Yipee, Woohoo, Horay!!!

[Echo Acres]

Well, I am sure you guys are thinking I got something new, but sorry I am going to have to disappoint you.

I just wanted to say I am THRILLED about the weather outside!!! It is such a nice break. The past couple weeks here have been snow storm one after another and temperatures not getting above zero for days. Also our nights have been -25 to -40 below actual temp plus windchill. It has been darn right miserable.

Out tanks outside have been freezing even with the heater, my barn doors don't want to close right and the barn is a mess, becuase you couldn't stay outside long enough to clean, just to feed.

The horses are out today having a blast!! They are so excited to finally get out and enjoy a good tromp in the snow.

I do have a question on water tanks. We have the larger tanks, I think 100 or 150 gal. I was wondering what you guys prefer the metal tanks or the poly? We have both, one of each both inside the barn and outside. Our one metal tank outside is not protected and seems to freeze on the top when the wind blows even with the heater. Our poly tank outside is up against a building so it is not a fair comparision. Anyone have any input on this?

 

[vvf]

I agree with you, We are in South Dakota and after the way below zero temps.... Today is beautiful here too. I think it is around 30 degrees.

As far as the stock tanks..... We used the metal ones for years outside and they would always freeze around the rim,

But we switched to the Rubbermaid ones a few years back for winter use. They have never froze on the top the way the metal ones did.

Oh, and the 2 Rubbermaids are out in the open, and wind, and still dont freeze at the top/rim.

(We use a different rubber type tank for summer use and got rid of all the metal tanks)

 

[muffntuf]

I use the Rubber Maid tanks outside. I have built a little tank holder out of 3/4"plywood and stuffed insulation in between the wood and the tank. I made a cover for the top that is made out of plywood and has 2" foam insulation glued to one side that is put downward in the tank. The middle has a split, one half can be lifted out so that half the tank is exposed and half not. Has kept the electric bill and the tank humming along nicely.

 

[pinck43]

we have been experiencing the same weather in Iowa. We have the metal tanks and found if you raise the heater so it doesn't set on the bottom it will not freeze. dionne

 

[rubymtminis]

Muffntuff, could you post some photos of your tank accomodations? Sounds like what we need to do next winter.

 

[Sully]

I understand your joy! This morning I awoke and thought, wow, it must be up in the 30's cause it sure felt warm. Well......no, it was only 15 but after the -25 degree weather we had been having it sure felt like a heat wave!

I water out of the 5 gallon Fortex buckets (horses) and the 5 gallon sheet rock mud buckets (goats and dogs), I just lug them all to and from my kitchen. At any given minute there are full buckets and frozen buckets all over my kitchen floor. The dogs love the chew and lick the ice when they are inside.

 

[muffntuf]

Ruby, I would, but it is buried in snow right now, I only can see the top of the tank (yes we have had that much snow!) Will post when things thaw out a bit and I can dig it out.

It's basically just making a rectangular box that fits the tank and stuffing all the holes with regular insulation or you can use foam insulation in all the open holes. I just wouldn't leave any for animals to place with.

To make the cover - turn the tank over onto a 3/4" piece of plywood (water proof) and draw the tank top onto it. Cut it. Then measure the lip of the tank and cut 1/2" from that onto the 2" styrofoam. Glue styrofoam to top. Cut in top in half.

Take one half and appropriate length of screws and nuts and drill holes to line up with the Rubbermaid tank holes. Then bolt that half down to the tank. For tank heaters, make a little divet in the styrofoam for cord to come out. Put tank heater under the half of cover that is screwed down to the tank. That way nobody can get ahold of the tank heater. The other half use to cover at night. Just put a rock over it to secure when windy.

Caution: As with all tank heaters, you still have to make sure there is appropriate level of water in for the tank heater to work properly.

Works pretty slick! And my light bill was $50 less last month than the year before without this conversion. I am working on a design for the 5 Gallon heated buckets now and the 16 gallon.

 

[Filipowicz Farm]

We have both the metal and rubbermaid tanks and both are in the open and both types work well for us.

 

[ropenride]

Years ago when our neighbor had big horses he used a setup similar to Muffntuf's, except he built his box a little higher than the tank and used a light bulb. The hole for the horses to drink was about 12 x 12, and the insulation and the light bulb kept the ice away....plus it wasn't as bad on the electric bill as a tank heater!

We have rubber, Rubbermaid and metal tanks...all out in the open with sinking heaters, and all have frozen on the top this year. Last year we had floating heaters and all of the tanks were ice free all winter.