Cookie Tin water heater

[B'villechicken]

Quote:
I haven't seen a problem not having a big thermal mass for my water heater. The water itself is a thermal mass and heat transferred to it will buffer the temp changes. I use an old cookie sheet on top of my ciookie tin to keep the hens from sliding the waterer off but even at -13 last week the water never froze. The concrete block is a great idea.

David

I put 4 bricks around the outside of the cookie tin. works great.

That really sounds like a good idea to build bricks around the tin. I could make it large enough for my large waterer and the girls wouldn't knock it off the top of the tin. Thanks for the suggestion.

David

 

[andalusn]

The tin and cement block heaters are a great idea. Will have to go over the instructions with my DH who is also very handy with making stuff. As an alternative to those who are not so sure about home made here is an alternative. They sell these at my local feed store. It may be a heated dog bowl but the wiring to the plug is wrapped in wire to protect it and maybe something else but it's plastic. Turns itself off when temps go up and my chickens stand around it like office workers at the cooler and drink. It is their favorite water bowl..l... the dogs sneak in too and use it

I have two of these placed in open areas in the barn and my free rangers always use it. Best part is its not as expensive as the "chicken" heaters. $29.00 As you can see the feed store kitty could not resist it either for her own use. She was not happy when I paid for it and left.

 

[happyhensny]

We have 4 tin heaters that we have been using for 2 winters. OM-goodness! Totally awesome! -30* and still no frozen water. We use 40W bulbs and set them on a cement patio block. Thanks for the great pics and instructions.

 

[flitter]

I was searching for an inexpensive idea for water heaters and found this thread. I thought I'd bump it up. "Store bought" heaters are pricey and I need to add three by winter. Thanks for this idea from three years ago.

 

[nancypo]

One real advantage I've seen with the water heater is that the water stays much cleaner. You only have the trough exposed, and I just scrub it out once a week and re-fill. My hens would get the water filthy from dust baths and digging around...

 

[nancypo]

And it kept the water liquid down to 0 degrees...

 

[Doopy]

Quote:
I hope this is a typo. Water will never get down to zero degrees Fahrenheit. It's impossible. Your profile says you're in Boise and I assume it's Idaho so you must be dealing with Fahrenheit and not Centigrade. Are you sure you mean zero?

 

[kcsunshine]

Probably meant water stayed liquid when the outside temp was 0 degrees.

 

[flitter]

Interesting that it's spring and we are all thinking about winter... last one was especially tough!

 

[nancypo]

I meant that in 0 far. degrees temp, my water didn't freeze....