# 12 volt heating for incubator



## Adrian.T (Apr 29, 2009)

I am planning to build an incubator running on a 12 volt supply .This is because I want to include battery back up. I have all the necessary bits except for the actual heating part. Can anyone please advise me on where to get a 12 volt heat mat or any other suitable 12 volt heat supply.:help:


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## cordylidae (Nov 2, 2008)

maybe this wired to a fan controller/dimmer i dont know how high tepereatures they heat to tho but the fan would aid air circulation the dimmer also if you use it with a 12v supply how do you propose to control temps as i dont know of thermostats that run on 12v a dimmer would work even for a CHE but it would not adjust to tepmerature changes which if fine if the outside temps are constant


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## reptiles-ink (Nov 4, 2006)

You can get things such as a car ceramic fan heater but the main problem you will have is the power drain from running them.
There are plenty of cheap 12v thermostats about.
Another way is to use a normal thermostat and heater and use an invertor so they can be used on a car battery.


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## cordylidae (Nov 2, 2008)

rase0121 said:


> maybe this wired to a fan controller/dimmer i dont know how high tepereatures they heat to tho but the fan would aid air circulation the dimmer also if you use it with a 12v supply how do you propose to control temps as i dont know of thermostats that run on 12v a dimmer would work even for a CHE but it would not adjust to tepmerature changes which if fine if the outside temps are constant


this is what i meant for some reason i forgot the link lol In-Car Ceramic Heater > Maplin


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## stan (Sep 18, 2006)

If it's for a battery back up, I use a standard UPS normally used for computers, just plug the thermostat into that.


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## Adrian.T (Apr 29, 2009)

I have purchased a thermosat kit from maplins and assembled it very successfully .It has a variable control and a built in thermistor. I have heard that a computor power supply is a good idea for this sort of thing and am trying to pursuade the I.T. boys where I work to let me have a tired tower. Could I use 12 volt car light bulbs do you think as a heat source? In line, 2 would give me the heat source necessary and I could link them to the control unit quite happily.


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## tigerpaws (Feb 21, 2009)

Why do you not get a small peltier fridge/heater (the ones that you can use in your car to keep your beer cool ) i am sure there is loads on ebay 
Strip out the business end. 
Then attach the output of the control electionics to the input of the fridge / heater


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## cordylidae (Nov 2, 2008)

tigerpaws said:


> Why do you not get a small peltier fridge/heater (the ones that you can use in your car to keep your beer cool ) i am sure there is loads on ebay
> Strip out the business end.
> Then attach the output of the control electionics to the input of the fridge / heater


peltiers dont work on thermostats supposedly as theyre not a variable voltage component and if they are turn on and off they will go very quickly they also need to be cooled on the hot side or they will burn out infridges they are on constant not on and off(although im sure i read herp nurserys use em) the ceramic i sugested would work well with the stat


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## reptiles-ink (Nov 4, 2006)

A peltier would work fine as long as it is an on/off stat, They take a while to heat/cool an area so the switching on and off wouldnt be a problem.
Yes the herp nursery uses them as it is simply a fridge/warmer like loads of other fridges on the market for a lot less the only difference is they have an adjustable thermostat fitted.


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## cordylidae (Nov 2, 2008)

reptiles-ink said:


> A peltier would work fine as long as it is an on/off stat, They take a while to heat/cool an area so the switching on and off wouldnt be a problem.
> Yes the herp nursery uses them as it is simply a fridge/warmer like loads of other fridges on the market for a lot less the only difference is they have an adjustable thermostat fitted.


peltier will brake if turn on and off in short gaps they are also very high in wattage so will cost alot plus theres the wattage of the stat you would need high wattage stat a ceramic would be easier,cheaper,more accurate(can be used in conjuntion with pulse stats) and dont need 1 side cooled or will die


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## Adrian.T (Apr 29, 2009)

the thermistor unit I bought from maplins has two control banks built in. Naturally the main one is the control of the thermistor, but the other one controls a fan which I was considering using to give a more ambient temperature. Though since my design, I have been told that a fan is not necessary for beardies. I may still install it because my sons girlfriend wants to try and hatch some duck eggs when we are not using it, and put an additional switch to turn the fan on or off depending on what eggs are been incubated. We have tried a test on a cooler /heater unit and the wattage is quite high. Not only that but in constant use the unit did start to become very warm and the thermometers we placed inside gave different readings (the warmer been where the heater unit was). However if we incorperated the computor power unit, the fan may help.


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## Adrian.T (Apr 29, 2009)

after much testing, i have opted for a computer power unit. The unit has a built in fan which naturally will help. For heating we have opted for 4 x 12volt 21w bulbs running in two lines. this will prevent total heat loss should a bulb fail. A second thermistor set at a lower temp will be wired against a 12 volt battery and will kick in in the event of a mains power break down. I will be running a full test (without eggs, naturally)soon and will let you all know how it goes.


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## Adrian.T (Apr 29, 2009)

Just to let you all know that after several trials and recordings of temperature and humidity levels, the set up has been a huge success. So much so that my electrical colleague and myself are putting together the instructions and a wiring diagram for others to use. many thanks for all your advice.


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## mEOw (Dec 28, 2006)

you can get 12V heatmats on ebay.... they are designed for dog / cat use and are usually waterproof aswell, i got one sat here in front of me..... 
Battery backup... everyone i know just uses computer backup power supplkies (UPS) and runs everything on mains voltage, they have auto changeover and filter out any spikes / brown outs which helps protect your thermostat... cant really see any benefits to doing it the way you are, infact it sounds overly complicated, more there to go wrong...


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## Adrian.T (Apr 29, 2009)

thanks for your reply, any imput is always appreciated. my colleague and myself both work for a large electrical appliance manufaturer so had access to much pre testing equipment. I have just spoken to him via email and we have decided that the mark 2 version will be planned on your lines as my colleague is heavily into poultry keeping and enjoys a new challenge.


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