Needing advice on making 5gallon waterer w/ submersible heater PHOTOS

[typnslow]

Hello

Thanks for taking time to look at this post any advice or suggestions will be appreciated!!!
We live in N Alabama, for the most part we have mild winters, however the temps do drop below freezing often enough I am worried about the gals water freezing. Some friends of ours gave us a submersible water de-icer from Farm Innovators model # 49N1.
What are your suggestions for using it?

I would like to be able to fill from the top without having to pull the lid or flip the thing over
(the less freezing cold water I spill on my feet...the better!!!!)
I had thought of putting a shielded heat lamp pointed at the plastic waterer inside the coop, but the risk of fire scares me.

our current waterer (in the run)

our current waterer (in the coop)

I found this waterer on BYC's site
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=61-4_dollar_chicken_feeder_water


There is electricity run to the coop. We have installed a light and timer to lengthen their daylight hours.

Here is a pic of the coop I am using all of this in....

Again, thanks in advance for your input!

 

[twentynine]

Your submersible heater could fit right inside of a 5 gallon bucket waterer.

Here's a picture of one I made. 5 gallon bucket, livestock tank float maintains water level, water supplied by rain water catchment.

I am in S E La. very seldom do we have anything but an overnight freeze.