Looking to find a Solar Water heater, Any Ideas?

[Cats Critters]

I need some thing to heat water out at my coop because with us gone most of the day (I'll be home for winter break though) they spend a lot of time without water, no electricity out there and running cords out there is out of the question for winter . So any ideas? I would like something under $30 I can only get it some where around me (name the store and I will tell you whether or not I can get to one) or on amazon.com because I have a $25 gift card.

 

[hens & chicks]

Try on Mother Earth News web site. There are numerous plans to make your own solar hot water heaters. I plan on making one of them in the spring. I really think they will work great. I also have a plan in a book called The Homesteader's Handbook to Raising Small Livestock. A 50 gallon metal black barrel in used to make a waterer that I think would also work well and to incorporate a metal heating element as used for a water tank. I really think they would work well and maybe with a little tweeking for those cold snowy winter places.

 

[write2caroline]

Do you live in snow country?

If not, you can use coil up black plastic piping or copper painted black but if snow is all over it then it is not necessarily going to work. When I lived in California, people used this stuff to heat their pools and coiled it up on the roof. You could do something similar on the top of your coop - I would need more info and pictures of your coop. Also you could use a 5 gallon bucket of hot water with a lid - someone else posted a similar thing - to heat your coop with out electricity - Put hot water 200 degrees in a 5 gal bucket or something similar - tighten the lid and it will keep the surrounding area warm as it cools during the day - you can put your waterer nearby. inside the coop = you just want to keep it from freezing. other things that insulate - you could use newspaper or hay in and around the coop. again depends on your coop but both are good insulators. If the ambient temp is above freezing you have succeeded.


Caroline

 

[Cats Critters]

Try on Mother Earth News web site.

I'll check it out.

Do you live in snow country?

Yep, I'm in Western PA.​