# do you want a how to on fridge/freezer incubator conversion?



## spider shane

hello guys

im about to start to convert my next fridge/freezer over to a snake incubator.
dose any want a complete how too guide made by my self?

my last one had a 100% hatch rate and was used to cook 161 corn eggs...this is not a rip it out and put a heat mat in there job. i fully convert it over to a fan assisted ceramic heated unit with fully controled baffled air flow my last one had a 0.1+/- deg variance.

this will work for any animal snakes, lizards, tortoise ect 

if you want a guide then let me know as im about to start next weekend.

shane


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## bowdenmx

yes please dude :2thumb::no1:


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## Smigsy

Go for it! I think other people DIY jobs are fantastic and always an interesting read. :2thumb:


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## corny girl

Great idea, could be made into a sticky then maybe :2thumb:.


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## Phil75

Yes go for it.


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## BSL

yes sounds good


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## morrismorphs

I have an old fridge freezer and would love 2 know to 2 convert it  :2thumb:


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## harvinator

me too please im looking around now for a fridge to suit the job.:2thumb:


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## shaun1729

spider shane said:


> hello guys
> 
> im about to start to convert my next fridge/freezer over to a snake incubator.
> dose any want a complete how too guide made by my self?
> 
> my last one had a 100% hatch rate and was used to cook 161 corn eggs...this is not a rip it out and put a heat mat in there job. i fully convert it over to a fan assisted ceramic heated unit with fully controled baffled air flow my last one had a 0.1+/- deg variance.
> 
> this will work for any animal snakes, lizards, tortoise ect
> 
> if you want a guide then let me know as im about to start next weekend.
> 
> shane


I'm starting one in new year


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## andythedragon

spider shane said:


> hello guys
> 
> im about to start to convert my next fridge/freezer over to a snake incubator.
> dose any want a complete how too guide made by my self?
> 
> my last one had a 100% hatch rate and was used to cook 161 corn eggs...this is not a rip it out and put a heat mat in there job. i fully convert it over to a fan assisted ceramic heated unit with fully controled baffled air flow my last one had a 0.1+/- deg variance.
> 
> this will work for any animal snakes, lizards, tortoise ect
> 
> if you want a guide then let me know as im about to start next weekend.
> 
> shane


Would like to know how u have done yours as iv do e one working perfect but always room to improve


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## tricky

always good to see conversions on here - saves people nagging ME lol

but sounds like urs is gonna be WAY better than mine :2thumb:

hope u gonna put some sparkly led lights in lol


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## spider shane

hi guys

on hold for the min as all the electrictronic equipment needed is in the post....

but for any one who wants to know what they need here is a list

240v to 12v converter £8.10
Light Dimmer for DC 12V 8A £2.88
Mini Digital Thermostat heating and cooling used for Incubators £14.90
PC case fans ill be using 60mm fans for this on 14 off them £1.07 each
ceramic light bulb holder £1.90
ceramic heat bulb 250w £11.10
temperature resistance cable 10m long £8.98

all from ebay and postage is in the price only down side is most of it is coming from hong kong so it takes a week or so.

at the mo i have
gutted the unit and fitted the window in the door and all the metal work for the shelfs has been put together.
i can put up what i have done so fare if you want?


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## dmiles310

would love to see what you have done so far.


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## rsklReptiles

i have been looking for a old glass fronted fridge but no luck, i have a standard old fridge i think im going to use
im interested in the 250watt ceramic bulb with fan idea
and how to set it up?
would it be best to use a pulse stat to control the temps andd fine tune with a digital probe and hygrometer?
will be used for my royals
would love to see what youve done so far also


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## spider shane

pulse stat stat is great but price is stupid. but year if you have one thats fine.
ill sort out some pics of the *incubator.... why am i now typing in bold? when i can as im rushing about at the min.*

*will only be as it stands not step buy step untill im done.... better be soon stupid post..*


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## rsklReptiles

Yeh thats cool 
Can i ask if the ceramic bulb would work well? Or would a heat mat be the better option?
The bulb would look alot better and not as much as a bodge but everyone swears by heat mats


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## spider shane

im going too up set some one now but heat mats suck... they will not work in what im building as what im putting together is based around the industrial labratory incubators my brother builds for clean rooms. they just dont cost £10,000 each.
ceramics are way better, wait untill i put the how too up this way you can understand what im doing.

shane


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## rsklReptiles

Whens it coming im getting itchy lol


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## spider shane

im going to put up some pics tonight of what mine is looking like at the mo and strip it back so as you can see whats going on. but the how too will be done once the post man gets his finger out. may start a new thread for that one. i had hoped i would have had this done the weekend after i started this thread.

what ill do is put up some of the one i made last year, its a MKI idear and not as good as what im doing at the min but you could build of that idear for yours.


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## spider shane

hello

ok dose some one want to tell me how to add images from my computer onto here? as it wont let me

thanks

shane


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## rsklReptiles

Do you have a photobucket account ? You can upload photos to there and it gives you the code to put in ? Or you can email them to me and ill do it for you


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## spider shane

hello

whats photobucket? and is it free?

dont see why you cant just add pics the easy way! hint hint mods.


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## popitgoes

spider shane said:


> hello
> 
> whats photobucket? and is it free?
> 
> dont see why you cant just add pics the easy way! hint hint mods.


Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket and yes it is free


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## Connah

Cant wait to see this. Was thinking about buying a proper incubator but if its gunna be cheaper to do a DIY (which I always enjoy ) then I might give this a go


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## spider shane

haha this is fun now im trying to work out how to put pix on the thing


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## spider shane

its working


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## spider shane

ok lets see how this works.

this is what i made last year.
closed so you can see the door.









open door. didnt really put enought shelfs in last time, but this will now be used for royals









fake wall pulled down so you can see the heat bulb. at the top are 3 120mm PC case fans, hooked up in parallel so they can be run of 12v dc power pack. this is a really bad idea as i burn out 2 of them last year so now im useing a 240v-12v DC converter/dropper








this is the reason i dont use heat mats.

you need to keep the bulb away from the body of the case or the stuff inside the body may melt...and it lets the air get round it better so more even temps can be maintained









now this is what im working on.

door with a sexy trim. i also need to put the trim in the door to cover the yellow stuff. all my metal work is done by me at work and i dont have to pay for it... if i did it would cost a bomb, so use wood or any thing that can be cut too shape easy and hold weight.









open door. i had to rebuild the back of this as where you put milk and eggs had to be ripped apart.









this is the self lay out. now where near done here guys as the unit has to be sealed to control air flow..... once i have some fans, i hate the post when its slow









shelf insert removed. last time i had a nice clean side to bolt every thing onto but as you can see the shelf that were in it had slots to slide into so i had to make an insert. but thinking about it i could have just bolted some sheet to the side an worked off that. once this is all done i need to spray expansion foam in the gap that will be left as the air flow will be disturbed and may flow down the gap and out the front.









as you can see i still dont have nothing to put in there. looks like it will all be here for the new year.









got to post again as pc keep crashing with photobuket


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## spider shane

ok photobuket has crashed again ill have to post the rest later.

shane


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## Connah

Looking good. Cant wait to see the rest and the how to


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## rsklReptiles

That's a sweet idea, might try and implement the ceramic idea but in a more compact way
Shame sheet metal cost so much, that looks so good! 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## razer121

This is rather intresting, but why are you using a fridge for the case??


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## spider shane

razer121 said:


> This is rather intresting, but why are you using a fridge for the case??


 

i really cant say lol.
i started it with on idea as to what i was going to do, and also the metal i use is just scrap to make a case would need a large amount of metal. and to build a welded case would be one pain in the ass as it would distort like mad and need to be double skined, so really its just a case of the fridge is ready made... next time im going to build a 6 foot by double 3 out of ply for a friend.


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## spider shane

hiya for any one who wants to get a better idea of how this works.








my paint skills are amazing lol


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## rsklReptiles

Any more on this? 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## spider shane

not yet mate i still dont have every think yet... its takeing a lot longer than i had hoped it would i guess the post is still slow.

ill most likely just finish it off and then do the how too. cant see the point in posting the how too on this thread.


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## rsklReptiles

Dam UK post! Just ordered all my bits and only waiting on the bulb now 

Will a 150 watt ceramic bulb be OK for a under worktop fridge? ( same size as a washing machine )
I think its the same size fridge you are using, what bulb are you using? 

Thanks


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## Connah

rosswaa said:


> Dam UK post! Just ordered all my bits and only waiting on the bulb now
> 
> Will a 150 watt ceramic bulb be OK for a under worktop fridge? ( same size as a washing machine )
> I think its the same size fridge you are using, what bulb are you using?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk



To work out what wattage bulb you need then you take the volume (in litres) of the space you have (cubic inches of vivs etc can be converted to litres online - eg 36" x 15" x 16" (3ft Vivexotic) = 8640"3 = 141.6l) and use the following:
38-75 = 60w
75-110 = 75w
110-150 = 100w
150-190 = 125w
190-378 = 150w
378+ = 250w

In the example above the 3ft Vivexotic only needs a 100w ceramic bulb.


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## eightball

razer121 said:


> This is rather intresting, but why are you using a fridge for the case??


a fridge is a good insulator, if it wasnt then fridges wouldnt be very energy efficient, i think thats what you meant by your question anyway


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## eightball

spider shane said:


> not yet mate i still dont have every think yet... its takeing a lot longer than i had hoped it would i guess the post is still slow.
> 
> ill most likely just finish it off and then do the how too. cant see the point in posting the how too on this thread.


at this rate your going to have eggs but no incubator :lol2:


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## spider shane

eightball said:


> at this rate your going to have eggs but no incubator :lol2:


lol i have one that i made last year. once the bits get here it will be done within a day... dont know what day yet



rosswaa said:


> Dam UK post! Just ordered all my bits and only waiting on the bulb now
> 
> Will a 150 watt ceramic bulb be OK for a under worktop fridge? ( same size as a washing machine )
> 
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk



i think im using a 250w maybe 200w, the whole thing from 8ball about working it out dosent really mater as what you want is to get an even temp that dose not fall so by using some think higher powered you dont work the bulb to it full capacity, and you need to remember the fans that move the air are on all the time so they will be cooling the bulb at the same time. the fans im using move 17.3 cubic feet per min so in theory i only need one to move the air in the unit how ever im using 14 of them as you need even air flow and it needs to be slow not high speed air change. its all about making the temps perfect well i get +/- 0.1c from the last one so its close to perfect. TBH my brother puts it better than me but it go's some thing like that.


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## spider shane

rosswaa said:


> Dam UK post! Just ordered all my bits and only waiting on the bulb now
> 
> Will a 150 watt ceramic bulb be OK for a under worktop fridge? ( same size as a washing machine )
> I think its the same size fridge you are using, what bulb are you using?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk



ha how come you have most of yours and im still waiting thats not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol


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## Phil75

A very pro job mate very impressed. I have an old glass front pub fridge weighs a ton. If your bored pop round and try to convert it for me lol. Its still full of beer as well.:2thumb:

Phil


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## spider shane

Phil75 said:


> A very pro job mate very impressed. I have an old glass front pub fridge weighs a ton. If your bored pop round and try to convert it for me lol. Its still full of beer as well.:2thumb:
> 
> Phil



where do you live? :whistling2:


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## Phil75

spider shane said:


> where do you live? :whistling2:


Not close enough i am afraid that little town called london is in the way, bugger to get round before you get to cambridge.


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## spider shane

i have every thing but the dimmer so im ready to start but i need to get to fan mounting brackets made now i know the dimensions of the fans.

i only go to London for kempton never tried going round it


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## rsklReptiles

I need to make a few brackets, just need to get a small sheet of aluminium to get busy


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## rsklReptiles

well i got it all together and it work really well, quite impressed with myself lol

heres a pic, its a little different and less pro but works good


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## harvinator

well done mate, im picking my stella fridge up later.Quick queston thou,if im putting the eggs into plastic boxes with lids then does fitting fans become beneficial?

Thanks,lee


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## rsklReptiles

My thought on that was that moving air draws more air into its void as it moves if that makes sense, so it still circulates
unlike a PC where ur removing the air

I'm picking up a glass fronted fridge today so need to redo it all, but it hold temps really steady 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## harvinator

Cool,im going to go for fans awell then,im thinking blue l.e.d ones.We should make a thread called pimp my fridge :lol2:


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## rsklReptiles

Lol I dint know if the light effects the egg growth so i stuck stuck with good old black 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## spider shane

the fans are to stop cold spots from forming. im back at work monday "boo" so i can get the fan brackets made then. pimp my fridge sounds like fun to me could get evey one to post pixs of there conversions in it.


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## rsklReptiles

Init lol


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## spider shane

rosswaa said:


> Init lol



or as the queen would say " we can get every body to post there pictures of there own conversions inside of the thread " init


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## anneshirley16

can i have one please thank u for my royal eggs and can u use it 4 beardys


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## rsklReptiles

Right might bust out the flip paint and neons


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## spider shane

anneshirley16 said:


> can i have one please thank u for my royal eggs and can u use it 4 beardys



you can use it for any egg even chickens and ducks.... it dont fry them before any one asks it will hatch them how ever. can you have one, what?

the how to is yet to come due to the wait i had for my bits this thread was just to see if any one wanted a how too.


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## rsklReptiles

What range fluctuation in temps are acceptable? 
I think my sensor needs to be moved to outside the tub to keep a more constant temp
It goes from 88.8 to 90.5 over an hour period and back down and backup etc
If I move the pulse sensor to outside the rub I think it would stop the heat up delay
Is that right? 

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk


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## spider shane

yeah i use the probe on the out side of the tubs.


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## rsklReptiles

Yeh temps are now at a solid 89.4 so pretty happy 

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## spider shane

the how too is up in the breeding section.


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