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willchair
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how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator?
#3640405 - 01/17/05 06:12 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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hi folks!
okay, so i've got a miniature fridge that would work wonders as an incubator. my only problem, is that (naturally) the temps inside the fridge hover around 65-72, and i'm trying to get it up to around a constant 78-80.
does anyone have any advice on how i could warm up the fridge for use as an incubator while retaining the seal on the fridge door? i've got a fishtank heater i could use to make a picklejar heater, but the idea of breaking the seal on the fridge door to plug it in doesnt suit me to well, i'd like the peice of mind knowing that the door is sealed.
any / all comments are appreciated, thanks.
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lesstutrey
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: willchair]
#3640415 - 01/17/05 06:14 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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go to a crafts store, they sell the guts of a electric blanket for around 15$ and works great
Drilling a hole and caulking is probably the best way to deal with the seal, but a slight break from the cord isn't gonna cause any problems
Edited by lesstutrey (01/17/05 06:15 PM)
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agar
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: lesstutrey]
#3640597 - 01/17/05 07:00 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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Electric blanket & control can also be had at thrift stores around $5. Cut wires out. wires are thin. flat & side by side tape them to lower corner of box. seal will conform to the shape. No holes to drill that way.
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IGnosticAbhorI
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: agar]
#3640617 - 01/17/05 07:05 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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I know ima get chewed up and feel like a dumbass...But where exactly does the blanket go besides in side? If you put it in there in one specific place, then wouldn't one side be warmer than the other?
=)
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tahoe
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: IGnosticAbhorI]
#3640636 - 01/17/05 07:08 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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fish tank heater, the fridge seal wont leak that bad, plus it will help the co2 escape
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agar
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: IGnosticAbhorI]
#3640758 - 01/17/05 07:43 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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The heating wires out of an electric blanket LOOK LIKE THIS:
 You can string them anywhere you want - bottom - top & sides.
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IGnosticAbhorI
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: agar]
#3640973 - 01/17/05 08:39 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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Ahhh, I see...Nifty 
I'll def. try that out if i ever find space for one 
P.s....What would you use to keep them into place? They get hot and such and stay they way for a long time...Would you use anything to keep them into place or just put them throughout the fridge?
-gnostic
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agar
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: IGnosticAbhorI]
#3641071 - 01/17/05 08:56 PM (20 years, 3 days ago) |
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Ya can just drape them around whatever protrudes in the box.
If ya want ya can drill & hold with screws.....
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willchair
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: agar]
#3643601 - 01/18/05 02:05 PM (20 years, 2 days ago) |
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another question. (man this site is addictive!)
so, i was messing around with my fishtank heater, and thought "hey, maybe i can just stick it to one of the walls in the fridge and turn it up a bit and see how this works?" .. so i did it.
i got temps around where i want them, and it seems to work okay. will operating the fishtank heater like this damage it in any way? i'm guessing not, but who knows. also, there is little to no humidity inside of the fridge, is this okay? as far as i know from what i've read, humidity isnt exactly an issue during colonization, as long as there is air exchange. the holes are covered with bandaids, and the lids with coffee filters. does that sound like it'll work?
thanks for the input, i'd be nowhere as knowledgable as i am (even if its only a little) without all you guys!
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Mig
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: willchair]
#3643631 - 01/18/05 02:14 PM (20 years, 2 days ago) |
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Man, all my fishtank heaters say "under no circumstances operate above water". I think the glass gets too hot and shatters...
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pshawny
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: agar]
#3643712 - 01/18/05 02:31 PM (20 years, 2 days ago) |
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That sounds like a fire hazard. Get out of the house, the fridge is on fire
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willchair
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: pshawny]
#3643872 - 01/18/05 03:04 PM (20 years, 2 days ago) |
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right, but there's no glass here! it's inside of a miniature fridge instead of a fishtank. the inside is made solely of plastic. the heater is on the bottom of the fridge, with the suction cups seperating the heater probe itself from contact with anything else inside of the chamber.
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pshawny
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: willchair]
#3643929 - 01/18/05 03:16 PM (20 years, 2 days ago) |
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He was saying the heater itself might explode. I would guess the heating element will burn out before anything bad happens. Let us know how it goes.
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scatmanrav
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: pshawny]
#3646831 - 01/19/05 12:31 AM (20 years, 1 day ago) |
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If submersable, you have to keep it in the water or it can burn out/explode.
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bro057
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: scatmanrav]
#3647035 - 01/19/05 02:03 AM (20 years, 1 day ago) |
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If you have the drill you may as well drill the hole and caulk it. A friend wired up a thermostat to a couple of light fixtures. He can easily manipulate the temps that way. If you want darkness just use one of those ceramic reptile bulbs. Or cover the bulbs with foil, just be sure not to short the socket out.You can add a bubbler and use it for fruiting too
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LaughingJim
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: bro057]
#3647046 - 01/19/05 02:12 AM (20 years, 1 day ago) |
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Don't forget, the light inside the fridge is a source of power through the fridge wall. (Break or remove the switch tht turns it off when the door is closed.)
They sell Light-Plug converters. Turns a light socket into a normal plug.
Put that heater inside a water bomb...
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scatmanrav
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Re: how to heat up a miniature fridge for use as an incubator? [Re: LaughingJim]
#3647097 - 01/19/05 03:22 AM (20 years, 1 day ago) |
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Arent the sockets in the fridge for smaller lights..like night lights? I havnt seen a converter for a light socket that small.. Maybe they do use regular bulbs..just seems like they wouldnt...never looked though....
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