A different kind of insulated water tank: 275 gallons, 42 watts

[Andy Carson]

I have been fitzing around with heating systems for water tanks for a while now and because my water needs kept going up, I decided to build something new this year. The year before last, I used a 1500 watt stock tank heater on a metal tank that was outside. The heater ran day and night and I still had ice. My power bill was ugly. Last year, I insulated the water tank and moved it into my run-in. Power consumption went down to less than half what it was before. Chickens, though, would fall thoguh the hole and die, simutaneously fouling and fowling the water… Goats would jump up on the water tank cover too, and I ended up blocking off the hole because I feared a goat would fall in and drown trying to get a drink. Also, keeping the water tank in the run in created excessive muck. I prefer a semi-mobile system, so as to spread out the mud and muck that seems to surround watering systems. I also wanted a system that used less electricity and stored more water.

Design goals:
1. Prevent ice formation, do not thaw ice (this is very clear from other large animal designs)
2. 200+ gallon water storage
3. <50 watt heating element
4. Compatable with large oxen and pygmy goats
5. Portable (OK, portable when it’s empty of water and with effort)
6. Easy to see if water is contaminated (IE, I see a dead chicken right away instead of finding it days afterwards)
7. Easy to clean

Here’s what I came up with. I tooke photos along the way so anyone can copy and improve/modify this design, if interested. I have had it out only one night, and it hasn’t been that cold. Still no ice on this and other water buckets have ice, so that’s good. The Hudson valve is also very slow at this pressure, I may have to address this but I’ll wait and see if I find it empty often, I haven’t yet.

This is a 275 gallon tote, that I got for free from a neighbor because the outlet valve was broke (this doesnt matter to me). These are readily avaliable and cheap. I put the tote on a treated lumber platform and built a 2×4 frame around it.
[IMG]http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj493/countymouse/waterer/DSCF3376_zps989d85ec.jpg?t=1356313653[/IMG]

Plumbing to Hudson valve that fills metal basin
[IMG]http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj493/countymouse/waterer/DSCF3377_zps437f9630.jpg?t=1356314072[/IMG]

Insulation for tank walls

Plywood to cover sides
[IMG]http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj493/countymouse/waterer/DSCF3380_zps175cdaed.jpg?t=1356314332[/IMG]

[Andy Carson]

Top cover construction (like upholstry with insulation and a tarp)
Two layers of insulation (heat rises)

Plywood and buckets to weight down top and staple around edge

Nice puffy pillow top

Placed on frame (hinged in rear, bungeed in front)
[IMG]http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj493/countymouse/waterer/DSCF3428_zpsbbb357b8.jpg?t=1356314742[/IMG]

[Andy Carson]

Next I built box to encase basin, insulated with 2 inches of foam, wrapped 6 foot (42 watt) pipe heater cable around pumping and basin and moved outside to paint and calk cracks

Here”s the painted and calked waterer (does this remind anyone else of a toilet?)

A close up of the watering hole -It’s a 5 gallon bucket with the bottom cut off. It’s placed in the metal basin so water can come in from below (where ice can’t build up). A 5 gallon bucket is big enough for all my animals to drink from, but small enough to clean easily and dirt can’t hide from a quick inspection. It seems also ideal, but it still looks like a toilet!
[IMG]http://i1264.photobucket.com/albums/jj493/countymouse/waterer/DSCF3430_zps0268695c.jpg?t=1356312173[/IMG]

Loaded onto my handy-dandy handcart for transport into the field. I love this thing!

[Andy Carson]

In case anyone is saying “Yeah, but it’s still heated,” let me point out a conventional stock tank heater is about 1500 watts. If it’s heating a 110 gallon tank, you are using over 35 times the power to keep less than half this volume of water from freezing. Some heated dog bowls run at 50 watts, but only keep a gallon or so from freezing. The massive amount of insulation, sealing of cracks, two chamber design, and limited open water make this design very different.

[Eli]

Looks good good luck tank heaters will run you broke. Eli

[Andy Carson]

You aren’t kidding, Eli. At my current electric prices, it costs about $100 a month to run a 1500 watt stock tank heater. Running a 42 watt heater costs $3 a month. The construction cost pays for itself in a very short time.

[fogish]

Here is a really expensive product, an auto waterer that is the same concept as your small box with the 5 gallon bucket in it. They also have an insulated disc inside the water hole and a retaining ring at the top and that increases the insulation factor. Something to add if you end up with the water freezing in the bucket. https://ritchiefount.com/shop/ecofount-1

Also when I had chickens I ended up using an insulated bucket and a short length of PVC pipe with 360 degree nipple waterers attached, some heating cable and a temperature controlled outlet. You can put the nipples right in the bottom of a bucket if you don’t want to wrap cable around a bucket and PVC water line. I can send you the nipples I have if you are interested.

[CharlyBonifaz]

my cattle loves tarp to chew on 🙁
I, however, like a heated toilet seat this time of the year …

serious: I like the idea of having it black to catch any sun there is
is there a heating system that would benefit from solar panels? as an add on to regular electricity?

any idea to wrap your system good enough to set it in a pile of manure to keep it warm and you just have to heat the pipe and the wateroutlet? that would make it stationary though …

[Andy Carson]

you bring up a good idea about the solar energy, Charlie. 42 watts really isn’t much and that amount of power isn’t hard to capture during daylight hours. A good solar system would also make it totally portable. I’ll have to give this a think… from what ive seen so far, the 42 watts is more than it needs too. The heater element isn’t always on. That said, its not January yet, and it will get colder…

[Eli]

Could you solar heat the water in the tote, then run a pipe farther into the tote contacting the the water tn the tote and drinking bucket to trans fur heat just a thought. Or circulate solar heated water via the hot water rising drawing cold water into the bottom of the solar heater. Just thoughts . I always wanted to try to solar heating waters when I was farming I had a dozen heated waters and that’s a lot of elements.

[Andy Carson]

It was -3 degrees this morning and there was a thin film of ice in the bucket. This waterer seems to stay ice free down to about 5 degrees. It doesn’t get colder than that very often around here… This is good enough for me. The valve is still slow, but it is fast enough to keep the bucket full. Solar power would be neat, but buying the panel, battery, and heater triples the price of this thing. At the cost of $3 a month to run, this improvement would take decades to pay itself back. I am pretty happy with this as is. Having a good way to provide clean ice-free water is a HUGE labor saver. This system won’t work for everyone, but it might be helpful to some. It is well worth the effort to think about how to provide water in everyones unique situation. Any improvements are a big deal.

[j.l.holt]

I don’t see you being happy with solar power, trying to heat your water. You use so much power that the panel could not recharge in one day. You would have a dead battery in two days. The heater works on a dead short system. This takes a lot of power. Any way you look at it,the power company can produce power cheaper than we can. If you have any way to plug in, do it, if not, move the tank so you can.

[Author]

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