Chicken Nipples



Here is my waterer using a heat tape, as suggested
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Success!!!!
Last night it got into the low teens,
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this morning the first thing I did.... well after Makin coffee! Was ro go check the waterer.
Flowing Un frozen nipples!!!
 
Wow fantastic. That's about the number of wraps I used, but with no insulation. Just monitor it while the temp is near, but below 32F, to make sure it doesn't get too hot. Heat tapes are nice because they turn on at 32F. Mine have a neon light that illuminates when the tape is on.
 
btw that was smart running that last wrap beneath the nipples and not insulating it. Heat will radiate,convect and conduct up from the tape towards the nipples.
 
btw that was smart running that last wrap beneath the nipples and not insulating it. Heat will radiate,convect and conduct up from the tape towards the nipples.
Well, I wish I could say how you described was my deliberate intention, but I CANT! It is not insulated because I thought it may hinder the accessibility of the nipples for the chickens, and afraid they would peck and destroy the insulation to get to the nipples.
But hey I like how you think better!!!!
 
9' heat tape, 2" thick pink fiberglass insulation I had left over from a project, 50"x16" bubble wrap reflective stuff outside the Owens corning punk insulation, then carefully wrapped the whole thing nice and tight with grey duct tape
 
Just as an fyi for future projects, the reflective stuff only works if there is an air gap. I think 1/2" is about the minimum. There may be enough there with the OC stuff, though, to work. Nevertheless, the bubbles themselves do add insulation value.
 
9' heat tape, 2" thick pink fiberglass insulation I had left over from a project, 50"x16" bubble wrap reflective stuff outside the Owens corning punk insulation, then carefully wrapped the whole thing nice and tight with grey duct tape

That exactly how I did last years waterer but with vertical nipples. My nipples still froze when it got too cold, yours should be good though. One thing that did happen, the heat tape failed, keep en eye out for it failing. I don't think they are designed to be constantly used.
 
That exactly how I did last years waterer but with vertical nipples. My nipples still froze when it got too cold, yours should be good though. One thing that did happen, the heat tape failed, keep en eye out for it failing. I don't think they are designed to be constantly used.
Well, I'm no pro on the heat tape topic, but years ago i.lived in a mobile home, and it's the norm to plug your heat tape in when the nights get cold enough to freeze the water main, I always left mine plugged in ALL winter, not sayin they can't fail, as anything is prone to failure, but I think you just got unlucky.
This one is working good, I think I'm going to use a 6' on the 3.5 gallon waterer I have in the Cochin run
 
Just as an fyi for future projects, the reflective stuff only works if there is an air gap. I think 1/2" is about the minimum. There may be enough there with the OC stuff, though, to work. Nevertheless, the bubbles themselves do add insulation value.
Oh, I didn't know. Thanks for the heads upBut it.makes sense! The air gap IS the insulative factor in most applications when using it.
I kinda thought the bubbles between the reflectin materials WAS the air space?
 

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