Fan CFM?

i did a search and couldn't find the answer and im not sure if this is ment to be in Breeding or the DIY section but anyway im making an incubator out of a 32 bottle 3.5 Cu/Ft wine cooler and im using a 5 inch fan that i pulled out of the wine cooler so i dont know its specs and its blowing downward but apparently its not enough because im still getting different top and bottom temps (its not finished i haven't put in heat tape yet) but temp gradients still form. so im wondering what CFM (strength) fans you use to get enough air circulation

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...0-27-49_37.jpg

5" fan in the top center pointing down Topleft is a blacklight, i know a fan at the bottom pointing up would help a lot but i was wondering how strong of a fan i should be looking for. thanks :)

You can get a more powerful fan and put it on a rheostat to control the fan speed.
That way you can fine tune the fan speed until the temps equal out top to bottom.

I do prefer my fans on the bottom, both of our incs have the fan on the bottom.

You shouldn't need too big of a fan though in that size of an incubator, and too much fan speed can dry out the tubs depending on how you set up your egg tubs.

Have you tried switching around your thermometers? the ones in the picture can be 4-6 degrees apart from each other and still be working according to their specs... try flipping them and if you get consistant readings then you might consider bumping up your fan. I've been messing around with the NoiseBlocker-Blacknoise Silent Pro 140mm PK3 fans. they produce about 90 cfm @ full speed.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...oler-incubator

Heres my build. I did one top and bottom and have almost no fluctuation.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

You can get a more powerful fan and put it on a rheostat to control the fan speed.
That way you can fine tune the fan speed until the temps equal out top to bottom.

I do prefer my fans on the bottom, both of our incs have the fan on the bottom.

You shouldn't need too big of a fan though in that size of an incubator, and too much fan speed can dry out the tubs depending on how you set up your egg tubs.

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i assumed too much would be bad because i had seen somewhere u don't want it to be a wind tunnel inside. and by fans on the bottom you mean just on the bottom? no top fans? or top and bottom

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

Have you tried switching around your thermometers? the ones in the picture can be 4-6 degrees apart from each other and still be working according to their specs... try flipping them and if you get consistant readings then you might consider bumping up your fan. I've been messing around with the NoiseBlocker-Blacknoise Silent Pro 140mm PK3 fans. they produce about 90 cfm @ full speed.

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i have switched them gotten the same result and put them side by side and they both read the same degrees and humidity ... pretty good for walmart thermometers :P

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Originally Posted by Raverthug

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...oler-incubator

Heres my build. I did one top and bottom and have almost no fluctuation.

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the pics aren't there anymore or at least there not showing up for me but from the materials seems close to what im using did u mount both fans on top, or bottom, or one each?


Im going to use water bottles on the bottom too and right now with the 5" fan on top im getting a 2 degree difference between top and bottom, is that normal? im assuming it should be less then 2 degrees

http://i926.photobucket.com/albums/a...9295696849.jpg
top and bottom

Ill try setting it up that way =) thanks

do you remember or does anyone know what those metal brackets are called that he used to mount the fans to the side wall like that? it would be really useful, thanks :)

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Originally Posted by jfaria1891

i assumed too much would be bad because i had seen somewhere u don't want it to be a wind tunnel inside. and by fans on the bottom you mean just on the bottom? no top fans? or top and bottom

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Too much airflow is bad, that's why we use rheostats on our fans, better control over air flow.
Too little air flow is worse ;)

We have our incubators set up with a false wall hiding the heat tape from the inside of the incubator.
Our fan sucks air downwards and blows into the false wall and the air moves across the heat tape and upwards to the top of the incubator and out into the incubator to be pulled down by the fan again...

that's pretty awesome, but i don't think i have the space to do something like that especially because idk if u can see by my back wall isnt flat theres and indent at the bottom to make space for the motor/compressor on the other side of the wall. im gonna see what i can do with the 2 fans and wind effects eggs even in the 6qt containers with the lids on? just to make sure were on the same page and im not worrying about something i don't need to

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i think im gonna do the extra wet vermiculite and have the eggs sitting on those egg grate things for the florescent lighting like iv seen done so theres less chance of the humidity dropping or me screwing up the water to vermiculite ratio

I suggest perilite, much cleaner and I have heard too many bad things about vermiculite.

I use egg crate under my eggs and wouldn't do it any other way.
I just add perilite and the egg crate and fill with bottled water until the water almost touches the egg crate.
I use locking lid tubs that have 4 tiny holes for ventilation, I do not use pop top $1 tubs since they leak like a sieve.

The fans in our big incubators are bathroom ceiling fans that run at 110 cfm until we turn them down with the rheostat.

I am setting up my incubator with Scythe fluid dynamic bearing fans. I have had two of them running on my liquid cooled computer, 24/7/365 for over 5 years now.... through many upgrades.

I have the 64cfm models, but will get the 30cfm or 25cfm fans for my incubator eliminating the need for a rheostat for fan speed. I have more than a few computer power supplies collecting dust, so I don't need to buy a transformer.

current computer fans.... http://www.svc.com/sy-fan-sff21f.html
proposed incubator fans.... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835185148

The 3.5" bay on the top with the 2 blue knobs are fan speed controllers. It also has dual temperature probes. I could set up an empty case with a PSU on top of my incubator and have fan cotrollers and dual temps probes in addition to the Herpstat temp probe.

Link to 6 fan controller and 6 temp probes... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998077

http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...mputer/Top.jpg
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/h...uter/Front.jpg

The brackets came from home depot

i found the brackets thank you, so i just finished putting in the 2 new fans there rated at 50 CFM each i went with the bigger fans i know thats a lot for my little space so i did wire in a rheostat so things i have left to do would be wipe it down/clean it seal it up with silicone 3 feet of 11" heat tape that space at the bottom will be water bottles egg crate racks... herpstat 1 is in the mail :) ... ((( it looks different because i swapped the blacklight out for a normal bulb so i could see what i was doing. ))) so anything im forgetting? any advice on a way i could do something better? im very new at this so im open to all suggestions.

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"I suggest perilite, much cleaner and I have heard too many bad things about vermiculite.

I use egg crate under my eggs and wouldn't do it any other way.
I just add perilite and the egg crate and fill with bottled water until the water almost touches the egg crate.
I use locking lid tubs that have 4 tiny holes for ventilation, I do not use pop top $1 tubs since they leak like a sieve."

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Perilite eh? thank you i have only heard of using vermiculite so this is very helpful :)

great i was kinda on the fence about the egg crates :)

no $1 tubs ok i was planning on using a 6qt sterilite tub or by locking lid you mean the like http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Org...1#.UEu-g9ZlSis like a latch on lid rather then just a snap on, and 4 holes like the tip of a soldering iron? thats how i put holes in my bins.

thanks a ton :)


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http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...-35-08_681.jpg

http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/...-35-23_409.jpg

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the on off switch is just for the light =P

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...1#.UEvTbdZlSis

im assuming this is perlite?

You do not want it with fertilizer mixed in..... Walmart has perlite without fertilizer.

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Originally Posted by jfaria1891

Perilite eh? thank you i have only heard of using vermiculite so this is very helpful :)

great i was kinda on the fence about the egg crates :)

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That's what I use and egg crates make the process easier imo.

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no $1 tubs ok i was planning on using a 6qt sterilite tub or by locking lid you mean the like http://www.homedepot.com/Storage-Org...1#.UEu-g9ZlSis[/COLOR][COLOR=#000000]

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That tub might work, I prefer this one to that one, although our tubs are not made any more since sterilite changed models again...http://www.amazon.com/Sterilite-6-Qu.../dp/B0063KWMVQ

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and 4 holes like the tip of a soldering iron? thats how i put holes in my bins.

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Yes, with the tip of the solder pen/iron. I didn't push the pen all the way in, leaving the hole smaller than it would be if the solder pen was shoved all the way in.

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thanks a ton :)

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You're welcome :gj:

perfect :)

I would move your front low one to right infront of the door at the bottom so you can move all the air

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Originally Posted by Raverthug

I would move your front low one to right infront of the door at the bottom so you can move all the air

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that little cubic foot on the bottom ur referring to im going to fill with water bottles if i ever need the space like if im ever expecting more clutches then im gonna fit ill take the bottle out and move the fan :) thank you for your input though :)