Water Heaters

[Jim Ostergard]

I need a good source for 12v. water heaters. I could use 12v. bucket heaters in the barn and maybe outside in my tank. I did see an article in Mother Earth News I believe it was on a solar heated tank. Wonder if anybody has built one. As always thanks

[jen judkins]

Just a stupid question….why the 12v heaters? Why not just buy the plug in elements?

[Jim Ostergard]

Jen,
A good question as I didn’t mention I only have a solar charger in the barn which charges an old skidder battery. I run my lights and the radio on that. So to keep the water from freezing overnight would be helpful. I have some ideas about a large storage tank of water in the barn that I could keep from freezing. I now haul water from the cellar about 125′ to the barn.

[jen judkins]

Ahh, did you google it? I did and it scared the crap out of me.

http://www.hydrogenappliances.com/hotwater.html

Seems according to these folks, I am endangering my horses lives by using these plug in heaters…yikes!

[Jim Ostergard]

I have a 110 heater in my field tank and it must have a voltage leak. If it is on during the day the horses will not go near it. When I figured this out it took a few days before they knew it was alright. So I only use it at night now. Sam Stanley has a large insulated box (probably an old wharf box) with a solar panel above it and it does a great job on I would guess about 150 gallons of water.

[jen judkins]

I would love to hear more. I cannot run my water heater and my fence at the same time. Despite my attention to wires cross arching, I cannot figure out why the horses will not touch the water when the fence is on. Its all a mystery to me and my electrician agrees.

[Jonathan Shively]

Stray voltage is what I think I remember the term used around dairys. Something, the ground is allowing some voltage to the water causing a shock. Some rural electrical coops will come out and help find the source/problem.

[Eli]

Jen check your ground rod for your fencer it may be close to an underground water line even an old one no longer in use. I had to move a fencer a few years ago because of a voltage problem. A bad fencer can also put voltage back on the neutral wire. I milked cows for 20 years and we had a dozen waters and had to watch then all the time. No water no milk just a few thoughts. Eli

[Jim Ostergard]

Eli,
Good information on leaks and something to always be aware of for sure. My water heater is way away from the fence but maybe Jen needs to look into it. Here is the link to Mother Earth article on building a solar tank. For me at this point just a bucket heater should do it. Maybe I get one of the ones from the link Jen put up above.
Link: http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/solar-stock-tank-z10m0gri.aspx

[jen judkins]

Inerestingly, Eli….and very insightful as no one I have asked has thought of it….my ground rods ARE pretty close to the main water line from the well to the house. I can run the fence and the water heaters in the dead of winter when we have snow, but not at either end of the season when the ground is partially frozen and bare. You might have hit the nail on the head. Thanks.

[Lanny Collins]

@Jen Judkins 37804 wrote:

Ahh, did you google it? I did and it scared the crap out of me.

http://www.hydrogenappliances.com/hotwater.html

Seems according to these folks, I am endangering my horses lives by using these plug in heaters…yikes!

I was looking at this website and it said not to leave tanks full overnight but to fill them each morning. I’m wondering why they recommend this? They do mention if the tank is dry the heater will short out. I travel with a cup heater and it is the same way. You have to have it in water before it is plugged in. Is this the reason not to leave them in the bucket overnight or do they not have enough heating effect to keep it from freezing overnight. Just wondering. Forgot to add the warning on the website.

“FOR INDUSTRIAL USES: We have been helping thousands of concrete mixing trucks and concrete cutting saw business for a long time! Frozen water can put your crew out of business for the day! Use one or two elements depending on the size of the tank. DO NOT leave the tanks filled over night!!!! Fill them with fresh water in the morning and then keep the heating element running in the tank all day long and your water will never freeze. Over 9000 work trucks use them now.
WARNING: Do not run the tanks DRY with the heating element ON or it will burn up!”

[efdgoon]

Jim,
I made a solar waterer three years ago and I’v had good luck with it. I didn’t use the big water tank the pictures show. (I saw someone else made one on the internet) I think if I were to do it again I would. The bucket I used was a tub you get from a pasture supplement for cattle.(45 Gallons? ) It’s inside a wooden box with Plexiglass on one side. I insulated with 2″ foam. I have the water line come up under the box to a toilet float. The size of the water tank in relation to the plexiglass is equal so I figured it would work the same as a bigger tank with equal glass. Not so! As long as its in the twenty something its fine. Any lower for any extended time I need to break the ice on top. I have a small hole exposed for them to drink from so it reduces the surface area. I’m glad I made it and will do it again if need be.
Jeff

[njfarmer]

Jim just a thought but could you put some sort of water circulator pump in the large tank in the barn? moving water is hard to freeze. maybe something like a pond fountain pump or water jet?

[Billy Foster]

one 12V battery does not have nearly enough power to run a heating element, not by a long shot. There are some propane heaters out there and some guys have built wood fired heaters. Here is a link to another forum where I asked a similar question about keeping water from freezing.

http://www.ruralheritage.com/messageboard/frontporch/16728.htm

Billy

[j.l.holt]

I think you will find a 12vdc water heater will not work so good..Dead short to heat the water will kill the batteries in short order. You can build a pipe that goes in the tank that will burn oil of any kind cheep… Just needs to be under the water. A one galon drip feed tank should take you over night.
I was at a farm sale one time where they had poured a concrete tank so it had a fire box in the end. Fed the wood from the other side of the fence.

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