 |
12/30/10, 02:34 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 324
|
|
|
Water bucket warmer.
Had a thought...I know, I know. 
I have some of those electric heat lines you put on water pipes to keep them from freezing. Started thinking about using them around the animals water buckets to keep them from freezing. They come on at 34F and cut off at 45F. Don't think they would be hot enough to start a fire. Goats however may try to eat them, need to think of a way to cover or hide them.
Anyone ever tried this?
May be a crazy idea, like I said...I had a thought. 
Hank
http://www.doublemfarmandchuckwagon.webs.com
|
12/30/10, 02:50 PM
|
 |
Scotties rule!
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: IL
Posts: 1,614
|
|
|
__________________
www.littlebitfarm.net
|
12/30/10, 02:56 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Central WI
Posts: 5,399
|
|
|
I think you'd be better off with the heated bucket rather than trying to stick heat tape on one. Especially with goats.....
__________________
Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.
|
12/30/10, 03:10 PM
|
 |
Miniature Horse lover
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: West Central WI.
Posts: 21,251
|
|
I, 2nd the "heated" buckets, I have several of them from the 5 gallon ones, to the 16 gallon ones. And they work GREAT.
They not work great but way down to below 25 below zero also. Not hardly a frost line on the edges.
and with that low Watts you hardly even notice it on the electric bill.
I have had those buckets sitting directly outside in a snow bank and even at 25 below did not freeze, not even a crust. And they last too. I have never had one go bad in the last 5 years, for as long as I have had them. I have used them for my dog, my calves, and my miniature horses.
Last edited by arabian knight; 12/30/10 at 03:12 PM.
|
12/30/10, 07:33 PM
|
 |
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: West Central Texas
Posts: 5,084
|
|
|
The current issue of Mother Earth news has instructions for building a solar heated stock tank. Something similar might work for buckets as well. And would be safer with goats. However, you could wrap a bucket with heat tape and set it down inside a larger bucket with about 1" spacing all around. The goats would have a more difficult time getting to the tape then.
|
12/30/10, 08:05 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Indiana, USA
Posts: 12,674
|
|
|
Heated buckets are the best thing, to ever happen to raising animals, during the winter.
We have a bunch of them, 1 gallon, for the dogs, up to the 16 gallon for the sheep. The 16 only uses 300 watts of electrical power, only when needed.
Worth every penny paid. Never have frozen up.
|
12/30/10, 08:26 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Indiana, USA
Posts: 12,674
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolarGary
|
LOL, pretty cool.
I thought it was a great savings to go from 1200, down to 300 watts. Did not think about taking it lower, but it is saving more.
That setup would work real good for cattle, as I would think that they would beat up the 16 gal tub pretty good, if it was not anchored or protected, by something else, like a wooden surround.
|
12/30/10, 10:39 PM
|
 |
II Corinthians 5:7
|
|
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Virginia
Posts: 8,126
|
|
|
We purchased 2 of those 5-gallon heated water buckets and one went bad right after warranty ran out. (I think it went wrong because it was still connected to electricity for over 24 hrs while it had no water at all in it.) The other one is still working real well; and will get more whenever can.
|
12/31/10, 12:11 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Virginia
Posts: 384
|
|
|
I've been using fish-tank heaters for my chicken water and dog kennel water. Cheap, small... just set them in the bottom of a rubber tub and set a brick on top to keep them submerged. Then make sure that the bucket never goes dry. Keeps the water about 76 degrees no matter what ambient temperature is.
|
12/31/10, 01:15 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: May 2006
Location: north central wv
Posts: 2,321
|
|
|
Just remember with a goat if you think it might it will. They are almost predictable creatures. We just carry out hot water a couple times a day as their house is only about 10 steps from the back door. And we have rabbits there also. Good luck with your buckets. Sam
|
12/31/10, 09:29 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: East TN
Posts: 6,977
|
|
|
You can't cross heat tape with itself or it will melt itself together, don't ask how I know. I use a small lightbulb under the chicken water to keep it from freezing with a thermocube to control it. For larger animals a heated bucket or a stock tank heater which controls itself by temp works good. If you put something floating or submerged in water it might be a good idea to put a ground on it.
__________________
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost
|
12/31/10, 10:38 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 324
|
|
Thanks for all the ideas. I agree, the heated buckets are the best way to go (have used them in the past). I just have some of these water pipe heat tapes lying around and I am always looking for ways to use things that I have, instead of spending more money on things I don't have, hey...just got another idea ......that's a good thread topic!!!(I can hijack my own thread, can't I?  ).
What other uses have you found for things that are just lying around the farm, rather than throwing them away  .
Hank
http://www.doublemfarmandchuckwagon.webs.com
|
12/31/10, 01:38 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Western North Carolina
Posts: 3,102
|
|
|
We use the blue bucket like the photo posted above by Arabian Knight. They work great. To keep the dogs from messing with the cord, we took a large clay flower pot, it had a broken hole in the bottom already......we put the cord though the hole....and set the blue bucket down in the clay pot. Then, the cord goes though the dog pen fence and out to the electric outlet. The dogs cannot get to the cord but they can get the water. It works great.
Inside the barn, we have a 2nd blue bucket for the cats. We have to lock up our cats at night to keep them safe from coyote and sometimes their water bowls would freeze. We put a brick in the bottom of the bucket to keep them from knocking it over.
We did try a Homemade Sun Warmed Dog Water Bowl last year. Ours did not work. We do not get enough sun on the area where we need to keep the water bucket but I think it would work if you have a sunny place.
One year we did use those hand warmer things that come in a package.......you open up the package and it warms up and stays warm for about 7 hours.....we took one and set it under the dogs bucket at night....about 9 PM when we put them to bed.......it did not work. The water froze anyway and that would be too expensive......but the kids wanted to try it and so they did......
We tried to use a heat bulb thing one year.......it was in a clay pot, the water bucket on top......but the dogs tore up the cord.........
I like your threat hijacking! We don't throw out anything........nothing! I do not see it as being a pack rat......we do eventually use everything or a neighbor uses it and then shares something else with us........our list of what we used up is too long to post right now.........I have to go eat some more Holiday Candy.........
Hey - I just noticed you are down below us in SC? The water doesn't even freeze down there does it??
|
12/31/10, 02:35 PM
|
|
Becky
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Middle TN, north of Nashville
Posts: 489
|
|
|
What we did to keep the cord away from the crtters, was set the heated bucket down into and old ATV tire next to the fence. Has been working great for 12 years.
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:35 PM.
|
|
