Nipples on water system freezing

[Robert34KS]

So I built what I thought was an armor proof c hi Ickes water system. Heater in a 55 gallon barrel, feeding 5 1/4” nipples, and then an aquarium pump circulating back into the barrel.

Went out this morning to find every nipple frozen solid. Granted we have temps in the negative numbers here in Kansas but didn’t see this one coming. Does anyone have any leads on 1/4” nipples that are frost free?

 

[azygous]

I doubt if there is such a thing. Many years ago, I went to the nipple system and have loved it. But in winter, I tried every thing I could think of to keep the nipples from freezing.

One day while in the bandaid corner of the Walmart pharmacy, I noticed the heating pads. Right before my eyes was the answer to the problem. A neat little seven inch heating pad, and the price was around $10 each. I grabbed two.

I took old webbing belts, wrapped them around the water tanks, and strapped the heating pads, one each, over the nipples on each of my two Igloo water tanks. You mustn't strap them too tightly or the current can't flow freely. These heating pads have kept the nipples from freezing in sub-zero temps.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Electric...C5V-For-Neck-For-Back/1853169339?from=/search

 

[TooCheep]

Horizontal or vertical nipples? Vertical freezes much more easily. I have horizontal and they've remained usable down to -10F with a heated water bucket.

 

[homesteading101]

So I built what I thought was an armor proof c hi Ickes water system. Heater in a 55 gallon barrel, feeding 5 1/4” nipples, and then an aquarium pump circulating back into the barrel.

Went out this morning to find every nipple frozen solid. Granted we have temps in the negative numbers here in Kansas but didn’t see this one coming. Does anyone have any leads on 1/4” nipples that are frost free?

I use a 5 gal bucket with horizontal nipples and use a 150w aquarium heater set at 70f. You should get a heater strong enough for that 55 gallon barrel

 

[azygous]

I was able to test my five-gallon Igloo tanks with the small heating pad over the Bright Tap nipples at ten below zero and zero during the day as a brutal cold front went through my area. They remained unfrozen and did not require thawing.