom. Only on the full back of the cooler. Those therms are fine, but the Herpstat will get you a very fine tuned temperature.

Bill
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Not sure how much 23 cu. ft. is but I have a pretty big glass door cooler incubator and I ran two 4 foot pieces of 11" flexwatt up the back of mine. We used a couple of 2" x 2" pieces of lumber and a 1/4" piece of particle board to create a false wall. At the shelf locations we drilled some 3/4" holes in the particle board for the air to circulate. There is one circulating fan mounted at the bottom of the board blowing towards the heat tape and the warm air comes out the holes at each shelf location. Were useing a Spyder Robotics proportional Herpstat thermostat. Temperatures are very stable from top to bottom and side to side.

Just go top to bottom on the back of the incubator/pop cooler cabinent lol. I don't use fans IMO they rob more moisture than they do good by moving heat around. I have built 12 now and none of they guys that bought them had any incubation issues (personally I got 100% hatch rate) but that was from the first bator I built, that one I put the heat tape on the bottom in a "U" shape so it went up the sides. As for the theromstat yea um stick with the helix or upgrade to a digital herpstat propotional. I went the cheap route with a thermostat once and lost 10 baby corns and 2 normal balls due to a major heat fluxuation. Shoot me an email if you want some pics or more advice.

Good luck with the bator!
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Brian Hettinger
480 Pythons
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not sure how you have your incubator set up, but the moisture/humidity should be in within the egg tubs, not the incubator.

the incubator is one controlled enviroment

while the.....

egg tub is another controlled enviroment within the incubator.

Pitoon

>>Just go top to bottom on the back of the incubator/pop cooler cabinent lol. I don't use fans IMO they rob more moisture than they do good by moving heat around. I have built 12 now and none of they guys that bought them had any incubation issues (personally I got 100% hatch rate) but that was from the first bator I built, that one I put the heat tape on the bottom in a "U" shape so it went up the sides. As for the theromstat yea um stick with the helix or upgrade to a digital herpstat propotional. I went the cheap route with a thermostat once and lost 10 baby corns and 2 normal balls due to a major heat fluxuation. Shoot me an email if you want some pics or more advice.
>>
>>Good luck with the bator!
>>-----
>>Brian Hettinger
>>480 Pythons
>>Contact us
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That's what I would go.

You usually need between 5-10 depending on the isolation.

I wouldn't go higher, cause higher mean you risk of getting a high spike that could kill your eggs.

Better to have a 50 watts incubator running always at 30%, than a 100 watts running at 15%, cause if the TStat fail and the 100 watts run at 100%, it will certainly kill the eggs quickly.
It's also cheaper in material and won't cost more in energy.

I think everyone should be using at least 1 fan and 2 if the incubator is bigger.

Again 5-10 CFM per Cubic Foot, and try to use the low wattage cause fans do generate energy. You should also connect the fans directly into the outlot and NOT in the thermostat. You want them to be ALWAYS ON.

From what I know (can be different from company to company)
4" flexwatt = 8 watts per foot
11" flexwatt = 20 watts per foot

You can use anything that create heat, not only flexwatt.
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can I ask from where do you base this equation from?

Pitoon

>>That's what I would go.
>>
>>You usually need between 5-10 depending on the isolation.
>>
>>I wouldn't go higher, cause higher mean you risk of getting a high spike that could kill your eggs.
>>
>>Better to have a 50 watts incubator running always at 30%, than a 100 watts running at 15%, cause if the TStat fail and the 100 watts run at 100%, it will certainly kill the eggs quickly.
>>It's also cheaper in material and won't cost more in energy.
>>
>>
>>I think everyone should be using at least 1 fan and 2 if the incubator is bigger.
>>
>>Again 5-10 CFM per Cubic Foot, and try to use the low wattage cause fans do generate energy. You should also connect the fans directly into the outlot and NOT in the thermostat. You want them to be ALWAYS ON.
>>
>>From what I know (can be different from company to company)
>>4" flexwatt = 8 watts per foot
>>11" flexwatt = 20 watts per foot
>>
>>You can use anything that create heat, not only flexwatt.
>>-----
>>love this world, don't hate it.
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Homepage
My BLOG
2010 European Shows

An incubator is nothing more than an environment that you control. To keep things simple you can place the heating element basically anywhere within the incubator……as long as the heat being produced can remain within this environment.

The most commonly used areas for placing the heating element, is usually the back and the sides. Fans are not 100% required, but do help on keeping the temps stable within the incubator at all locations (which is something you want)

The incubator should do nothing more than produce and contain the desired heat. The egg tubs is where you control the humidity. If you want to try to produce heat and keep humidity up within the incubator you will soon find your incubator leaking due to oversaturation and have a wet floor.

Do not skimp on a cheap stat….the incubator should have the most reliable stat in your reptile room.

Pitoon

>>Ok, i'm converting an old True GDM-23 glass door cooler into an incubator. There is 23 cu. ft. of space inside the cooler. My question is how much 11" heat tape will I need (i'm assuming that is the best way to heat the inside) and how many fans should i hook up to circulate the air. Also, i have used Helix thermostats in the past but I see that Johnson Controls are a bit cheaper so I'm considering using one of those instead of buying another Helix. Any thoughts or suggestions?
>>Thanks!
-----
Homepage
My BLOG
2010 European Shows

Heat tape is always supposed to be controlled, not run wide open. I think about 100 degrees is the highest it is supposed to be run. I don't know what it might do if run wide open.

I appreciate all the advice.