Let's share our water heaters!!! Show us your water heaters design/setup!!!!

[benwantegg]

I want share my water heater design!!! And i want to see yours too!!!

Since i live in New-Brunswick, Canada, a water heater was a must-have and believe it or not, water is starting to freeze already during the nights!!

I used recycled pieces of wood and i bought the light socket, the flower pot and the pie pan. The whole setup cost me around 15$ CDN!!!!

Here is my water heater:

I decided to put a 60W lightbulb under a flower pot. I did a test with a 100W bulb but the flower pot was really hot!! I might go back to the 100W bulb if it get really cold. I built the frame with wood and shape it to do a box for my flower pot. I put a 2x4 to hold the light socket and the flower pot itself.



Since my waterer is bigger than the bottom part of my flower pot, i glued a pie pan of the same size of my waterer on top of my flower pot to make sure that it wont fall off. And if there is a bit of water moving around, it will go in the pan.



Even with the pie pan, i wanted to make sure that the waterer wont fall so i put 2 ''screwing loops'' (i dont know the real name of that piece) on each side of the frame to hook up 2 bungees cords to hold down the waterer. By doing so, i make sure that the coop stay dry and safe from an electrical failure. If for some reason the water fall down, it will be deflect by the flower pot and the light wont be affect.



Suggestions, questions, tips and comments are welcome!!!!

Please share your design too!!!

It might help other peoples that want to have their water warm for their flocks!!!!

 

[bonstey2]

i use a slow cooker in the winter plug it in outside the pen and leave the wiring outside and put the slow cooker on the low heat it keeps lovely for the hens in the morning.

 

[benwantegg]

If you can, put some pictures of your design!!! A picture worth a thousand words!!!

 

[gibsterl]

Benwantegg-
great design....I am going to try a heated dog water dish filled with sand with my 2 gallon galvanized waterer on top...not sure it will work-hasn't been cold enough here in NH to test it. Will let you know how it works once we get colder temps-figure if it doesn't work on the galvanized waterer can just fill the dog dish with water

 

[canesisters]

And this keeps the water in the reservoir from freezing too?
I have a 5gal water-er - wonder if it would work for me?
The only thing I'd suggest is to add one of those thermo. plug things. It would control the light bulb and only come on when the temp drops to near freezing.

 

[benwantegg]

Mine is 1 gallon and its working. For a 5 gallons, i couldnt tell you, maybe with a 100W it would work? My flower pot gets really hot when its on. When i first built my heater, i used a 100W bulb and it was really really hot and i dont want to set my coop on fire so i went with a 60W bulb. Maybe if you do the same setup but with a bigger flower pot it might work with a 100W.

I looked for the thermo plug in every hardware store in my area and i cant find it!!!

Would really like to have one of these thermo plug!

 

[chfite]

My bird bath heater cycles on and off, is built like a tank, and is convenient to use. http://tinyurl.com/b3rr2cr

I just drop it in a bucket of water to keep it from freezing.

Chris

 

[canesisters]

yeah, I was thinking that a larger pot/bulb might do the trick.
I'm a bit coffee deprived here today so check my logic... as long as the bottom of the water-er is warm, warm water rises(?), unless it's scary freezing for days it should stay liquid???
I'd have to run about 200' of cord out there to do it anyway so I'm not sure about it yet.



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ThermoCube Thermostatically Controlled Outlets

Farm Innovators


Model TC-3

• No Installation Required
• Thermostatically Controlled
• Operates with any 15 Amp 120 Volt Heater or Fan
• Works Automatically to Ambient Temperature
• Saves Money
• Comes on at 35° and off at 45°
• 2 Receptacles

ThermoCube

is a unique and patented electrical device. Plugs into a standard electrical outlet which turns the power on and off automatically, according to outside temperature. Power flows when temperatures fall to 35° and power stops when temperatures rise to 45°. Typical applications include use with heat tapes, bucket or utility de-icers, heat lamps and engine block heaters.

 

[benwantegg]

What happen if it goes under 35 degrees? Is it shutting down? It will be easily 15-20 degrees over here this winter...

 

[JesseK]

What happen if it goes under 35 degrees? Is it shutting down? It will be easily 15-20 degrees over here this winter...

I just got one of these and am excited to use it this winter with my cookie tin water heater. When the temp starts to go down and it gets to 35 degrees, it turns the bulb on. The bulb then stays on, no matter how low the temp gets, until it rises above 45 degrees. Does that make sense? Seems like a great energy saver!