Need Help With Heat Adjustment on Older Hovabator

[NorthernMIFlock]

This is my first try at incubating chicken eggs and my friend gave me an older styrofoam Hovabator with a wafer type heater. I set it up 24 hours prior to putting the eggs in, it ran between 99 and 100F. Now I’m on day 3 with eggs in, and yesterday it was up to 102 and the little wing nut that you’re supposed to use to decrease heat won’t budge anymore. It was working the first couple days when I was adjusting it but now it’s like as low as it can go?? Does it need to be loosened again to reset it?? It hasn’t spiked up since then, but I’d like to have the ability to decrease if needed. BTW I have 3 thermometers and a hygrometer in with the eggs, the one laying on top of the eggs is the one that was reading high. Any info on this will be so helpful.

 

[cavemanrich]

Switch out thermometer locations, and see if the temperature on top of eggs is still higher, or thermometer was indicating higher.
I don't have your type of incubator, to tell you how to make appropriate adjustments.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Mosey2003]

You really should have ran it for a few days first to get a feel for it and where it would run. You have to loosen the wing nut to get the arm to turn, are you saying you've done that and there are no more down turns possible? If so, the wafer may need to be replaced. Regardless, if your eggs have run at 102 for too long they'll be dead anyway.

You're supposed to turn the little arm to adjust temperature, not the actual nut, if that's not clear. The nut is just there to be tightened down when you decide where you want the arm set. You need to hold the arm in place, loosen the nut, then turn the arm a full revolution towards lower temp. Then tighten the nut back up where it is, and check back in a few hours to see where that has gotten you temperature-wise.

ETA: sorry, I didn't see until now that it's been more than a month since you asked. Hopefully you either got it figured out or I can be of some help for future.

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

You really should have ran it for a few days first to get a feel for it and where it would run. You have to loosen the wing nut to get the arm to turn, are you saying you've done that and there are no more down turns possible? If so, the wafer may need to be replaced. Regardless, if your eggs have run at 102 for too long they'll be dead anyway.

You're supposed to turn the little arm to adjust temperature, not the actual nut, if that's not clear. The nut is just there to be tightened down when you decide where you want the arm set. You need to hold the arm in place, loosen the nut, then turn the arm a full revolution towards lower temp. Then tighten the nut back up where it is, and check back in a few hours to see where that has gotten you temperature-wise.

ETA: sorry, I didn't see until now that it's been more than a month since you asked. Hopefully you either got it figured out or I can be of some help for

 

[NorthernMIFlock]

Thank you, that is exactly the info I needed! the little arm would not budge and I ended up giving the remaining eggs to my broody hen and they all hatched successfully. I may try again but with a new incubatorl thank you so much for the reply.