water buckets - ice

[Obilicious]

Hi all,
Sorry if this post has been done before.
When you break the ice in your water buckets do you take it out or keep it in?
if you take it out where do you put it?
I heard if you keep it in its more likely to freeze over quicker however i dont want to chuck it on the floor as when it melts i want to save the water ( sad i know )

 

[Littlelegs]

Take it out & lob it in a spare bucket. Or normally pour a kettle of boiling water in instead of smashing it.

 

[LynH]

I pour buckets of very hot water on the ice to melt it. I also top up the water with hot last thing which helps prevent it freezing for a while.

 

[RoughcutDiamond]

Try standing buckets on a little straw bed if they're normally on concrete - just gives a bit insulation from the bottom.

 

[Wiz201]

a ball floating around in it will stop it from freezing.

 

[ChestnutConvert]

a ball floating around in it will stop it from freezing.

But horses on my yard just couldn't leave a ball alone or would be scared of it, i don't know how you manage that trick!

 

[nikanita]

Apparently hot water freezes quicker than cold water!

 

[stencilface]

Apparently hot water freezes quicker than cold water!

Can do, the Mpemba effect

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect

 

[milliepops]

Take it out & lob it in a spare bucket. Or normally pour a kettle of boiling water in instead of smashing it.

^^this. I find that if you leave it in, it just re-freezes and each time you smash it the ice is thicker and more jagged. Ouch!

 

[VioletStripe]

Apparently hot water freezes quicker than cold water!

This

 

[kerrieberry2]

depends how I am feeling! I have buckets in my field at the mo! I took some big chunks out yesterday and my baby took to eating them! he's a weirdo!