This is what I made. The pic pretty much sums up how it's made. The scale might be off a little.
Instructions:
1) Put down one of the stepping stones and level it. This is important to have your waterer level when finished.
2) Stack the pavers as shown on top of the bottom stepping stone. You will have to slide two of them out a little to accomodate the conduit. They are not mortared in.
3) Install the conduit, box, light socket assembly as shown. This should be securely mounted somehow. The pavers all push together to close as much of the air gaps as possible.
4) Install the light bulb.
5) Put the other stepping stone down on top of the pavers.
6) Put your waterer on top.
Notes:
The round electrical box has mounting tabs but I didn't use them. I didn't need to since I set my base a few inches away from a wall so I could mount my conduit on the wall as it runs up it.
Turned out to be pretty sturdy.
I used 1/2" pvc. I'd assume you need a couple sections of conduit and several fittings so I can't really put a set dollar amount on these since everyones will be different.
The porcelain light socket is NOT waterproof. I didn't set my base in a flood area and I do NOT advise you to. I have a GFCI/ARC fault breaker on my circuit. You should have GFCI protection
if your base is in the elements. You can use a GFCI outlet but me and those don't get along. Electricity/water is not something to play around with so have someone who knows what they are doing
wire it up or do it at your OWN risk.
I'm starting out with a 35w bulb. I don't know how many watts to use at this point but that I just what I had laying around. It hasn't gotten below freezing here yet. The bulb can be changed out
as the weather gets colder but I have my light bulb circuit on a dimmer switch so I can adjust the heat of the bulb if I go bigger. I've tried a dimmer on a GFCI outlet and they didn't get
along very well. So far the GFCI breaker works fine.
As far as the wire goes, I used a 12/3 extension cord inside the conduit. This way I can plug/unplug up to an electrical outlet. With the porcelain light socket and pvc box, there is nowhere to
hook up the green (ground) wire so just put a wire nut on it keep it away from the other wires. If you use a metal box or metal light socket, you will have to hook up the green wire.
The base sits up higher than what I would like but I just put a few extra pavers around the edge for them to stand on if needed. Doesn't really matter to them though, they will stand on
the edge of the top stepping stone and in the water. My chickens are only 7 weeks old.
I estimate this costs about $40-50 if you buy all the things from Lowes. I had alot of this stuff laying around so it didn't cost me that much but I feel as though I have a good setup. The cost could be considerably less if you shop around.
Items I used:
$3.87 ea 2 Stepping Stones (15.7" x 15.7" x 1.80")
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Brickface-...6-in-x-16-in-Actual-15-7-in-x-15-7-in/3034744
$0.61 ea 18 Pavers (7.75" x 3.88" x 1.80")
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Holland-Re...-8-in-x-4-in-Actual-7-75-in-x-3-88-in/3010214
$2.21 for a 10ft section. Non-metallic PVC condiut. I'd say you need a couple sections.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Conduit-Conduit-conduit-fittings-Electrical/4294653947
$4.00? Various fittings to make your conduit run. Probably going to be few dollars.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Conduit-fittings-Conduit-conduit-fittings-Electrical/4294653948
$7.78 Hubbell TayMac PVC Exterior Round Box (Wow $7 for a pvc box. I didn't want metal so I used it. Comes with 4 plugs, you will need to buy the male screw in fitting.)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hubbell-Ta...dard-Round-Celing-Wall-Electrical-Box/4005487
$1.49 Porcelain Light Socket
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-660-Watt-White-Ceiling-Socket/3143461
Wire.
Light bulb. Either incandescent or halogen. Nowadays they are more expensive than LED bulbs.
Instructions:
1) Put down one of the stepping stones and level it. This is important to have your waterer level when finished.
2) Stack the pavers as shown on top of the bottom stepping stone. You will have to slide two of them out a little to accomodate the conduit. They are not mortared in.
3) Install the conduit, box, light socket assembly as shown. This should be securely mounted somehow. The pavers all push together to close as much of the air gaps as possible.
4) Install the light bulb.
5) Put the other stepping stone down on top of the pavers.
6) Put your waterer on top.
Notes:
The round electrical box has mounting tabs but I didn't use them. I didn't need to since I set my base a few inches away from a wall so I could mount my conduit on the wall as it runs up it.
Turned out to be pretty sturdy.
I used 1/2" pvc. I'd assume you need a couple sections of conduit and several fittings so I can't really put a set dollar amount on these since everyones will be different.
The porcelain light socket is NOT waterproof. I didn't set my base in a flood area and I do NOT advise you to. I have a GFCI/ARC fault breaker on my circuit. You should have GFCI protection
if your base is in the elements. You can use a GFCI outlet but me and those don't get along. Electricity/water is not something to play around with so have someone who knows what they are doing
wire it up or do it at your OWN risk.
I'm starting out with a 35w bulb. I don't know how many watts to use at this point but that I just what I had laying around. It hasn't gotten below freezing here yet. The bulb can be changed out
as the weather gets colder but I have my light bulb circuit on a dimmer switch so I can adjust the heat of the bulb if I go bigger. I've tried a dimmer on a GFCI outlet and they didn't get
along very well. So far the GFCI breaker works fine.
As far as the wire goes, I used a 12/3 extension cord inside the conduit. This way I can plug/unplug up to an electrical outlet. With the porcelain light socket and pvc box, there is nowhere to
hook up the green (ground) wire so just put a wire nut on it keep it away from the other wires. If you use a metal box or metal light socket, you will have to hook up the green wire.
The base sits up higher than what I would like but I just put a few extra pavers around the edge for them to stand on if needed. Doesn't really matter to them though, they will stand on
the edge of the top stepping stone and in the water. My chickens are only 7 weeks old.
I estimate this costs about $40-50 if you buy all the things from Lowes. I had alot of this stuff laying around so it didn't cost me that much but I feel as though I have a good setup. The cost could be considerably less if you shop around.
Items I used:
$3.87 ea 2 Stepping Stones (15.7" x 15.7" x 1.80")
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Brickface-...6-in-x-16-in-Actual-15-7-in-x-15-7-in/3034744
$0.61 ea 18 Pavers (7.75" x 3.88" x 1.80")
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Holland-Re...-8-in-x-4-in-Actual-7-75-in-x-3-88-in/3010214
$2.21 for a 10ft section. Non-metallic PVC condiut. I'd say you need a couple sections.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Conduit-Conduit-conduit-fittings-Electrical/4294653947
$4.00? Various fittings to make your conduit run. Probably going to be few dollars.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Conduit-fittings-Conduit-conduit-fittings-Electrical/4294653948
$7.78 Hubbell TayMac PVC Exterior Round Box (Wow $7 for a pvc box. I didn't want metal so I used it. Comes with 4 plugs, you will need to buy the male screw in fitting.)
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Hubbell-Ta...dard-Round-Celing-Wall-Electrical-Box/4005487
$1.49 Porcelain Light Socket
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Eaton-660-Watt-White-Ceiling-Socket/3143461
Wire.
Light bulb. Either incandescent or halogen. Nowadays they are more expensive than LED bulbs.
