Cookie Tin water heater

[ijon1]

You can use a metal hog feeder pan and cover the bottom with tin. Very cheap at tractor supply. It will look like the store bought heater.

 

[StupidBird]

on the question of the GFI circuit for safety, I have found there are GFIC outlets that can be installed to serve just what is plugged in to that outlet and all "downstream" outlets in the circuit. It is what we were directed to use in our kitchen upgrade when trying to figure out less expensive ways to fix things.

 

[vtchickenlady]

I made mine a few weeks ago. We've had a few nights in the 20's and so far no frozen water. We have a 15 watt bulb in ours and that seems to be hot enough for now. Our coop is insulated so I'm sure that helps.

 

[TeriNick50]

When I showed the cookie tin waterer to my spouse, the dear man immediately had to upgrade the original design. He used a standard light bulb fixture and secured it into a clean paint can. He buried the can in a large flower pot with only the lid exposed. On top of the lid is an aluminum cake pan with water and a #20 can filled with water. The system is working great!

 

[Paganbird]

I love this site!
My DH & I just bought 4 hog pans from TSC to make our own water heaters, but we weren't sure about a couple of the details.
Not only have my questions been answered, but the cookie tin idea will work great for my peafowl pair. They only have a 1 gallon waterer & I wasn't sure what I was going to use for keeping their water from freezing.
Thanks everyone for your ideas!

 

[ginbart]

Quote:
Jody, thanks, I think I will try that first. I save the tins and it will be a lot less expense to do that then buy a new waterier and electric heater. Do you just put the waterier on the tin?

 

[newchickmom]

I made the cookie tin heater last year and it works great.

You just sit your waterer on top of it.

I set the heater on bricks to raise it off the floor before sitting the waterer on it and I have a 3 gal plastic waterer.

 

[Chad the Chicken Man]

I am going to make one this afternoon, Im a little worried how sturdy a metal waterer would be on top of the tin can? so i was thinking about buying a spray can of the spray on rubber and spray the bottom of the waterer and the top of the tin can. how hot does the top of the tin can get? hot enough to burn rubber?

 

[little brown hen]

I just built another one of the cookie tin heaters. The tin is from Dollar General one of the biggest they had cost $5 (the cookie's were good) the tin is just the right size for my 5gal metal water. Everything is fine it holds it just fine. I have it sitting up a couple of patio block's with the 5gal metal water on top to keep it clean.

 

[bfeusner]

How well do you think this would work with the plastic waterers? I have a couple plastic waterers that I currently use and I refuse to switch to metal and pay $40 for a water heater...I would rather change to water twice a day then waste $80 on heaters...Also what wattage bulb do you use inside the cookie pan?