Heated Waterer Dilemma

[GC-Raptor]

This is the setup I’m looking at. How do you fill it, does the top lift off?

Yes the top lifts off after you twist counterclockwise about an inch.
You can lift the whole fount up and tilt to clean any shavings or debris from trough if you don't twist to unlock. . This is a pic of an old fount that I keep as a spare. GC

 

[Chad Oftedal]

Nice!
Clear container makes it easy to see water level, I'd be insulating anyway tho.
What kind of temps do you see at your location?

We're probably looking at upper single-digit temps at the very coldest. If it gets below 20 degrees out here, people start thinking the end is near, saying goodbye to their loved ones, you name it. I just had to look out of curiosity, and the coldest temp on record for Seattle is 0 degrees in 1950. I'm higher up in elevation than Seattle - though not by much - so I'm probably a few degrees cooler each day.

I'm sure with your much colder temps, insulating it would be a good idea. For the size of the aquarium heaters - if one was going to entertain that as an option - going from a 25 watt to a 50 watt isn't that much bigger. Pretty sure it'd still fit nicely on the bottom of the container. Without being able to easily test it, I'd think a 50 watt heater would have to keep 4-5 gallons of water from freezing, even in below zero weather, but that's just my supposition from using them with aquariums. One would have to test it first to be sure.

 

[Vaporus]

I'm about to build several of these