Methods for keeping water from freezing

[Roxannemc]

have you looked into a solar cooking unit?

I also saw a person use the lense from a old style big screen TV to focus light at 2000 degrees that boiled water.  The trick would be controlling the intense heat.  Look up the doomsday prepper episode.  If you can harness it you should be set if you get enough sun in the winter.  He bought the old TV for 50 dollars and built a follow the sun set up very cheaply.

Have been thinking about magnifying glass smaller than tv glass.
Wonder what the temp was outside to boil water at 2000 degrees? can't picture it that hot.That is what you use to slump or even liquify glass or 1500 or so bakes pottery so would think It would melt the container the water was in if 2000 degrees. maybe it was 200 degrees?.Ovens go to 500 or about.....at any rate how hot it would be has a lot to do with Sun time of year and outdoor temperature and I imagine how much surface glass was heating the water.

 

[RonP]

Make sure you have 60 watt bulbs, not the equivalent of 60 watt light, = ~300 lumens.

60 watts is energy used, with incandescent light, only 2% is used for light, the rest is given off as heat.

Halogen, is more efficient at ~4%, less watts for same light.

Compact florescent will use ~13 watts,

LED ~5 watts.

All will give off ~300 lumens of light.

Paint the inside top of the tin flat black to absorb the infrared light energy, instead of it bouncing around inside the tin.

 

[Teppler]

My girls love chicken guess they know it was once a relative.
As far as them pecking on the heat cable I haven't witnessed them doing it but it is very tough would be surprised
if they could penetrate it but again they do surprise me quite often.

I am leaning toward tuning radio to Rush Limbaugh I just know they are good conservative hens..

 

[Roxannemc]

Roxannemc,

I'll put a themometer in my deep liter in a few minutes when I go out to check for you. It'll be later this aft when I check on it.
I'll let you know, and it should be interesting. My sending unit is above the roost bar, so not close to the floor.

Do Not use one of the new bulbs! Use a regular old light bulb, 40 watt. It has to do with the heat given off, not the light.  Down where you are it will be just fine.
I'm using a 40 watt and the last few nights of around 0 deg it was fine. The next couple of nights will be well below 0, so I'll see. I did have ice start to form last week one day at just below 0, so I keep an eye on it.

What I have is the older kind wasn't sure...but this year the stores all must switch to the energy efficient ones so I heard on tv.A law.Ive tried to go to little stores that carry the old type buy them.Not sure if they'll grandfather in the old ones until the supply is gone or take them off shelves ...hope not!I know they won't heat up.

 

[Roxannemc]

That would be interesting let us know what temp it is in your compost..how deep.
I've heard to put your seed beds above compost as it will keep roots warm in eArly spring. Not sure about dead winter though.
I've even thought to try one of my tractor coops on top of a compost pile. Radiant floor heat

 

[Roxannemc]

Make sure you have 60 watt bulbs, not the equivalent of 60 watt light, = ~300 lumens.

60 watts is energy used, with incandescent light, only 2% is used for light, the rest is given off as heat.

Halogen, is more efficient at ~4%, less watts for same light.

Compact florescent will use ~13 watts,

LED ~5 watts.

All will give off ~300 lumens of light.

Pant the inside top of the tin flat black to absorb the infrared light energy, instead of it bouncing around inside the tin.

halogen would be hottest I think but worry me so many fires because of it like a heat lamp really hot or they use to be anyway..inside tin is metal but I wonder if adding tin foil will help at all.They use it to help Sun tanningbut maybe that not the heat itself but the rays.

 

[RonP]

What I have is the older kind wasn't sure...but this year the stores all must switch to the energy efficient ones so I heard on tv.A law.Ive tried to go to little stores that carry the old type buy them.Not sure if they'll grandfather in the old ones until the supply is gone or take them off shelves ...hope not!I know they won't heat up.

The "new" kind of incandescents are halogen filled.

I use a 38 watt halogen bulb.

Works just like a 38 watt bulb should

 

[EagleEyes]

I just went out to put the thermometer in the deep liter, and looked at my waterer, and it was frozen, so I took it out, replaced my 40w with a 60w and painted the inside of the top, black. Next couple of days will be interesting, very cold here then.
Thanks for the heads up Ron.

A little later, 5deg outside, 10deg in the coop(roosting level) and 18deg a couple of inches in the deep liter.

 

[RonP]

halogen would be hottest I think but worry me so many fires because of it like a heat lamp really hot or they use to be anyway..inside tin is metal but I wonder if adding tin foil will help at all.They use it to help Sun tanningbut maybe that not the heat itself but the rays.

Watts are energy used regardless of type of resistance.

A 60 watt bulb will have a surface temperature of around 260F at 70F ambient.

In a cookie tin, the heat is further distributed.

Without an additional energy source, your tin will never be hotter than the surface of the bulb.

FYI dry paper will start to "smoke" at 451F, then need an ignition source to ignite.

 

[Roxannemc]

I just went out to put the thermometer in the deep liter, and looked at my waterer, and it was frozen, so I took it out, replaced my 40w with a 60w and painted the inside of the top, black. Next couple of days will be interesting, very cold here then.
Thanks for the heads up Ron.

A little later, 5deg outside, 10deg in the coop(roosting level) and 18deg a couple of inches in the deep liter.