I’ll be freeing up a 3’x2’x3’ PVC enclosure at some point this summer and I’m thinking about converting it to an incubator. I know some cage manufacturers sell incubators made from PVC and I’ve gathered what info I can from the product pages and images for those. I’ve also watched a video on how to build one from YouTube, albeit much smaller than what I am planning. It seems like it’s pretty straightforward so I feel like I’m probably missing something.
My plan is to thoroughly clean the enclosure and reseal all the seams. I’m also going to seal up the vents with silicone and cover with contact paper. I’ll also fill a few holes that have been drilled in it over the years to mount cage decor. I’ll then add two strips of 12” wide heat tape down the length of the inside back wall of the enclosure. These will be controlled by a thermostat. I then plan to add a PC fan for air circulation and more even heating through out. For shelves I’m just going to cut some wire closet shelving to the appropriate length and mount it inside the enclosure.
Has any one else DIY’d an incubator like this before? If so, what am I missing?
The thing I’m unsure on is if a single pc fan will be enough to effectively circulate the air and keep an even heat gradient through out. It’s 18 cu ft of space so I feel like I may need a second fan. Also, where is the best placement for the fans or does it matter as long as they are moving air.
I have not built one out of an enclosure. I would put one strip on top and one on the bottom. This will give a more even heat all around. I dont’s think a fan is needed for this layout. The fan is to move air to keep temps equally throughout. Either way you go, if you do use a fan, i would think one would be enough.
Thanks. I’d thought about positioning the heat tape on top and bottom like you said but I saw everyone putting it a long the back and sides, so I assumed there was a specific reason for this. I guess not. Hah.
I’ll probably start with one fan and check temps in a few spots to see how evenly it is heated and add a second if needed.
A single strip of 30cm will be more than sufficient for heating
I would consider grabbing a sheet of insulation board and gluing/taping that to the top, back, and sides. Most of the ones made by manufacturers are double walled (basically a cage within a cage) and that dead air gap acts as an insulation barrier, adding the foam board accomplishes the same thing
Definitely want a fan, a PC one should be fine. Remember also that you will probably want a pan or tray of water or the like in the bottom to help with humidity. It also will act as a great heatsink to keep temps from swinging too hard every time you open the door
Thanks Travis! I knew there was something(s) I was missing because it looked too simple.
So a single sheet of 12” heat tape will be sufficient. Would you position it along the back wall or the top and bottom?
And I assume the foam board insulation sheeting I can find at lowe’s or HD will work? Covering the walls and top/ceiling with that will eliminate the need to fill the holes and vents on the cage, so I’m all for that.
Noted on the pan at the bottom. I’ll probably just use a foil disposable roasting pan. I always have those on hand to use in the smoker.
Yeah, 90cm of 30cm tape should be fine. I currently have 30cm of 8cm tape holding a small fermenter at 50C. I would just run it down the center of the backwall
made mine out of old refrigerator. you will find at least one fan (already designed to not put out excess heat), a heating element in the defrost cycle, already sealed doors and insulated. some drawers can be used for water to keep humidity up besides the in container humidity. door shelves for extra water bottles for “mass”. If you use cheap chinese thermostats get at least 3 and use one to let in fresh air in case of over heat, and a master backup because if the heating thermostat fails some fails in the “on” position. (or use the fancy ones like we use in our racks) Graphing temperature sensors are extremely helpful. Mine keeps +/- 0.1F unless the door is opened. No regrets. fyi.
I would agree, if using one stip i wouod place it in the back. Using 2 i would do top and bottom. If you already have 2, you can stilp use them. They just wont have to work as hard as one and it would costs a little more.
Haven’t bought any supplies for this project yet since it’s still a little ways down the road. Gotta get the current resident moved out first and I won’t actually need the incubator for a few more season. I’ll probably start with one and I’m definitely going to test it out to make sure everything is dialed in before I need to use it for real.