Cookie Tin water heater

[nancypo]

This is our 2nd winter and works great! My hubby's in the elctrica; biz and it's very safe. We like to build things oursleves, and couldn't find anything last winter, except heated water bowls for dogs (no cover to keep it clean). I saw something lats week at a feed place for $50., and talk about overpriced, made in china crud....

 

[gale65]

Quote:
OK i have another question in addition to the one above. I bought a weatherproof socket but it just has the rubber socket w/ 2 wires coming out of it. So I can't figure out how to attach it to the side of the tin. So do I need to get a different socket? Does it need to be weatherproof? Should it be porcelain or is plastic OK?

 

[nancypo]

My husband says, you need a lamp socket, a short peice of 3/8" all thread, 2 3/8" nuts, and a short peice of lamp cord, all available in the lamp parts section of home depot, etc. Does not need to be weather proof. Also 2 3/8" washers. Put a washer and a nut on either side of the tin, then run the cord thru the all thread. Hope that helps...

 

[nancypo]

Hubby also says just get a cheap thrift store lamp for parts, might be cheaper...

 

[gale65]

OK I guess I got the wrong socket because there's nowhere to put 3/8" nipple or all thread or whatever on it. But the others were indoor type so I didn't know if it was ok to use those. Or at least they looked like indoor type. I'll return the rubber ones and get one with a 3/8" threaded hole on it. I have some cords that I've salvaged off of an old pool pump and an old heated dog bowl that I'm going to use for the cords. I'll have to make sure it'll go through the 3/8" pipe.

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
OK i have another question in addition to the one above. I bought a weatherproof socket but it just has the rubber socket w/ 2 wires coming out of it. So I can't figure out how to attach it to the side of the tin. So do I need to get a different socket? Does it need to be weatherproof? Should it be porcelain or is plastic OK?

See Post #278 on this thread for parts list and assembly instructions.

 

[gale65]

Quote:
OK i have another question in addition to the one above. I bought a weatherproof socket but it just has the rubber socket w/ 2 wires coming out of it. So I can't figure out how to attach it to the side of the tin. So do I need to get a different socket? Does it need to be weatherproof? Should it be porcelain or is plastic OK?

See Post #278 on this thread for parts list and assembly instructions.

thanks-I'll check walmart tonight. I've never seen anything beyond extension cords but maybe I just haven't been looking hard. We did decide to just use a heated dog bowl for the chickens (long story) but I'm still making a cookie tin heater for the dog and possibly the rabbits.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Get a 50 gal Rubbermaid water trough, put a submersible water heater in it and some large cinderblocks inside (openings going sideways) so the chickens can walk on the solid side of them and drink.

 

[Gypsi]

Quote:
A submersible aquarium heater would do this, as long as the chickens didn't peck the cord. There are some stainless steel ones that are UL listed, discontinued, by PennPlax. I've got a couple of 110 watt in stock. PM me if you are interested in purchasing.

The glass ones in with cinderblocks, I would worry about.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

Not glass submersible aquarium heaters...livestock submersibles--they have conduit on the cord.