It requires 1 btu to heat 1 lb of water 1 degree F. 600 gallons of water weighs 5000 lbs, therefore 5000 btus are required to raise the temperature of the tank 1 degree. For example if the water comes out of your well at 50 degrees, to heat the tank to 75 degrees would require 125,000 btus (5000 x 25).
If electricity is available, 1000 watts for 1 hour is 3410 btus. A stock tank heater is typically 1500 watts and would require 24.4 hours [125,000 / (1.5 x 3410)] to heat the tank from 50 to 75 degrees. This assumes no heat loss so you would want to up size the heater (use two stock tank heaters) to account for a cold windy day. Also keeping the tank covered until use would reduce the heat loss.
If electricity is not available, propane contains approximately 90,000 btu per gallon. Assuming a heater efficiency of 70% approximately 2 gallons [125,000 / (90,000 x 0.7)] of propane are required to deliver the 125,000 btus to the water. If the propane heater is rated at 10,000 btu/hr it would require 12.5 hours (125,000 / 10,000) to heat the water to 75 degrees, again assuming no heat loss. A standard 20 lb propane cylinder contains a little less than 5 gallons of propane. Again I would keep the tank covered to prevent/minimize heat loss.
Hopefully this helps in selecting or fabricating your heater.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Ford Part Number Trivia - by Forum Participants. "Replaced by" means the part was superseded. All of my part books date back to 1964 and New Holland have changed some part numbers. They usually put the old Ford part number on the package. I was suppressed when I looked up the part number of the auxiliary drive shaft because for some reason the part number went through a radical change and it lost its "Basic Part Number". Ford part numbers follow the following rules. Most part numbers are in three parts. The middle part is called the
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Sell 1958 Hi-Altitude Massey Fergerson tractor, original condition. three point hitch pto engine, Runs well, photos available upon request
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.