Mini fridge incubator update

[acpart]

I think I've posted about mini fridge incubators before but either I'm the only one on here using one or no one is very interested in them. Now that I'm about 2/3 of the way through with the season I thought I'd post something again.



I use the reptipro5000 which looks like all the other mini fridges, and I guess the jury is still out on whether they are all different or not. I live in a house that is not temperature controlled (i.e. no AC in summer, heat kept low during the day in winter). THat means that, for instance, this evening the outside temp is about 65 and my reptile room (aka living room) temp is 76. Last week the outside temp was in the mid 90's and the reptile room temp was 89. This is the reason I got the mini fridge, since it both cools and heats. Previously I would have to keep the (hobovator) incubator in the basement during the summer since I incubate at 81.



This was a great idea, except I have discovered that essentially the mini fridge needs a big kick in the pants to get it started heating and another big kick in the pants to get it started cooling. If the ambient temp is fairly cool, the incubator needs to be set at about 86 to get the temp inside the egg container to stay at 81 (and the temp display shows up at 84, how annoying is that); if the ambient temp is fairly warm it needs to be set at 79 to stay at 81. In other words, if the ambient temp changes radically, the incubator doesn't compensate by itself! Once adjustments are made it's fairly steady but I have to anticipate temp fluctuations. Lucky I'm not going on vacation this summer . . .





What I really want to know is: IS ANYONE ELSE HAVING THIS PROBLEM? I haven't heard about it from anyone but me and the Reptipro guy I discussed this with a few months ago did not seem to understand that this is a problem and why it is.



Aliza

 

[robin]

Aliza as you know we build our own however. maybe the unit you are using has to cycle before starting or even turning off just like a central AC. russ is at the store right now but i will ask him on what he thinks. how is your hatch rate?

 

[Gregg M]

The problem is these units were not designed to incubate reptile eggs... They are portable food warmers/coolers...

The units seem to be a forced air type so the temps would not be as stable as a still air incubator on a proper thermostat... This will result in high fluctuation inbetween off/on...

With this being said they are still a huge step up from hovabator style incubators...

 

[acpart]

Aliza as you know we build our own however. maybe the unit you are using has to cycle before starting or even turning off just like a central AC. russ is at the store right now but i will ask him on what he thinks. how is your hatch rate?

My hatch rate is great! Since the beginning of the season where I had a few decent looking eggs go bad, every egg that's looked OK when it was laid has hatched. I've hatched 20 leopard geckos so far with 15 more in the incubator and at least 2 still in the geckos. I'm not sure what you mean about the cycling. Shouldn't the heating/cooling kick in once the temperature goes above/below what it is set at? Do you have to monkey around with your central AC when the weather changes? It will be interesting to see what Russ has to say (though I guess I'll find out tomorrow since I'm going to bed now).

Aliza

 

[acpart]

Gregg, the problem has not been so much with fluctuation exactly, but with adaptation to big changes in the ambient temperature, or maybe that's the same thing. I've been discussing this with my husband (who's an electrical engineer) and he feels that the proportional thermostat that is probably in there has not been properly callibrated so it doesn't put out enough power to cope with small increments where heating in particular, though also cooling is required. Interestingly, when the ambient temperature is high, there seems to be more agreement between the set temp and the readout temp, suggesting that the cooling feature is working more efficiently than the heating feature.

Aliza

 

[Gregg M]

Interestingly, when the ambient temperature is high, there seems to be more agreement between the set temp and the readout temp, suggesting that the cooling feature is working more efficiently than the heating feature.

Aliza

I would imagine that is because the function of the mini fridge is designed for food not egg incubation... The cooling function would be more important than the warming function when it comes to prepared foods... I think if a reliable thermostat was installed for the heating function the mini fridge would be greater than it is now...

Nothing has been adjusted or modified to make these minifridges reptile spacific and I believe the only ones who were honest enough to not make these out to be more than they are is LLL... They never even changed the name... The manufacturer for all three units is Princess International... Again, a huge step up from a hovabator but still not reptile egg spacific...

 

[acpart]

So I looked up the "Princess International" website and read their mini fridge description. This is how they describe their "temperature control":

"Press the cold button to cool to 40°F and hot button to warm up to 149°F. Keep baby bottles and baby foods cold in summer heat & then warm them to "just right."

That makes us wonder if possibly this fridge can get into either the heat on/off or cool on/off mode but does not switch between them on its own.

Aliza

 

[Gregg M]

That makes us wonder if possibly this fridge can get into either the heat on/off or cool on/off mode but does not switch between them on its own.

Aliza

That is exactly what I am saying... I do not think it switches between the two on its own... I have not seen it myself during testing for the SIM...

 

[cassadaga]

I've been using one the last two seasons. I use it for my female eggs, and my male eggs are in a havobator. Mine has essentially the same issues as yours Aliza, but it hasn't caused me problems yet. I have had a 100% hatch rate with fertile eggs both seasons, and all have been healthy. My opinion is that it's an okay incubator for leopard geckos, and other hardy eggs, but I wouldn't use it for animals that are more delicate.

EDIT: I just wanted add mine is the Think Geek model, but I believe they are all the same.

 

[Russ S]

That makes us wonder if possibly this fridge can get into either the heat on/off or cool on/off mode but does not switch between them on its own.

Aliza

Aliza,

I think you hit the nail right on the head here. If these unis function as I believe they do they are for warming or cooling, but do not switch on their own.

With the right type of thermostat you could modify it to work as you would like, but it would probably be much cheaper to keep the incubator in a small room with a window A/C unit to prevent ambient temps from being a problem.

Sorry I can't be more helpfull.

Russ

 

[acpart]

Thanks for your suggestion, Russ. We are, however (not living in Texas) a non-airconditioned home, though my kids are not happy about that. I can live with the situation and feel like I have a lot more clarity about what's going on. My hatch rate has been great despite needing to manually adjust the temps on occasion.

Aliza