How warm is your cookie tin water heater? Looking for

jmdouglas said:

I am not using a cookie tin, but have a 40 watt round bulb in a concrete block with one of the plastic gravity feed containers. The water container is secured by twine with an elastic band which holds it in place. The climate here in Tennessee is usually mild. So far this year the coldest it has been is around 17F. Tomorrow night is predicted to be closer to 10F. The system has worked fine so far. I also have a separate neighboring coop with PVC pipe and nipples. I have a heated cable on the pipe which goes through a wall and is fed by a bucket, which is actually in the coop with the other heater and younger chickens. The heat cable, which is controlled by an automatic thermostat, is fifteen feet long and ends up around the bucket. So far, that has worked also. The pictures were taken while installing and they don't show the heat cable.

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I once used an "open" system very similar to yours.

When filling the water, I had the misfortune of a small water spill hitting the bulb.

Needless to say, small splintered glass everywhere. Just an FYI...

That is a valid point and risk. I will be especially careful when placing the full container back on the block. Once it is in place, it locks under the board at the back and is secured by the elastic band, so the only time it could spill is when I set it on the block. Thanks for the tip, though. It will keep me aware and on my toes.

This is my latest addition to the chicken pens. The bottom 8" or so of a 5 gallon bucket cut off and approx 10 feet of 4 watts per foot of self-regulating heat trace (industrial heat tape) wound around and then heat/air aluminum faced tape....the real sticky gummy one... wrapped around that. Then a regular cord and plug added.. The water is right now at 38F degrees, with an outdoor temp of 27F degrees. Both of these type waterers are plugged into a thermo-cube (34-45 degrees off/on). The self-regulating heat trace gets warm when it's under 35 degrees or so....but never too hot to hold in your hand. Lower temps mean higher trace temps...higher temps (above 45-50 degrees or so) it is barely noticeable even warm. But it's actually controlled by the thermo-cube for off/on. It's not froze even when outdoor temps hit 14F degrees the other night for a low. Even normal house use heat tape would work, and has a thermostat included with them. This was some heat trace I just happened to have around from years past..

Premier1 says not to hang this heated unit by the lid, yeah its on back order.. do you think there is a birdbath deicer inside? show the foam lid but not the inside>> For that much money I hope the bucket is food safe plastic,,,
thanks

Well mines on back order too. So I did some more research. For now, I am going to put 7.5 watt aqarium heater, in the bottom of my 10 gallon Igloo cooler. A bead of silicone will hold it in place .Keeps 2.gal at 78, so feel 10 will be around 60 degrees. I have a brite tap nipple drinker on the cooler also.
When I get the heated cooler from premier1, I will probably make a hanger from nylon rope, like to hold a hanging pot.
Should do fine.

Robeenop said:

Well mines on back order too. So I did some more research. For now, I am going to put 7.5 watt aqarium heater, in the bottom of my 10 gallon Igloo cooler. A bead of silicone will hold it in place .Keeps 2.gal at 78, so feel 10 will be around 60 degrees. I have a brite tap nipple drinker on the cooler also.
When I get the heated cooler from premier1, I will probably make a hanger from nylon rope, like to hold a hanging pot.
Should do fine.

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You don't mention how cold it will get, but that britetap nipple drinker was not designed for cold weather use.

Being well outside the cooler, it will probably become an issue.

I have a 40w bulb we use, with a plastic waterer, I regular cookie tin, also was given the really deep cookie tin several christmas ago at work from sam's. It made the best heater because it got the water cups farther out of the shavings- we added cinder blocks to raise the height of the one from 9 years ago.