Circulation Fans in Hatching Chamber -
Please monitor because a couple of breeders have had Early-Failures Hello All
This is a cautionary post about the pair of circulation fans in the bottom of the Greatlander Top Hatch incubator (I emailed all the relevant clients - however a few are uncontactable)
Some breeders have reported an early failure of these computer fans in the hatching chamber.
Please monitor your set closely because if these fans are not working, the hatched chicks may become chilled and not survive after hatching.
If your fan(s) fail, in an emergency you may hatch in egg cartons or on paper towels placed on top of the hatching chamber.
We have raised the issue with the fans’ suppliers and they have air freighted replacement fans.
This batch of replacement fans they advise is of a more durable design.
Naturally if you need replacement fans we will send them a.s.a.p.
Along with the fans we will also send fitting instructions and the bits required to change them over.
...oooOOOooo...
In response to the extreme hot and dry heat-wave conditions being experienced Australia-wide I have come up with a HUMIDITY PUMP Kit 4 December 2012
Re: NEW “HUMIDITY PUMP”
INCUBATOR-RUNNING IN HOT DRY WEATHER
BACKGROUND
Some breeders extend incubation into the summer months.
The current hot and dry heat-wave conditions Australia-wide are challenging for all incubators.
Last year about this time we sent breeders a memo about reversing the flow of the ventilator fan.
Since then, those instructions have been incorporated in the instruction book. (By reversing the flow of the exhaust fan so it becomes a ventilator fan, cooler outside air is drawn in and is distributed very quickly through the cabinet by the equal temp fan).
This season however, breeders are experiencing very extreme conditions. There are difficulties maintaining sufficient humidity and overall stability in such dry and hot conditions.
The latest development in time for summer is a `HUMIDITY PUMP’ that plugs into the same socket where the immersion water heater goes … see picture below.

The pump is one whose normal application is forcing of hot water through fine compacted coffee in espresso machines at very high pressure (5BAR – 5 x Atmospheres)
It generates such high pressure that is makes a super-fine micro-mist with the nozzles that I have been using in waterfowl hatchers for some time.
In the picture, the pump is seen pre-wired (with a plug) and mounted on a right angle bracket.
The pump’s body has a dovetail slot so the pump can be removed from the bracket.
It is seen fitted with a nozzle, and the inlet water enters through a micro mesh filter.
Now instead of creating humidity by heating water into vapour (which heat is detrimental to stability in very hot weather), the controller switches the pump which draws water at the same temperature as the air in the incubator, and pushes it through the nozzle as a very fine micro-mist, making any target humidity easily achievable and maintainable.
It is possible to fit this Humidity Pump in any brand of incubator to supply humidity in the form of a very fine micro-mist into the air flow.
In Incubators that already have humidity sensing and switching, the pump simply piggy-backs on the existing wiring
In incubators that do not have humidity sensing/control, E.g. Multiquip, etc, it would be supplied with a controller, a sensor and a wiring diagram