The Best Water Heaters?

[keeskrazy]

I used a large clay pot and saucer. Threaded a light socket through the bottom and put pot feet on the bottom of the pot so the wire doesn't get snagged and it stays level. The saucer goes on top and a 40 watt bulb goes inside! Works fabulous! And the best part, there is only a 40 watt bulb burning. I have that plugged into a timer.
VERY SIMPLE and SAFE. My plastic waterer fits right in the saucer perfectly!!

I love this setup!

Kris
Hudson Valley, NY

 

[pownalite]

photo would be cool!

 

[yyz0yyz0]

I use nipples in a 5gal pail for my waterer, last night I completed the "winter" version of this setup. I used two buckets and a 6ft pipe tape, the pipe tape is wrapped around the bottom couple inches of the water bucket and the other bucket has been slipped over it. It's my first winter so I'm not sure how it's going to work, only time will tell.

 

[Westwind]

This is the waterer I use. I think I paid about $35. It's great even in subzero temps here in CO. I don't keep food or water in the coop as there isn't room and my birds come and go anyway as they have a totally secured partially covered run and I don't lock them in at night. The waterer is in a protected corner. I don't use it in the summer to save wear and tear on it.

 

[2mnypets]

I use nipples in a 5gal pail for my waterer, last night I completed the "winter" version of this setup. I used two buckets and a 6ft pipe tape, the pipe tape is wrapped around the bottom couple inches of the water bucket and the other bucket has been slipped over it. It's my first winter so I'm not sure how it's going to work, only time will tell.

This is the same concept that I found in Mother Earth. We have developed a line of poultry waterers, including this heated one you can make yourself. To construct the heated waterer, start with a 5-gallon bucket waterer with poultry nipples. Additional supplies you’ll need include a second bucket, a 3-foot pipe-heating cable (aka heat tape, usually about $25) and duct tape.
First, cut the bottom off of your extra bucket by starting your hole with the drill, then make your cut with the jigsaw. Remove the handle. Starting from the bottom edge of the bottomless bucket, use a coping saw to make a small slit about 3 inches up the side, then set aside the modified bucket.
Wrap the heat tape around the outside of the unmodified bucket near the bottom, using duct tape to hold it in place. Then push the bottomless bucket onto the bucket waterer, letting the heat tape’s cord feed out of the slit. The bottomless bucket should extend a few inches beyond the bottom of the original bucket waterer.
A last, optional step is to wrap chicken-friendly insulation (such as Reflectix, a foil-backed bubble wrap insulation) around the sides and top of the bucket. Here in Zone 6, the resulting waterer provides frost-free hydration for our flock all winter long. For more information, you can visit our website (given above) and click on “Heated Waterers.”
Anna Hess
Dungannon, Virginia


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/heated-chicken-waterer-zm0z13fmzhun.aspx#ixzz2kJV1WVCp

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I used a large clay pot and saucer. Threaded a light socket through the bottom and put pot feet on the bottom of the pot so the wire doesn't get snagged and it stays level. The saucer goes on top and a 40 watt bulb goes inside! Works fabulous! And the best part, there is only a 40 watt bulb burning. I have that plugged into a timer.
VERY SIMPLE and SAFE. My plastic waterer fits right in the saucer perfectly!!

I love this setup!

Kris
Hudson Valley, NY

I do something similar in my pumphouse
A big advantage of using the clay pots is it blocks the light, and absorbs a lot of heat, so even after the light is turned off, it radiates heat for a long time. plus it's fireproof

 

[robomb]

I have been tempted to make one for my girls, but they are very messy, and the kind that sits on the floor or a block would be filled with stray/hay in a matter of minutes. I decided to just buy the Innovative Technologies heated water fount from Guys Farm and Yard. I only use it in the winter in Vermont, and it has been fantastic. It goes on when the temps get below freezing, and goes off when above. I have not noticed any change in my electric bill.

I've only had one slight problem (maybe not so slight). If I don't line up the label on the reservoir with the electrical cord, I can fill the fount, carry it out to the coop, and flip it over, and the base will fall off, spilling all 3 gallons in the coop or just outside. It is incredibly frustrating, especially when the temps can be in the single digits, not to mention that it can completely soak the hay and straw in the coop. I've stopped filling it completely - use only about 1-1/2 gallons instead of 3. My coop design makes it a bit tough, but at least I don't have to change out frozen water in the dark.

 

[yyz0yyz0]

This is the same concept that I found in Mother Earth. We have developed a line of poultry waterers, including this heated one you can make yourself. To construct the heated waterer, start with a 5-gallon bucket waterer with poultry nipples. Additional supplies you’ll need include a second bucket, a 3-foot pipe-heating cable (aka heat tape, usually about $25) and duct tape.
First, cut the bottom off of your extra bucket by starting your hole with the drill, then make your cut with the jigsaw. Remove the handle. Starting from the bottom edge of the bottomless bucket, use a coping saw to make a small slit about 3 inches up the side, then set aside the modified bucket.
Wrap the heat tape around the outside of the unmodified bucket near the bottom, using duct tape to hold it in place. Then push the bottomless bucket onto the bucket waterer, letting the heat tape’s cord feed out of the slit. The bottomless bucket should extend a few inches beyond the bottom of the original bucket waterer.
A last, optional step is to wrap chicken-friendly insulation (such as Reflectix, a foil-backed bubble wrap insulation) around the sides and top of the bucket. Here in Zone 6, the resulting waterer provides frost-free hydration for our flock all winter long. For more information, you can visit our website (given above) and click on “Heated Waterers.”
Anna Hess
Dungannon, Virginia


Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/heated-chicken-waterer-zm0z13fmzhun.aspx#ixzz2kJV1WVCp

Yes, these are the plans I used to make mine. I went even further with the insulation idea. I have two layers of the foil bubble warp around it, secured with wire. I took an extra 5gal pail lid and cut and drilled it to fit on the bottom of the bucket with the nipples sticking out. I then put an additional layer of Styrofoam on the bottom of the bucket and used this cut up lid to protect the styrofoam from the chickens so they can't get to it. I also took a leftover piece of 1" foil backed foam and cut it into a circle that fits about halfway down into the main water bucket. The heat tape is only on the bottom 2-3" inches of the pail and I only put 3-4" of water in it at a time so I am able to lower this insulation circle down into the bucket without it touching the water. It add another layer of insulation.

 

[jimmywalt]

Guys (and ladies)....................... There are a lot of great ideas in this thread, but to me they all seem to have drawbacks -

The fountain waterer with cookie tin........... well you have to continue to fill the fountain, tip it back over (and spill a little water each time). It also gets chicken poop, food and bedding in it and seems to be more work than it's worth.

If you use a heated fountain or a heated dog food bowl once those die you throw them away and have to purchase another and they aren't cheap.

There's the round 5 gallon bucket with the nipples.......... but I still haven't found a nipple that didn't leak a little. Then if you wrap heating tape around it ($25 bucks)........ just seems like too much work. If the heating tape goes out you start over and spend another $25 bucks

So let me say..... I spend ALL summer (since March actually) searching this website and on EVERY Google site too for automatic waterers (heated too), and automatic feeders.

I can say "HANDS DOWN" that a bucket waterer with a nipple (preferably a "horizontal nipple" that won't leak one drop), along with a submersible aquarium heater ($14.94 Walmart), and submersible fountain pump to keep the water moving ($4.99 at Harbor Freight) is the absolute best waterer! And we are only talking $20 bucks!!!

Under my signature in any post I have made on BYC you will see a link to a thread I made - "Very easy to make heated waterer for winter:"
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ated-waterer-for-under-20-bucks#post_12211685

I could almost guarantee that if you made one of these you would never use anything else! This works great for my 5 Chickens, and the heater says that it would heat up to 15 gallons of water............ That's enough for a person with 50 chickens!!!!

All I need to do is take a clean milk jug, fill it with water from inside the house where it's nice and warm to my hands if they get wet, and then pour it in the chickens bucket!!!

Try it............. You'll LOVE it!!!!!!!

You can purchase these horizontal nipples in the Buy/Sell/Trade section of BYC or from the same guy on Ebay. They are SOOOO worth the price!

Please feel free to PM me if you have ANY questions!

 

[2mnypets]

I would like to try it but right now I have the stuff at home to make the tin can method. Considering that we just got dumped on with a bunch of snow, I don't have many options for tonight. I will work with what I have available.