OT--barn hot water

Hay hay hay · Feb 3, 2014

I would like to have hot water..occassionally...in an unheated barn.

Water is from a ground hydrant inside the barn.
Barn only has 110v. I have seen flow-thru water heaters in catalogs but think they would freeze.
I have no way to insulate the lines so I would have to drain the tank/heater/lines every time.

I only need a few gallons to wash a critter or fix a potion.

Any ideas?

Greg1959 · Feb 3, 2014

Since you already have a cold water supply to the barn but don't need hot water all the time. I just use a old propane turkey fryer to heat water when I don't need much or very often. Heats water up quick.

Geo-TH,In · Feb 3, 2014

Edd in KY,
If you only need a few gallons of hot water, either go to the house, bring back a bucket full of hot water. Or use electric crock pot, electric hot plate, camper stove, and boil your water. Keep it Simple.

A water hydrant can't drain back unless you shut it off, so connecting that to a water tank, would be a formula for frozen pipe.

Chris(WA) · Feb 3, 2014

I second the old turkey fryer pot.

W_B · Feb 3, 2014

I've thought of doing something like this. We show llamas and it's nice to be able to wash them before a show. My plan is to get an old electric hot water heater, that doesn't leak, and put it up in the loft. I have 220 service out there for it and was thinking of hooking it up with a hose to the hydrant for summer use with a hose on the outlet side to a wash area. Would drain it out for the winter when we don't need it. I have a small 4 gallon portable hot water heater that runs on 110V, but doesn't make enough to do much washing.

I thought of the on-demand heaters but I understand they are expensive and draw a lot of wattage (need 220V also) and actually have a hard time keeping up on demand. They say gas is much better.

thurlow · Feb 3, 2014

Have got a small 110v hot water tank in our bathroom-in-the-woods; only takes a few minutes to heat up and can't remember, but I think it holds 3 gallons, though I know they make different sized ones. We only drain it for cold weather, but it's not a bid deal.......takes about 2 or 3 minutes. Check Amazon or other on-line sites for ideas.

Case Nutty 1660 · Feb 3, 2014

I have seen a engine tank heater used for this before, just make sure you have water running thru before you plug it in, and run the water as slow as needed for the temp you want

Big Fat Herb · Feb 3, 2014

What about one of them big percolator coffee pots like churches have ? that's about as simple as it gets

GordoSD · Feb 3, 2014

That's what I use for BIG pot of HOT water for scalding chickens when we butcher.

Revredneck · Feb 3, 2014

My dad used to have a pour-through water heater in the milk house when I was a kid (50 yrs ago). It looked big to a little kid, but when he was cleaning up after milking, he just poured a bucket of water in the top and hot water came out the bottom. I don't think he had to do anything else to keep it from freezing. I haven't seen one for years, so I don't know if they are even available any more. Perhaps you can find one in an old dairy barn somewhere.
Good Luck and God Bless

Northvale - PA · Feb 3, 2014

one idea, hook the hydrant line up to both the hot and cold water lines in the house with a valve for each. Need hot, turn a handle. When washing sheep in summer, I hook a hose to the hot valve. Works just fine.

LEON(MI) · Feb 3, 2014

look at e-bay # 261364330122.just an idea.

paul · Feb 3, 2014

Dairy neighbor built a closet well insulated in the corner of his open calf barn, insulated well, and heated it with more or less a milk house heater. Or a coil of hot water from the water heater itself. Was just a tiny box of a room, get the mini RV sized water heater, a hydrant, and a person inside it maybe 4x4 well insulated box of a room. Have to have the water come up in it and the tube for the water pipe insulated to below frost line.

Paul

GeneMO · Feb 3, 2014

Camping and cabin supply places (for off the grid ole hippies) sell units that you hook up to water and it is a demand type thing. Runs off of a 20# (or bigger) propane bottle.

We had one for our hunting cabin and had planned to build a bathroom and shower, but bought a used travel trailer instead.

It was around $150. When not using it unhook it and drain it.
It mounts on the wall and is about the size of one of those little propaned wall heaters.

Gene

Super Steve · Feb 3, 2014

a few weeks ago I installed a 17 gallon water heater in my barn for feeding bucket calves. I hooked it as close to where the waterline comes into the barn as possible, I then wrapped the exposed waterline in heat tape. The tank itself is find as long as its on. As for the "out" waterline, I just have a 4 foot garden hose on it so I just leave it hang down and drain itself

farmer boy · Feb 4, 2014

I just use a water kettle or if I need more than a gallon I just get it from the house. I don"t need to be paying for another water heater.

Bret4207 · Feb 5, 2014

I heat several gallons 2 times a day. I use buckets and 2 Coleman stoves. They can be had cheap at yard sales all summer long. Get then running right and you get a lot of hot water fast. Propane would work too, but most propane stoves don't have a real hot flame, so a turkey fryer might work better. Only problem with propane if when it's real cold it tends to be lower pressure. I've had to warm a propane tank to get good flow.

OT--barn hot water

Hay hay hay

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Greg1959

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Geo-TH,In

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Chris(WA)

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W_B

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thurlow

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Case Nutty 1660

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Big Fat Herb

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GordoSD

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Revredneck

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Northvale - PA

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LEON(MI)

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paul

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GeneMO

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Super Steve

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farmer boy

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Bret4207

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