Heating/Cooling Incubator?

So I may need a cooling incubator before summer starts. Last season, I had been keeping my DIY incubator inside (where I would like to keep it anyways) instead of in the garage where I am now being forced to have it. (I am not the homeowner.) I know it will get too hot in the garage for the temperatures to stay where I want them.

I've looked into the ReptiPro incubators, as well as ExoTerra. With so many bad reviews on the ExoTerra, I'm staying away. The ReptiPro had mixed reviews. Anyone here have a say on the ReptiPro incubators (5000 or 6000)?

Would love to get a Nature's Spirit incubator, though I saw nothing on their website stating that it also cooled...

As for making my own, I'm REALLY not that much of a "handyman...er..woman" when it comes to anything electronic, so I'd rather not have to make my own that involves heating and cooling. The DIY incubator I made was very easy, yet I have no idea how I would include a cooling device.

I have 2 reptipro5000 incubators which I got after 5 years using a hobovator. The hobovator worked fine, but, like you, I got tired of having to put it in the basement all summer because my house was too hot. In general my experiences with the reptipro have been positive with the following exceptions:
1. The power supply died after my first season, fortunately during the winter when it wasn't in use (I probably had it on but empty which is how I found out that the power supply wasn't working). I called reptipro and they replaced it. Since then, I've used it for 3 seasons, I think, and it's been fine.

2. Besides the fact that the displayed temperature doesn't match the actual temperature inside the egg containers (not a big issue since I just adjust up or down according to the thermometer inside the egg containers and don't worry about the actual number displayed), it seems to me that when there's a big enough temp change in either direction to cause the cooling or heating to kick in, sometimes the incubator doesn't adjust properly. I posted about this extensively a few years ago. We figured that whatever trips the cooling, in particular, to start seems to be set differently (or something like that; it was awhile ago). All this means is that if the weather changes greatly, I have to check my thermometer and move the programmed temp up or down to get back to the proper interior temp.

I hope that's helpful.

Aliza

I know the Exo Terra incubators have been discontinued but I would guess there are quite a few still in quasi use. I was
given one for my use if I could fix it. The incubator would cool but not heat. Not an easy one for my electronic area is
vacuum tube stuff. I replaced a few items on the main board and saw what I think was the main problem. The traces on
these boards are very thin. One had lifted when I removed one transistor. I bypassed the leg of the lifted trace with a
short piece of wire above the board and ran it to the resistor that followed. Not difficult at all. The cabinet has been
cycling to whatever set point I enter with no hiccups for two weeks straight. If anyone wants to chat drop me a pm here.
Geo

I don't have any advice about cooling but I can say that the Natures Spirit incubators do not cool and I don't think they can be made to. They are heated by high wattage Flex watt and temperatures are kept consistent with a small fan.

Have ReptiPro 6000, haven't had an issue with it so far. I did have one 5000 model or earlier die on me.

How did you fix the exoterra? Got pictures?

hrbay said:

I know the Exo Terra incubators have been discontinued but I would guess there are quite a few still in quasi use. I was
given one for my use if I could fix it. The incubator would cool but not heat. Not an easy one for my electronic area is
vacuum tube stuff. I replaced a few items on the main board and saw what I think was the main problem. The traces on
these boards are very thin. One had lifted when I removed one transistor. I bypassed the leg of the lifted trace with a
short piece of wire above the board and ran it to the resistor that followed. Not difficult at all. The cabinet has been
cycling to whatever set point I enter with no hiccups for two weeks straight. If anyone wants to chat drop me a pm here.
Geo

Click to expand...

Do you have pictures how you fixed it?

Idea for cooling an incubator:
Make sure it's a cooler or something that can hold a lot of water.
During summer, keep it somewhere that is fairly hot
Purchase an aquarium water cooler with built in thermostat.
Bobs your uncle.

It would work the same way as an old school incubator with heating equipment, except in reverse. Which is what you need