Cement Block Water Heater Experiment

Bear Foot Farm said:

I'd take the tile off the top of the block, and insulate the inside of the block

The difference is your bowl is only heating the water and itself, while the bulb is heating the block, the tile, the bowl AND the water

Also, how many WATTS is the dog bowl?
How much water os on the block?
That determines the BTU's available

You'd also get better results using HALF a block, insulated inside.

All your heat production is going into the base itself

Click to expand...

The dog bowl is 60 watts, and built far more efficient than this cinder block heater.
I have only metal on the top of the block now. The cement should heat up, and radiate heat, in theory at least.
Insulating the hole where the bulb sits,hmmmm, keeping the heat in, but allowing it to radiate up to the top metal cover and the bowl..
1.5 gallon of water is in the bowl over the block, but the heat transfer on the larger surface area would be pretty high, so I do not see this as available method to keep water from freezing in my climate. maybe where it is not far below freezing, but not in sub-zero weather. The heated dog bowls do handle the deep cold pretty good...

Quote: It is heating and radiating, but most of the heat is radiating nowhere near the water.
On the dog bowl, the entire heated area is UNDER the water.

On the block, about half of it is NOT under the water.



Find a base that's the same size, or even little smaller than the bowl, so ALL the heat is underneath the water

Heat is measured in BTU's, so the bulb is putting out MORE heat than the dog bowl

The problem with your design is the heat is being used to warm a LOT more than just the water, while adding more surface area that promotes cooling

Your dog bowl is heating iself, and 1.5 gallons of water

Your light bulb is heating a 50 lb concrete block, a 5 lb ceramic tile, a large plastic bowl and 1.5 gallons of water

Hokum Coco said:

I used a plastic bucket with two watering nipples. I kept it thawed with electrical heating tape worked great (tape is thermostatically controlled and only demands heat when temperature is below freezing.)

I later switched to rubber bucket similar to these. They froze solid but ice just pops out for a refill. Only draw back is I have plenty of bucket sized icebergs around the coop all winter.

My reason for switching was to always supply fresh water to my birds daily. I found my water would become stagnant because I became to lazy to change the water with the other set up.

It was becoming a recipe for disease in my flock.

Click to expand...

No, gotta have heated water in the run too, coop not worried about. I work very long shifts and can be gone for 14 hours at a time. I do not have time to empty tubs throughout a day, I do not use huge amounts of water at a time, and change water accordingly. I do not want ice bergs all over too....

Bear Foot Farm said:

It is heating and radiating, but most of the heat is radiating nowhere near the water.
On the dog bowl, the entire heated area is UNDER the water.

On the block, about half of it is NOT under the water.



Find a base that's the same size, or even little smaller than the bowl, so ALL the heat is underneath the water

Heat is measured in BTU's, so the bulb is putting out MORE heat than the dog bowl

The problem with your design is the heat is being used to warm a LOT more than just the water, while adding more surface area that promotes cooling

Your dog bowl is heating iself, and 1.5 gallons of water

Your light bulb is heating a 50 lb concrete block, a 5 lb ceramic tile, a large plastic bowl and 1.5 gallons of water

Click to expand...

Will look at an alternate design in the morning, I do understand what your stating, law of thermo conductivity will prevail....

Quote: LOL
Exactly
You can't fight the Physics.
You have to make them work FOR you

I suspect the ideal heater would be an insulated box the same shape and outer size as your waterer, and just tall enough to house the light fixture.

Then put a tile or metal top, so all the heat is directed UPWARDS and it should work just as well as any store bought bowl

It might even help to have a mirror or other reflective material on the inside bottom of the heater.
Foil faced foam insulation could work for that

maybe you could use a piece of stove pipe around the light bulb to keep the heat from being absorbed by the cinder block? and more of the heat would rise upward then.

farnorth said:

maybe you could use a piece of stove pipe around the light bulb to keep the heat from being absorbed by the cinder block? and more of the heat would rise upward then.

Click to expand...

I also made a light bulb heater in an old ammo case. Used a 60 watt bulb, it sucked too. It was freezing on top at 30f...

okay, maybe try a metal pan? I'm thinking the plastic is just not heating up enough.