HELP please!!! Heated water buckets??

[malcolmmacaw]

We have serious problems with our auto waterers freezing up in winter & the tap in our kitchen is supplied by the same pipes, so that freezes too. The nearest water supply is then about 200m away which has proved to be a nightmare over the last 2 winters. I'm starting to get depressed now thinking about having to do it all again. I've seen heated water buckets, but they are in the US. Also, floating de-icer thingys, but they're also in the US. Does anyone know of anything like that for sale in the UK? If i could get a floating thingy, I was thinking of getting an old bath to fill up & then put that in to stop the water freezing so that I could top up the buckets in the stable more easily. The same would be for the heated water buckets. I wouldn't put one directly in the stable. I enquired about pond heaters but was told they wouldn't be powerful enough. Ay suggestions would be very, very gratefully received.

 

[Miss L Toe]

This is the time of the year to go round and insulate all pipes etcetera, we used to use straw and manure heaped up against the outside tap before synthetic lagging was invented..
I don't suppose you have an Aga handy to heat up some bricks?
I would look at getting some sort of container near the stables maybe have a look on auction sites, I would think pond heaters would be enough to keep the water from freezing, you can insulate the tank with straw or waste hay.
There are heating cables to wrap round pipes but I would be wary of these in a stable environment with animals animals like mice and rats and horses around.
Have a look on agricultural sites like Farmers Weekly.

 

[malcolmmacaw]

Hi, no AGA I'm afraid. The water pipes run overhead, which is why they freeze easily & YO isn't prepared to lag them. We already have a huge container that catches the rainwater from the guttering & although it's under cover, it still freezes. It's only got a small hole at the top too, so you couldn't dip a bucket into it, which is why we thought about a bath with a heater. Gos, I hate winter!!!

 

[Lynds]

I recall reading last year about a metal trough (or old metal bath would do) being put up on bricks with a small gas camping stove lit underneath to warm the water. Would that work for you?

Also, I wonder if you discussed the issue with the YO and offerred to lag the pipes, (sacks and straw would help) even if they are in the roof, I can not imagine why he/she would not let you do this?

 

[malcolmmacaw]

The pipes aren't even in the roof. They just run along above door height with 'T' connectors that drop down to the waterers. He claimed that the water froze underground last year & there's nothing he can do about the weather. It's just a block of 4 stables with a tack room, loo, kitchen etc, & we're all in such a rush with working, kids, etc & it's so time consuming lugging water about. We had an agreement that whoever feeds morning or night, would top up all the water buckets, but a couple of others are now refusing, saying it takes too long. We've got one of those water bags that you fill in a wheelbarrow then you just tip the barrow up & fill the buckets through the spout. Brilliant idea, but like pushing a 20 stone dead body when it's full. We shouldn't moan, should we, when there are people across the world who have NEVER had running water!!

 

[lochpearl]

at the end of last winter I bought a solar powered heater for a pond, I will try that out this year as if it is good enough to keep fish from being frozen, hopefully it will keep my troughs from freezing.

 

[stencilface]

I think there was an idea on here the other day about burying a water butt in your muck heap and keeping that topped up when the water thaws - then just getting buckets out of it when needed. Muck heaps are marvellous things! So dig one in now and fill it up, just make sure you put a lid on it and don't throw any muck in!

We are lucky that we have a spring/field drain that keeps running through most of the winter, but has frozen on occasion!