DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[aart]

By all means, please describe how ping pong balls prevent water from freezing! You have my interest!

Anything floating on the waters surface can help keep it from freezing over...especially if it's outside where wind can keep floating thing moving.
Pretty effective to a certain point, but not totally.

 

[RonP]

I won't get into a science lesson, but supercooled water can reach temperatures 55 degrees below zero Fahrenheit (-48 C) before freezing.

Circulating water is one way to achieve this.

Personally,
I don't think my flock drinking "supercool" water is supercool (below 32F).

 

[perchie.girl]

By all means, please describe how ping pong balls prevent water from freezing! You have my interest!

Give it a try this winter. You can buy ping pong balls in bulk.... but those play balls for

Also Shade Balls are useful too to help keep water evaporation down. Those are black but they are four inches in diameter...

http://www.discovery.com/dscovrd/te...prevent-evaporation-in-california-reservoirs/

I have considered buying play pit balls for my horse waterer. they are a little larger than ping pong and made of non toxic materials. But my goof ball horse would be bobbing for them just to see if she could....

I dont have freezing issues. The horse can break the ice sheet on her own or simply push it down to get a drink. Thickest I have seen it here was half inch. But the chickens water is an issue. as I get more infirm I have to think of passive ways to keep that water accessible for them.

deb

deb

 

[Kusanar]

Quote:
You know, the black shade balls might work better actually, if any sunlight hits them....

Yeah, I know the water tub is frozen solid when there are hoof prints on top of the unbroken ice... lol

 

[Sally Sunshine]

.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Looking for DIY'ers to brainstorm how to accomplish something.

Pre-claimer is that I already have a winter water system that is working okay. But I'm wondering if this idea would work and a way to accomplish it if possible.


I'd like to try some kind of "circulation system" to keep water moving. Here is what I want to accomplish:

-The main container/bucket or whatever would have the heater in it.
-The place the birds drink from would be "restricted" in size so that wattles won't drag in it.
-The water will constantly flow through the drinking area(s) and back into the heated bucket so that it stays thawed. (What kind of pump and tubing would be needed for this?)
-Must remain unfrozen to temperatures below "0". Perhaps as cold as -20 F.


Okay...
Your ideas/help brainstorming on this, please! If you know someone that has done it, send me a link

 

[perchie.girl]

off hand you might try something like this

https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Drinkwell-Original-Pet-Fountain/dp/B00063446M



Me personally If I were going to do something like this I would use an air pump to circulate the water then let the warm water come from the tub. Only problem is the water levels have to be the same unless you do a siphon fill. Sipon fill would only take the water from the heated bucket when the water levels go down... then the air ciruculator would keep the water in the small drinker from freezing.

I have to draw it to make it really clear.... but dont feel well right now.

deb

 

[Beekissed]

Looking for DIY'ers to brainstorm how to accomplish something.

Pre-claimer is that I already have a winter water system that is working okay. But I'm wondering if this idea would work and a way to accomplish it if possible.


I'd like to try some kind of "circulation system" to keep water moving. Here is what I want to accomplish:

-The main container/bucket or whatever would have the heater in it.
-The place the birds drink from would be "restricted" in size so that wattles won't drag in it.
-The water will constantly flow through the drinking area(s) and back into the heated bucket so that it stays thawed. (What kind of pump and tubing would be needed for this?)
-Must remain unfrozen to temperatures below "0". Perhaps as cold as -20 F.


Okay...
Your ideas/help brainstorming on this, please! If you know someone that has done it, send me a link

How about skipping the whole circulating idea and just use a heated dog bowl with a lid on top that has a cut out for drinking? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

 

[bruceha2000]

Looking for DIY'ers to brainstorm how to accomplish something.

Pre-claimer is that I already have a winter water system that is working okay. But I'm wondering if this idea would work and a way to accomplish it if possible.


I'd like to try some kind of "circulation system" to keep water moving. Here is what I want to accomplish:

-The main container/bucket or whatever would have the heater in it.
-The place the birds drink from would be "restricted" in size so that wattles won't drag in it.
-The water will constantly flow through the drinking area(s) and back into the heated bucket so that it stays thawed. (What kind of pump and tubing would be needed for this?)
-Must remain unfrozen to temperatures below "0". Perhaps as cold as -20 F.


Okay...
Your ideas/help brainstorming on this, please! If you know someone that has done it, send me a link

Are you averse to using chicken water nipples? If not, I made what you want 4 years ago:

• 5 gallon Igloo insulated drink cooler outside the coop on the coop wall (coop is a converted horse stall)
• very small reptile waterfall pump that has 4 little suction feet that stick it to the bottom of the cooler
• clear tubing going to a PVC pipe with nipples. The pipe is built into the bottom of the nest box and insulated. Would do it as a separate unit next time.
• clear tubing from the other end of the pipe going back to the tank
• stock tank heater in the cooler that keeps the water at the nipples from freezing down to about 15F. These are thermostatically controlled
• submersible aquarium heater set to about 70F that works to about -20F. Plugged in replacing the stock tank heater (which stays in the cooler) at 15F or below.

More work than @Beekissed 's suggestion. Never tried that, don't know how you keep their wattles out of the water in a dish.

 

[aart]

Looking for DIY'ers to brainstorm how to accomplish something.

Pre-claimer is that I already have a winter water system that is working okay. But I'm wondering if this idea would work and a way to accomplish it if possible.


I'd like to try some kind of "circulation system" to keep water moving. Here is what I want to accomplish:

-The main container/bucket or whatever would have the heater in it.
-The place the birds drink from would be "restricted" in size so that wattles won't drag in it.
-The water will constantly flow through the drinking area(s) and back into the heated bucket so that it stays thawed. (What kind of pump and tubing would be needed for this?)
-Must remain unfrozen to temperatures below "0". Perhaps as cold as -20 F.


Okay...
Your ideas/help brainstorming on this, please! If you know someone that has done it, send me a link

What is your main goal?
What do you need that your present functioning system lacks?

Ditto Bruce's question, are you opposed to nipples..specifically horizontal nipples?

You know that this has worked for me, down to -15F....yeah, they get some drips when drinking......
but they also 'scald' their wattles noshing on snow banks when it's very cold out. SMH