question on equipment available to keep water de-iced in winter

[jimmywalt]

How many watts is your aquarium heater?

50 watts. But it's in DIRECT contact with the water. With the fountain pump the water is constantly moving around the heater as well.

The cookie tin heater has to penetrate the metal tin, and the bottom of the plastic bucket before the heat would ever be able to warm the water. Meaning that both the metal tin and the bottom of the plastic bucket would need to be warm/hot before the water could warm.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I can positively assure you that in Michigan "barely warm" cookie tin would not have a chance to keep the water from freezing. The bottom of the bucket plastic was still FREEZING cold. I'm positive that if left outside for a period of time it would be one large ice cube.

Now if I had a 100 watt bulb that "might" work....

I live in Upper Michigan where temps -30F are not uncommon. I use a cookie tin with a 40w bulb and it keeps the water thawed all winter and the water is actually warm, the surface of the cookie tin is barely warm. I have a 3 gallon waterer.

 

[jimmywalt]

I live in Upper Michigan where temps -30F are not uncommon. I use a cookie tin with a 40w bulb and it keeps the water thawed all winter and the water is actually warm, the surface of the cookie tin is barely warm. I have a 3 gallon waterer.

Ok, but I just don't know how that would be possible. I wonder why the cookie tin wouldn't have to be hot in order to heat up the plastic bucket and the water inside.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

50 watts. But it's in DIRECT contact with the water. With the fountain pump the water is constantly moving around the heater as well.

The cookie tin heater has to penetrate the metal tin, and the bottom of the plastic bucket before the heat would ever be able to warm the water. Meaning that both the metal tin and the bottom of the plastic bucket would need to be warm/hot before the water could warm.

"Direct contact" doesn't make that much difference in the long term.
Your 50 Watt heater only puts out slightly more actual heat than the 40 Watt bulb

Once the metal of the container is hotter than the bucket, heat transfer begins

Electric heat is constant when it comes to "power in" to "heat out" ratios
ONE Watt is always equal to 3.41 BTU's of heat, no matter what "type" of heater is used


You''re trying to heat @ 16 lbs of water, so you need 16 BTU's to raise the temp just ONE degree
Your pump will also be generating a tiny amount of heat

Quote: "Hot" is a relative term.
It doesn't have to feel "hot" to your HAND to be WARM ENOUGH to keep the water above freezing which is all that is required.

40* doesn't feel "hot" nor even "warm" but it's well ABOVE freezing, which is the only goal
Most things less than 100 degrees FEEL "cool" to the human body

 

[Chickens R Us]

The water probably isn't warm but feels warm compared to the air temperature, but the cookie tin really does work.