Water Jugs in Incubator

I'm setting up and testing my incubator for the first time this weekend and want to make sure it's working correctly before I start breeding the two pairs who are going to be old/large enough to go this season. The electronics all work (YAY!), but I have a question about the water jugs - do you screw the tops down tightly so they're just thermal mass to help keep the temperature from fluctuating, or do you leave the tops loose so that they help keep the humidity up, and you refill the jugs periodically? This incubator is a converted refrigerator that can hold 8 6-qt tubs with enough room on the bottom for 7 2-liter plastic bottles.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

I'm setting up and testing my incubator for the first time this weekend and want to make sure it's working correctly before I start breeding the two pairs who are going to be old/large enough to go this season. The electronics all work (YAY!), but I have a question about the water jugs - do you screw the tops down tightly so they're just thermal mass to help keep the temperature from fluctuating, or do you leave the tops loose so that they help keep the humidity up, and you refill the jugs periodically? This incubator is a converted refrigerator that can hold 8 6-qt tubs with enough room on the bottom for 7 2-liter plastic bottles.

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I've never heard of anyone leaving the tops off. Usually it's just for heat retention. I guess it couldn't hurt though, unless they tipped over...

All the bottles in my incubator have lids on tight. Purely used for heat retention. Humidity is all taken care of by the vermiculite mix.

The humidity is kept by your medium in the egg box.
The water jugs are just used to help regulate temps.

As others have said, to help hold in heat consistently.

However, there are people who do put a small bowl or dish of water on the bottom of their incubator to assist with humidity.

Got it, thanks. Water jugs are thermal mass only. Otherwise incubator seems to be up and running very nicely, test run complete, let the locks begin! :D

Looks like I go the opposite way from most who have responded here already. I don't do water jugs, I keep a huge tub of water on the bottom of the incubator. I keep my overall humidity up with it and it also helps keep them temps stable. I also have a rag hanging from the bottom rack down into the water tub to act like a wick and help keep humidity boosted.

Figure out which way you think works best for you and go with it.

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Originally Posted by Bigfish1975

All the bottles in my incubator have lids on tight. Purely used for heat retention. Humidity is all taken care of by the vermiculite mix.

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x2

bottle are used just to help keep the temps from dropping fast if there a power outage.
I do have mine stacked right against the heat tape on the bottom of my incubator but I running 11" wide heat tape almost 5 ft long as I want the air to stay warm and heat up faster if the door been opened.

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Originally Posted by rascal_rascal_99

Looks like I go the opposite way from most who have responded here already. I don't do water jugs, I keep a huge tub of water on the bottom of the incubator. I keep my overall humidity up with it and it also helps keep them temps stable. I also have a rag hanging from the bottom rack down into the water tub to act like a wick and help keep humidity boosted.

Figure out which way you think works best for you and go with it.

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Are your clutches separated into bins?

That would absolutely sketch me out. Water + electricity do not mix, just seems like a bad idea.

If the eggs are in bins there is zero reason to keep the overall humidity up in the actual incubator.