We decided to try out a heat tape waterer this winter. The instructions call for a 15 foot length of heat tape, but Mark wants to find out whether a 3 foot length will work as well. If so, the shorter heat tape should use less electricity and will definitely make the construction process cheaper and easier.
Materials included:
- bucket
waterer - a second bucket from Lowes
- 3 foot heat tape
- duct tape
- screwdriver
- drill
- jigsaw
- coping saw
First, Mark removed the handle from the bucket waterer using the screwdriver.
Next, we fiddled around for a while until we figured out the best way to cut the extra bucket into an outside housing for the new heated waterer. This step will vary depending on the style of your bucket, but if you use Lowes buckets, you’ll want to cut in a line that follows the bottom of the
blue “Lowes” logo. (Mark suspects that a three gallon bucket might just need the very bottom removed — that’ll be our next experiment since cutting off so much of the bucket felt wasteful.) Either way, start your hole with the drill, then make your cut with the jigsaw.
The coping saw made a small slit about three inches down the side of the outer bucket. This
slit will allow us to thread the power cord out the side. (If you’re using a Lowes bucket, the slit goes down to the end of the blue logo.)
We used duct tape to attach the heat tape to the outside of the bucket waterer, close to the bottom.
Then it was easy to push the sawed off bucket over top of the bucket waterer, letting the cord come out the slit.
So far, our heated chicken waterer has stayed thawed down to the mid twenties Fahrenheit. I’ll be sure to report back once we discover its lower limit.
Edited on October 29, 2013 to add: It looks like the lower limit of this particular unit as built is 16 degrees Fahrenheit. We’re experimenting with some new possibilities this winter as well, so stay tuned to our heated chicken waterer page for updates.
How is the 3′ doing? I’m curious to hear if it is keeping the waterer thawed.
Holding up great so far! But we haven’t had seriously cold weather to test it with yet. In a month or two, I’ll be sure to report back when (if?) we find the lower temperature limit.
Here is the metal bucket that I mentioned that works well with the Lowe’s bucket like you’ve used in this write up. There is plenty of room for heat tape and if you remove the existing pop rivets from the handle and move it higher on the metal bucket you could easily hang your heated waterer.
It is a 6 gallon metal bucket made by Behrens and made in the USA! I bought it more than a year ago at Orscheln’s, I don’t recall the price.
Here is a picture of the Lowe’s bucket sitting inside the Behrens.
[IMG]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/smallblockfuelie/forum/photo-28-3.jpg[/IMG]
Here you can see the gap between the two buckets. I am going to bring the heat tape cord through this gap and then fill it up with silicone.
[IMG]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/smallblockfuelie/forum/photo-18-10.jpg[/IMG]
If anyone is interested, here are the part numbers for the Behrens and Lowe’s buckets, respectively.
[IMG]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/smallblockfuelie/forum/photo-26-6.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a357/smallblockfuelie/forum/photo-23-9.jpg[/IMG]
Your pictures didn’t seem to embed right, so I’ve embedded them (and the related text into this comment below:
Here you can see the gap between the two
buckets. I am going to
bring the heat tape cord through this gap and then fill it up with
silicone.
If anyone is interested, here are the part numbers for the Behrens
and Lowe’s buckets, respectively.
By the way, it got down to the upper teens last night and our waterers were still free flowing this morning. Sounds like three feet of heat tape might be sufficient in a moderate climate.
Last year I got all excited about chicken nipple waterers and used them happily all summer. The trouble in the winter wasn’t with the water freezing in the bucket, the trouble was that the nipples froze up. I’m not sure that the heat tape is going to address this problem.
I’ve got it assembled and ready to go to the chicken coop tomorrow. Here is what it looks like now.
Anonymous — That’s what we like about this design — we had the same problem, and this seems to fix it. The outer bucket forms a lip that extends down past the bottom of the bucket, partially enclosing the nipples and tempting the heat from the heat tape to head down that way. We also concentrate the heat tape near the bottom of the bucket, which seems to help. We’re still in the trial stages, but so far this method has held up very well down into the high teens. Now, if you live in Alaska, I doubt this will cut it, but if you’re in zone 6 or below, this is worth a try.
Heath — Thanks for the followup photo! Looks great!
Thanks for the excellent website and great idea! I took what you’ve done a step farther…others may be interested. I used two buckets from the odd ones laying around which had a little extra room between them. Put 4 chicken nipples in the bottom of the inner bucket, wrapped it with a 6′ heat tape; cut off the bottom of the outer bucket to make a ‘loose fit’ in the inner bucket. Then the inner bucket was wrapped with foil-bubble-bubble-foil (about 1/4″ thick) and duct taped to hold in place. The lid of the inner bucket was fitted with a thick (3/4″?) tube, assisted by 2 small stainless steel hose clamps on each side of the lid, then buckets were assembled and the whole thing is held by the outer bucket.
By creating a length of hose on the bucket, I can fill from outside with a funnel (an old wine cork with a ‘knob’ on the end seals the hose when not being filled). The hose is a bit long until it is in its final place (may want to move it), then will be trimmed. The chickens are using and enjoying the un-frozen water!
I have some nice pix, maybe I can get someone to include them…
The photos are so great, I thought they merited their own blog post. So, stay tuned! They’ll show up this week or next, once I have time to play with them.
I built this kind of heated bucket waterer, using 6′ heat tape, but have not gotten around to making insulated fitted lids yet. we’re in Zone 7b, and it got down to 6* Farenheit last night, and was not quite 9* when i went out to check on the birds this morning — and the water nipples had not frozen! they were all still working fine. we’re all feeling very happy with this system!
Yarrow — Thanks for sharing — that’s impressive!! Better than mine has been doing; maybe you used a longer heat tape?
Mine was working fine until it got down to 15, now the nipples are freezing. I am going to work on it tonight and make sure the heat tape is still working and bunch it more down to the bottom. Poor chicks.
Scott — 15 degrees is about the design limit, unless you use longer heat tape. We only get temperatures like that a few times a year, so I just break out the small, portable, premade waterers and bring them in for the night. Good luck!
I am trying to make this heater using Home Depot buckets and they fit to tightly to go over the heat tape when taped to the first bucket. Does anyone have a recommendation for a bucket that will work?
BTW.. Lowes seems to have changed their buckets and they seem smaller. At least they don’t fit over a HD bucket.
Vladimir — You’re right that Lowes has changed their bucket. We haven’t tried the new ones yet to get exact measurements on where to cut.
But it sounds like your problem isn’t the bucket, but the method. Two buckets of the same kind (no matter what kind that is) should fit over top of each other with the heat tape in between, but you have to cut quite a bit off the bottom of the outside bucket to make them come out close to even. I hope that makes sense — it’s hard to describe without a bucket in front of me. If you look back over the photos in this post, I suspect it’ll click, though.
Looks like great ideas everyone. Does anyone have experience with sub zero temps. I’m in midcoast Maine and most winters are in the teens but many days go sub zero?..
Anonymous — You might want to check out this heated chicken waterer, which is what we’ve been using this winter instead. That one did finally freeze up at 8 degrees, though.
In Maine, I might be tempted to do what I do with my tractored chickens — just use Aqua Miser Originals that are easy to bring inside and warm up overnight.
Stay warm!
I am going to try it with these 4.25 gallon buckets. They are food grade materials. I made my summer waterer with a 6 gallon bucket and a gamma lid for easy access to clean and fill.
I will post pictures when I make one.
4.25 gallon bucket:
http://beprepared.com/4-25-gallon-bucket-with-lid.html
Gamma lid:
http://beprepared.com/gamma-seal-lid-white.html
Kathy — Thanks for sharing! I’d love to see your photos once you’re done. If you have trouble posting them here, just email them to info@avianaquamiser.com and I’ll add them to the site.