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O/T Water Tank Heaters

G

greenmachineman

Member
What kind of water tank heaters do you guys recommend? I have a 100 gallon rubbermaid water tank for the cattle. I heard a "story" of the heaters shorting out and electrocuting the cows when they go to drink. Please let me know what and what not to do. As always, I appreciate any responses.
 
I've never had any problems with them but I do run the cord through a piece of PVC pipe (about 2 inch) so that it is protected. I also have it on a GFCI outlet.
 
And make sure you don't secure it to the side of the tank or an adjacent fence so it won't float out in the middle where cattle can get at it. Water level went down, heater was hanging by the twine from the fence, so burned a hole in the side of the tank. But a little JB Weld, and we were back in bidness.
 
I use an axe and a spud fork to fish out the chunks of ice. Takes about a minute on a real cold morning.

500 gallon tanks.

Allan
 
how cold does it get and how often does the tank get used? A basketball or chunk of styrofoam may be enough??
 
I use the red 1500 watt floating deicer from tractor supply,
that's all we have used for the horses and cows for the last
23 years. I plug it in for the night, and unplug in in the
morning, with a plastic tank u need a wire tank heater gaurd.
 
I've done it that way Allen, I always end up running out of places to put the ice where it isn't in the way. I usually trip over/fall down on a chunk of ice in the dark on my way to get a tank heater, that seals the deal.

If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all.

Nate
 
I made a head gate they can stick there head into and keep the 100 gallon tank on the other side. They can't get at my TSC floating heater. I put the tank end wise and tie the heater off to the far end where they can't reach it. I use a timer on the heater. It works OK for me but I usually only have 8-10 head on it. I usually don't need to plug the heater in until it gets to about 20 degrees or less. The more you have drinking out of the tank the more they stir it up and keep it from freezing.
 
I have mostly all automatic waterers any more. I do have one tank that is not that way. It is a 300 gallon steel tank. I have a propane stock tank heater for it. No danger to the cattle with a shorted out heater or the cattle unplugging the heater. They are not cheap up front but the one I am currently using is over 25 years old. They still make one just like it. So I attached a link to it.

As for the operating cost, a grill cylinder will run it 10-14 days in real cold weather that is 24/7. If it is warmer where you can shut it down during the day you can get by longer. I just fill my grill tanks off of my 1000 gallon tank.

You maybe able to find a used heater too. It depends on where you are located.
Propane tank heater.
 
LOL, I'd like you guys who bust the ice out to come help me with that.....when it's -20F. ANd yes I know of a guy who lost 4 cows when one shorted and was not on a ground fault plug in. I too use one of the sinkers with the cord run through a 2" pipe with an elbow. Never had a problem. They are not expensive. I use 3 years and toss em.

Rick
 
I have always used sinkers from Farm & Fleet. Had a couple in the last 30 years quit working, but never had one short out in the water.

Larry NEIL
 
AKA "Cooks Mortars". Cook in one outfit was scared to death to light them. He would crawl up sideways to them with the lighted wand held out as far as he could stretch and turn his face away with his eyes closed. One day the first sergeant came over, saw him doing that and fired a blank round right behind him. Everyone agreed that he literally "flew" sideways for at least ten feet before hitting the ground. Pretty funny.
 
I have a 8 foot lenght of 6 awg wire stripped back about 3 feet and it lays in the water and the other end over the side of the tank connected to a ground rod. I use the heater that threads into the tank bung at the bottom of the tank.
 
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