I know several of you have stock that you have to keep water to during the cold months, so I need ideas. I'm sick of these electric water heaters that I have to buy new every year. I don't know why but they keep shocking the stock now and then. Sometimes they don't and sometimes they do. No pattern to it and can't figure out why. I've had electricians check the system and it works fine when they're done, until I notice horses eating ice the next day when the water is juiced again.

I want to build an LP tank heater and I know it can be done cheaper then the $600 they want to buy a ready made system. Give me some ideas.

 

bubba, a water trough that goes in the ground works good for cattle.

 

Thought about sinkin it in the ground but then I can't drain it to rinse it out. I have to do this at least weekly or the moss takes over.

 

depending on the size of stock tank and on whether or not its permanent ...i dug a 8"x5' hole under a few of our temporary round tanks and put a heat lamp under em pointing up. just an idea but it keeps our 700 gal tanks out on stalks de-thawed.

my uncle does the same thing in his horse barn but he puts in a piece of 8" pipe with a cap on the bottom to keep it water proof and permanent

 

i forgot you are prob on flat ground. can you mound the dirt up around it so it cant freeze and then drain several feet away. the ones we use around here holds alot of water though.

 

What I have right now is a 400 gal round tank. If I can figure out how to build a propane heater I'm ponderin the idea of puttin in a concrete tank.

 

what possibly running a cheap pump to circulate water through some form of lp heating device.

my idea is to have a pipe which the water pumped through that is heated by something like a lp branding pit kinda thing

 

just circiulate it the flowing river dont freeze unless it gets REAL cold


there is always antifreeze

 

Bubba, do those heaters have GFI's on them?

 

I have an extension cord that I have used with a GFI in it. The problem is that it always kicks off even when there is to small a current moving through it to even know it's happening with using a voltmeter.

I know it's not right, but so far nobody has figured out why and after 7 years, I'm tired of fightin it. Have never had any problems with anything having feedback except these heaters. Typically if there is a short or bad ground it's easy to tell with the welders, they splatter all over the place and I don;t have any issues with this.