Sounds like a defective unit, but anytime you use something not for its intended purpose, there's a risk - like all the people using fish tank heaters and other things, for chicken waterers in freezing temperatures - not the situation the device was meant for. Get a waterer specifically meant for poultry or other animals, that's meant to be outside in the winter in freezing temperatures, just to be safe. If you want nipples, try this heated poultry waterer:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BV1WLE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Or you can get a heated dog bowl:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHBQQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have both of those waterers and they are plastic on the inside. None of the cords or connecting points come into contact with the water, so there is no way the animals can get shocked. With the faulty heater in your picture, it looks like the connecting point between the cord and the plate would be submerged in the water, which is an immediate red flag. Any damage there (or poor insulation) would send current into the water. I would not trust a device like that even if it wasn't defective.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B005BV1WLE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Or you can get a heated dog bowl:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHBQQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I have both of those waterers and they are plastic on the inside. None of the cords or connecting points come into contact with the water, so there is no way the animals can get shocked. With the faulty heater in your picture, it looks like the connecting point between the cord and the plate would be submerged in the water, which is an immediate red flag. Any damage there (or poor insulation) would send current into the water. I would not trust a device like that even if it wasn't defective.
