Plastic 5 gal Bottle with Horizontal Nipples on Cookie Tin Heater

[RonP]

Has anyone simply tried putting these horizontal nipple waterers, into a 5 gallon water bottle, on top of a cookie tin heater?

Or do I have to wait in anticipation for freezing temperatures again to report my results...

My thoughts are that the heat source in the center of the bottom of the bottle, would cause the warmer water to rise, creating a continuous "current" as warm water is displaced with cold.

Thus circulating without assistance.

No need to have a "large" tin or surface area, just sufficient energy to keep 5 gallons above 32F regardless of ambient temperatures.

I know a 38W bulb works just fine on ~2.5 gallons till at least -9F using a metal double walled waterer.



I know heat will not conduct as well through plastic as it does through metal.
Nor does cold

.

I also know that condensation formed from the hot and cold surfaces, will create a continuous transfer of energy, and not be a safety concern.

Many already use plastic waterers, just wondering if anyone has tried this particular scenario.

Opinions??

 

[aart]

Sweet!......Following.

Been thinking about this a bit since you mentioned it this morning....how to test the concept...might be put some water and thermometer in the bottle, put it on top of a powered cookie tin heater and see what it does to the temp of the water.
Not a true cold temp test.... but maybe a start?

.....or like I mentioned before...how big is your freezer? lol

 

[RonP]

Sweet!......Following.

Been thinking about this a bit since you mentioned it this morning....how to test the concept...might be put some water and thermometer in the bottle, put it on top of a powered cookie tin heater and see what it does to the temp of the water.
Not a true cold temp test.... but maybe a start?

.....or like I mentioned before...how big is your freezer? lol

Freezer is way too small...

I'm sure the bottle on the cookie tin heater will heat the water and not hurt the bottle, did that accidentally...

Am hoping someone else has some input or data before I destroy another water bottle, and start praying for cold temperatures again, as I did last year for my nest box trials..

I have already designed the conceptual model, and just need cold temperature scenarios.

I may have to search to learn...

 

[RonP]

Click Here for my final design!

This is working very well for now...

 

[aart]

Are those two brass nipples connected somehow?

Works great in April, huh!! ;-)
Just teasing.

 

[EagleEyes]

What a great idea. I have two of these water jugs. I just need to find out where to get these nipples. For the summer anyways I would like to have bigger waterers, and these look like the ticket.
How many nipples do you think I should put on a jug?

 

[aart]

What a great idea. I have two of these water jugs. I just need to find out where to get these nipples. For the summer anyways I would like to have bigger waterers, and these look like the ticket.
How many nipples do you think I should put on a jug?

This is the best price I've seen..http://allboutchickens.com/#!/Horizontal-Poultry-Nipples/p/35469347/category=0

As to how many nipple on a jug, think about where the jug will sit and how much room the birds have to access it.
They nipples can be pretty close together, ~2", especially on a round vessel.

 

[EagleEyes]

Thanks Aart. So when I look at the picture of these, they have one tab that sticks out farther than the other. Would this one go towards the bottom.
I assume some silicone applied before screwing in would be a good idea.
Think I'll order 10, 5 for each jug.
Man, that will save a lot of money compared to a 5 gal waterer that I was looking at.

10 of them are on the way, I'll post a pic after I get them and installed.

 

[aart]

Thanks Aart. So when I look at the picture of these, they have one tab that sticks out farther than the other. Would this one go towards the bottom.
I assume some silicone applied before screwing in would be a good idea.
Think I'll order 10, 5 for each jug.
Man, that will save a lot of money compared to a 5 gal waterer that I was looking at.

10 of them are on the way, I'll post a pic after I get them and installed.

I don't use any sealant, but I drill a smaller hole than is recommended (5/16 instead of 3/8) and don't thread them in all the way but just enough to get a tight water proof fit.

If you know how threads work and 'feel' and get a nice clean, smooth hole drilled it's not hard to do, practice on another piece of plastic first.
They 'self thread' into most softer plastics pretty easily, tho I've only used pretty thin walled bottle and buckets.
PVC needs to have threads cut as it's too hard compared to the nipples.

NOTE: I have no idea what these big water bottles are made of but they are pretty thick walled.

Yes the 'lip', as I call it, goes down.

 

[RonP]

The water jugs are hard plastic. Not the best for a good seal. I added plumbers goop for good measure.