How to Clean a Brinsea Ovation 28 Incubator After Hatch

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Wait until the incubator is empty and unplug it

Begin after the hatch is complete and the hatchlings have been moved appropriately; do not turn an active hatch into a cleaning session. Remove remaining eggs and debris, disconnect the power cord, and allow warm parts to cool. Keep electrical connections and the powered top away from the washing area. If there is an unusual contamination or disease concern, obtain appropriate veterinary or hatchery guidance rather than assuming routine cleaning provides full biosecurity. Handle used hatch material hygienically and wash your hands after the work.

Step 2: Separate the removable non-electrical pieces

Lift off the top and remove the egg carriers, connecting link, water-pan covers, shutter, and any used hatching mat according to the model's arrangement. Photograph their orientation if it will help reassembly. The Advance manual says not to reuse its supplied hatching mats, so do not plan to disinfect a spent disposable mat and put it back. Collect loose shell and hatch debris before washing. Avoid dragging the connecting link or carriers across the electrical top, and keep all small parts together in a clean tray.

Step 3: Wash away residue before disinfection

Wash the removable base, carriers, link, and water-pan pieces with warm soapy water, as the Brinsea cleaning document permits, to remove visible residue. Use gentle tools in corners and along the water-pan surfaces rather than abrasive scraping. Brinsea limits cleaning liquid to no more than 120°F / 50°C and prohibits dishwasher cleaning for the incubator parts. Hotter is not automatically safer: excessive heat can damage the components. Rinse off loosened soil and soap so the disinfectant is not simply applied over an unremoved layer of hatch debris.

Step 4: Apply incubator disinfectant as labeled

Use Brinsea incubation disinfectant at its specified dilution and follow the fluid's instructions for contact time, handling, and rinsing. Do not invent a stronger concentration or mix it with another cleaner. The manual calls for thorough rinsing of the washed removable parts. Keep the solution away from electrical housings and distinguish a cloth made damp with solution from a dripping sponge. A clean appearance alone is not a measured disinfection result, but skipping removal of visible soil also undermines a careful disinfectant routine.

Step 5: Clean accessible top surfaces without opening it

Use a vacuum and soft brush to remove dust from the fan guard while the top remains unplugged. Wipe accessible internal surfaces with a cloth dampened with the correctly diluted disinfectant, then with a cloth dampened with clean water, avoiding electrical parts and openings. Do not immerse the top or spray solution toward the fan or sensor. If dust or contamination is behind the inner cover, stop at the owner-cleaning boundary. Brinsea's separate service guide warns that deeper access involves high-voltage parts and a safety-critical thermal fuse.

Step 6: Reassemble and finish drying safely

Dry the cleaned parts and check that electrical components and connections have remained dry before applying any power. Refit the water-pan pieces, carrier link, and egg carriers in the orientation shown in the Advance manual, with the top seated flush. For storage drying, Brinsea directs running the correctly assembled empty incubator for 24 hours with no water inside. This is a final drying step after safe cleaning, not permission to power an electrically wet appliance. Unplug again once the drying run is complete and allow the unit to cool.

Step 7: Store clean and verify readiness before new eggs

Store the fully dry incubator somewhere protected from dust and dampness, with its components together and without a used hatching mat. Before the next incubation, check the cord, seating of the top, normal fan and turning operation, and stable temperature using the manual's setup routine. Cleaning does not establish that calibration is correct or repair a faulty heater. Brinsea recommends the after-hatch routine each hatch, or every two months when a separate hatcher is used. Arrange support for abnormal behavior before placing valuable eggs inside.