Fan in Incubator...really necessary?

[Nate]

I bought a 5 dollar computer fan and it's rated at 12v. The power source i was going to use turns out to only be 5v. It's severely underpowered and when i tested it, the fan barely puts out any air movement...so I'm wondering, is it absolutely necessary to have a fan in the incubator?

[JASBALLS]

Yes, And you got the wrong fan..

[Nate]

Suggestions?

[tigerlily]

I think fans are pretty important in preventing the development of hot spots, and keeping the temperatures as uniform as possible within the incubator.

[mxrider42]

At Radio Shack they sell 12v AC to DC converters. You have to make sure you get one with enough milli-amps. The chargers are a universal wall charger and you buy the tip you need. But you don't need the tip so cut it off and wire it to the fan.
I found them on the website. Something like this
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...entPage=search

[JenH]

Yes, And you got the wrong fan..

Yep - go to Radio Shack and buy the one rated the same as a wall jack (you will have to wire it yourself). Mine was $20.

My incubator is set up using a marine cooler and I have .5 a degree variance. I have the fan on a rheostat and the faster it goes the more stable the temps are.

Seems to be working. I only have one clutch so far, but the eggs look exactly like they did the day I put them in 3 weeks ago. I even saw a few wiggles when I candled them tonight…

[jkobylka]

I think it is very important to incubation success.

Justin

[Louis Kirkland]

There's nothing wrong with using computer fans in your incubator. I have some that have been running 24/7 for almost two years and they continue to meet my requirements.

Make sure your power source has an output of 12 vdc or as you have already noted, the fan(s) will not perform well. Also, make sure your output amperage is at least equal to the input amperage requirement of your fan(s). I prefer to use one that has an output amperage at least 25% greater than my fans input requirement.

Depending on the size of your incubator, I would recommend at least 2 fans. One blowing down in one of your top corners and one blowing up in the opposite side bottom corner. For larger incubators, you might need to increase the number of fans. We are using a total of 4 in our incubator.

I know that others have already provided some links, but here is another. This ac/dc adapter has an adjustable voltage output. I recommend that you use only the 12 volt setting. It has an output amperage of 1000 mA (1A), so you could run enough fans for several incubators with it.

http://www.radioshack.com/sm-3-12v-r...i-2552560.html

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[BT41042]

I've never used a fan in any of my incuabtors...I'm using a "mid-sized" chest freezer turned on it's side - Been using it for last 4 or 5 years and haven't had any problems yet...2 foot of 11 in heat tape keeps my temps between 88 and 90...It'll only hold 12 shoeboxes though...I would imagine though if you have a full size frig as an incubator you might want one...
BT

[lord jackel]

Go to Wal -mart and by a really small house fan. Mine cost about $5 and plugs directly into the wall. Sorry no picture but I saw them yesterday...they are white, small (the box is about 4" x 4" x 6"). Looks like a small blower and tilts up and down for directional airflow. (sorry best description...I will try and get a picture). It also has high/med/low settings.

Mine has been running for 2 seasons without issue...For $5 why bother with 12v fans and having to convert the voltage and such.

Hope this helps.