Winterizing Nipple Waterers? UPDATE Really? No One Knows?

[Rich386]

I installed a small fountain pump from Lowe's about $12.00. I circulates the water from tank through nipples and back to tank. This really worked well when temp. went below freezing.

 

[Rich386]

I also am interested. I was just going to have some kind of 5 gallon bucket with a nipple on the bottom. I think if I could keep the water warm in the bucket the nipple would stay unfrozen. I am tired of pool in the water, as the chickens sit on the waterer.

How are you going to supply this system with fresh water?

I suppose I could use standard heat tape inside the bucket - maybe that's enough to keep a 5 gallon bucket from freezing.

I saw bucket heaters at the feed store last time I was in. You just drop them in the bucket. They have a waterproof plug in cord.

I set mine up with a water supply seperate from my nipples.

edited by staff

 

[RenoUrbanFarmer]

After reading this whole thread it doesn't seem that anyone knows conclusively if keeping the water moving prevents freezing. In fact, there's even a comment from someone who uses this system who says that even keeping the water warm and moving doesn't prevent the nipples from freezing.

Is it safe to say that the nipple watering system isn't completely winterizable?

 

[cosmo1104]

After reading this whole thread it doesn't seem that anyone knows conclusively if keeping the water moving prevents freezing. In fact, there's even a comment from someone who uses this system who says that even keeping the water warm and moving doesn't prevent the nipples from freezing.

Is it safe to say that the nipple watering system isn't completely winterizable?

I just started the system this year, but I don't see it would be a problem in a coup with a small heater in it. Maybe a few super cold days might get it frozen a bit, but I'm gonna feel safe with just a small bird waterer heater in it. But then again, I also just have mine attached to a bucket and not a long piece of PVC.

But you live in Nevada, I'd guess you'll be fine with that or some pipe heater tape.

 

[Rich386]

I sell these so it may sound self serving but it is one of the reasons I decided to sell them. Part of the reason the vertical nipples freeze is the cold transfer through the metal. Vertical nipple has a large weight and the pin some are all metal. Horizontal nipple has a spring and pin less metal means less transfer of cold. They also have a rubber O ring seat that insulate the pin and spring. These along with a circulation pump and heater eliminated my freezing problems. Of course I don't get the cold like some folks but for me it worked 100%.

 

[naadarien]

After reading this whole thread it doesn't seem that anyone knows conclusively if keeping the water moving prevents freezing. In fact, there's even a comment from someone who uses this system who says that even keeping the water warm and moving doesn't prevent the nipples from freezing.

Is it safe to say that the nipple watering system isn't completely winterizable?

Hmmm...well the physics of it should mean that the water doesn't freeze if you keep it moving. I don't think anyone needs to test that necessarily if you live in a cold climate. Think about your water pipes. When it gets cold what do they tell you to do to keep the pipes from freezing? Turn on the faucet so water flows through the pipes and that keeps them from freezing. Yes moving the water should keep the water from freezing and it doesn't need to move all that fast. Faucets only need a slight drip to keep from freezing.

Heating the water would help (especially with the nipples), but I can imagine that getting to be costly unless you already have a closed system circulating heat source (like a wood boiler) that you can tap into. Someone mentioned having their water coming from their house water system. If you do that, you could send hot water through the system. The water would be pretty well cooled down by the time it got to the chickens waterer (depending on how far away that is from the water heater) but should be warm enough to keep the nipples from freezing. Google heat loss per foot to get the equation that will help you figure out how hot the water needs to be at the source (your water heater) to go the distance you need (to the coop). The pipes would need to be buried and insulated (for efficiency) if they run outside, but other than that you'd be good. Again, kind of a complex solution and it certainly has a cost (unless you have a solar water heater), but more than doable.

If you carry the water out and have a closed system, you could just bring out hot water, heat up the closed system water (drain the old; add the new hot water) and the nipples should not freeze on the coldest days though you might have to do this several times a day.

If you need to test, test each piece of the system individually over a winter and implement the process the next winter. That way you'll have a chance to build and tweak your system before your chickens have to rely on it. HTH

 

[carolina wildma]

I HAVE 30-35 CHICKENS ON MY WATERING SYSTEM WITH NIPPLES. I WATER THEM ONCE A YEAR WHETHER THEY NEED IT OR NOT. I USE RAIN WATER. MOTHER NATURES FINEST ALL NATURAL FRESH WATER.

 

[JulesVern]

I wanted to list my results on this thread since it was one I read trying to figure out how to keep my chickens' water from freezing in the Minnesota winter. I can now tell you (since it turned winter here) that the nipple system I rigged up DID NOT work and froze. I have a bird bath heater (the kind you get at fleet farm) in a 2.5 gallon bucket with three nipples (the non-cup kind and inserted in the bottom). The water is isn't frozen, but the nipples are. I was hoping that having a heater that submersed and was close to the nipples would possibly work. It didn't. So now I'm back to the drawing board. No fun when it's 15 degrees out!

Hope this helps someone that is trying to figure out how to keep their chickens watered in extreme cold!

-Jules

 

[jetdog]

I use this stock tank heater in my 5 gallon bucket and no problem at all, it's been 12 degrees in the morningso I
went out to check them and the water dripped out perfectly, this tank heater will keep 30 gallons of water unfrozen might be overkill but it works great.

 

[JulesVern]

Thanks Jetdog! I'm going to exchange the birdbath heater for the one you posted about. Many thanks for the insight!