Stock Tank De-icers

[Dona]

I am in the process of moving my horses to a new place with a huge bank barn. The additional room will mean they will be able to have a common area inside the barn where they can go in & out at will most times. So, I will be using a stock tank for water when they are doing that, and would like some feedback on what type of de-icer I can safely use in a stock tank for winter.

What are your experiences & do you find a floating de-icer or a submersible one to be better? How do they plug into electric? I have absolutely NO experience with these types of de-icers & would greatly appreciate feedback of your experiences with these.

Thanks!

 

[Mona]

We use a 1000 watt caged, sinking type. We run the cord through a piece of black plastic water pipe to ensure they cannot chew the cord. I have been doing this for all the years we have owned horses. Another thing I use in individual pens or pastures where there are a few horses together, is to use the heated water bucket types. You can get 4 gallon size and a much bucket size.

Edited to add...We run an elctrical wire (extension) to where the buckets are, and plug in like any other type of plug in.

 

[RobinRTrueJoy]

Dona, I have no experience with floating tank heaters.... knowing my critters, a floating heater would be fair game to bite, grab and play with.

I use the heaters that lay at the bottom of my trough. In the beginning, I was nervous and used to place a concrete flat square block under the heater, but lately I don't bother. They never seem to over heat or make marks in my troughs, just make sure there is always a full trough. I love mine and wouldn't want to be without them.

I was thinking that if you didn't have a plug near the water source, you could always thread a heavy duty out door ext. cord through a length of pvc pipe, so that the minis wouldn't grab the extension cord.

Its so wonderful not having to chop ice.

Your new barn sounds like a terrific set up!

Robin

 

[Carolyn R]

Hi Dona. The best thing I have found here in Eastern PA is using one of the larger rubber/plastic tubs from Tractor Supply (the ones that are 20-24 inches deep) then buying the Universal brand deicer coil and some pink gasket material in the plumbing section of a hardware store (pink rubber, 1/8th of an inch thick, sold in a sheet), cut out a few 2x2 squares, use a chissel bit for a drill, cut holes in the center of gasket material and a hole about (3-4 inches from the botom) In the side of the tub. Place a piece or two of the gasket material inside the tub (centered over the hole) repeat on the outside and thread through the deicer, tighten the screw on plug mechanism(gasket material makes a great seal, no leaking)voila, your own stock tank, with a built in deicer, but you saved about $30.

I got tired of buying the large tanks with the heater between the walls, hated it when the heating element went, floating deicers didn't do that great of a job and died right away, this element is suspended so it doesn't touch anything and can be placed deep enough in the tank, that as long as you keep it relatively full, a horse would have to practically drown itself to touch the coil. If he coil poops out on you, you can replace just that part for about $20. The cordis located at the back wall of the tub, so you can easily thread it through a piece of PVC that is attatched to a barn wall and connected to an extension cord or outlet.

I just keep it unplugged and fold the cord up in the off season. Don't use the long cylindrical type that sits in a 5 gallon bucket, there is no thermostat on them, they are made to quickly defrost a bucket and be unplugged, worthless in my opinion.

Carolyn

Let me know if you need pics.

 

[Margo_C-T]

I have used a floating tank heater for years--currently in my 75 gal. galvanized oval trough, but in larger ones in past. In a metal tank they don't need any sort of 'cage', which IS needed for a floating heater in a rubbermaid or similar, tank. I use the red one(made by API, I believe? it's the only kind I've ever had...), and TIP: get the 1000 watt. The 1500 watt is not necessary unless you live at the North Pole, or have a humongous trough!--- and uses lots more electricity!

I run the cord through a piece of HD PVC, with a rt. angle 'joint' just above the heater itself, so that the cord is essentially fully protected. You do have to be sure that the water level doesn't get too low; that *can* leave the heater 'dangling' above the water...though the kind I use IS supposed to shut off if the element is out of the water. My horses generally don't bother the heater; if you have some that would, you might 'have to' use a sinking type.

We ran electric out to the large pen w/ large run-in shed where the trough is, so I am able to do without an extension cord. TIP TWO: on the electrician's advice, I use a programmable timer, and plug the heater into THAT. We have TIME OF USE electric rates here, and using the timer to 'match' the 'offpeak' rates(may have to reset if it gets REALLY cold), saves a lot of the cost of HIGH PRICED electricity(On-peak is $0.15/Kwh here, and I have an all-electric home.)I use a HD timer w/ a grounded plug, plugged into a grounded outdoor outlet--AND, I put a waterproof cover over it the whole deal. I have ONE goldfish, with me now for about 9 years, who lives in the trough, and LOVES the heater, BTW!

Now, in the individual pens, I LOVE the heated buckets. I use one HD outdoor extension cord w/ a multiple 'head' to plug in TWO buckets, outside during the day, inside in bad weather or really cold nights...and again, I use a timer.

Margo

 

[Mona]

Dona, here is a photo of the heater we use. The cage only touches any surface, so the heater is always away from any surface so nothing will melt. One normally lasts me about a season and a half before the element breaks down. They are about $25-$30 to buy.

 

[Mona]

LOL Margo...sounds API.

 

[shorthorsemom]

For our two minis we use the buckets that you plug in for deicing. This has worked well for me so far. If you have one of those rubbermaid stock tanks for water you can get something called a drain plug stock tank deicer that fits the rubbermaid tubs and goes right into the drain plug. Here is a link for one that a friend of mine uses for her full sized horses. http://www.alliedprecision.com/stocktank3.html

This unit lays at the bottom of the water tank. When I used a bigger tank I used the kind that sunk with the cage around it as described in the earlier post, but I found that I had to secure it because they played with the cord even though it was wire covered to prevent chewing. One horse would bob the unit up and down in the water, but it did work very well for deicing. I went to the smaller bucket type because my guys like the water freshened often. I noticed they drank much more water when I freshened it twice a day and once the hose freezes and I am carrying water from the house the buckets just worked better for me....

 

[Sterling]

We have used both the sinking de icer and the one that screws into the stock tank plug. Altho I think both of them worked well for us, my preference is the one we have now which is the one that screws in. We run the wire from where the plug was thru some PVC piping and then have a heavy duty outdoor extension cord that runs to an electric box. All the cords are out of the way of prying teeth and lips and works really well..small and not bulky.

 

[topnotchminis]

I use a bucket with a heater built inn. They make them in different sizes. I think they are safer.

 

[Jill]

I have used the in the plug kind, however if possible, I would instead recommend the large 16 gallon bucket type pictured in TopNotch's post. We have five of these and love them!

 

[CyndiD]

I have been using the large (Rubbermaid I think) tank with a heater coil that comes with it. Got it at Tractor Supply YEARS ago and its still working fine!!

I also use a heavy duty extension cord and I have it running along the fenceline where they cannot bother it...but have used the plastic hose type tubing to cover it as well.

I also use the garden hose to keep it filled and often have to carry it from the back porch to the barn as it will freeze no matter how hard I try to drain it all out when I am done. A friend has been using her shop vac to blow the water out of hers and then just keeps the hose IN the barn...I haven`t tried that yet.

 

[Miniv]

We have different sized big rubbermaid troughs in every paddock or pasture. And we use the same kind of caged water heaters that Mona has pictured. They are plugged into heavy duty outdoor extension cords.

 

[whitney]

I have all 3 kinds.

For a large herd I would say the kind that fit in the drain plug are the best I have 4 of those in 300 gallon tanks.

I wouldn't use the floaters to easy for a horse to chew the cord I have one who LOVED to bob for the heater, I use it to defrost the gold fish pond in the winter now.

I LOVE the blue buckets that Jill and Topnotch have. I have one for each mini and I only have to fill it up once a week in the winter time.

I DONOT like the individual heated buckets they get icky quick. I think they keep the water to warm which grows ick QUICK, plus you have to clean and fill them daily.

No matter what you use make sure to use a GFI electrical outlet just incase the heater shorts you won't ZAPP your horses, and even if there is a slight short horses will stop drinking i.e. hello colic.