Water heater thermostat

[chicken-keeper]

Having difficulty finding a Water heater thermostat ,

i live in the uk is there any different names for these and where can i buy them from?

Thanks

 

[pascopol]

Water heater thermostat will cause a wide swings in temperature if you use it in incubator.

It was designed to heat water, where accuracy within 5 or more degrees is acceptable.

 

[walkswithdog]

While it is true in some applications a water heater thermostat does produce wide swings it's not always true.

Mine runs from 99.6 too 100.4 in a small mini fridge bator using to xenon puck lights for heat right now. It's mounted on a metal plate - in the fan flow. That's what worked with this one.

Just thrown in anywhere, mounted on anything, yeah, it produces some wicked swings and it's MUCH better to tinker with mounting and placement for days or weeks if you're so inclined than babysit a darned eight degree swing for 18 or 25 days.

My first homemade bator used to swing like that, then I found the sweet spot there and got about a two degree swing (metal coolers suffer from outside temperature changes a great deal unless reinsulated outside).

Then I went with the fridgebator, tinkered for ten days (one place and mount - test two days move on) with placement and mounting and then found the spot.

Hasn't hiccuped once, recovers very quickly, is a joy to use.

While I will buy the reptitherm 500 later because I can, it works fine.

Lowes and Home Depot both carry lower, single pole, water heater thermostats for about 8$. You have to fiddle to make it work, but it is useable. If you blow placement/mounting - mostly you'll just have to babysit for the 18-25 and hope. You can still get stuffed hatch you just go a tad nuts in the meantime.

 

[chicken-keeper]

Will one of these get the job done then its a "Habistat Dimming Thermostat" i will plug a 50watt bulb into it..... is this an alright amount of wattage...

I was going to wire a halegon bulb into a main plug then plug it into the "Habistat Dimming Thermostat"

Would this be accurate and get the job done..... ?

 

[PECULIARPETE]

I`m using a water heater stat in my winecoolerbater and it`s workin great! Hope I didn`t just put the wammy on me? LOL Anyway I found the sweet spot in mine to be right on the back wall. I used a piece of metal drywall stud about 8 inches long to mount it and the light bulb for heat. I also cut out a hole in it for the what I`ll call the reed sensor in the back of the stat so it will detect the temp better that flush against the wall. Getting about a 3 degree change in cycle time. Between 100 and 97 degrees. humidity @ 70%, Wet temp stays @ 99. You just gotta find the spot n tweak it a little and she`ll fly. I got less than 20 bucks in mine and my third set is bakin right now. I candled at day 7 culled 3 that weren`t fertile n this is lookin like my best set yet. Whoo hoo! Try it you`ll like it. C-ya in the funny papers

 

[walkswithdog]

Open halogen is a bad idea in a bator, the under cabinet puck lights - either halogen or xenon, work better and wired easily. You'll find that protruding halogen style awkward, likely to burn you and iffy about high humidity. Pucks place easily, protrude less, and handle humidity far far better.

That dimmer type thing would let you adjust pretty easily, I use a standard switch dimmer on my brooders so it should work well enough, just keep you thermometers in new battieries and check accuracy often.

I don't know any details about the one there, but if it's not temperature sensing then it leaves it all on you and that's a far bigger pain in the ...aside, than you think it might be.

Thermostats actually shut off the heat if it hits a set point - without you paying attention. If that lets you set a heat and then shuts it off - you're golden. If not, essentially you play thermostat. It will work it's just a bigger pain.

Make sense?

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Any lights with concentrated light beam (halogens, spotlights etc) are a bad idea since they shoot light and heat in one spot.

Old fashioned aight bulb of proper wattage depending on the size of the bator is proven, and works best.

 

[chicken-keeper]

so i should just got an old school bulb like this one?

What wattage should it be..... the internal size of the incubator will be L10" W6" H7" "= inches

also on the thermostat, you can set a maximum heat so for instance the light will trip out at 30.5 celsius then when the heat drops to 29.5 it will kick back on and heat it up to 30.5 celsius again is this OK ?


Thanks again guys

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
Any lights with concentrated light beam (halogens, spotlights etc) are a bad idea since they shoot light and heat in one spot.

Old fashioned aight bulb of proper wattage depending on the size of the bator is proven, and works best.

That's why the pucks work, they are not a focused spot but a small encased bulb behind frosted UV glass. Go have a look at one, bet you like the design.

 

[chicken-keeper]

whats a puck sorry?

ahhhh is this it?

how is this better than a normal bulb and again what wattage should it be?

If this was what you had in mind how would i wire it to the thermostat?