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 Expert
Posts: 1718
  
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Can anybody suggest a better way to keep a stock tank from icing over? I’ve been bringing a big pot of boiling water out there. That’s getting old real quick! I don’t have any electricity out there, so I was looking for something like propane, maybe. I did an internet search and the only thing I found was almost five hundred bucks. That’s too much for something I’ll only use for maybe a week every two or three years. There has to be something more economical out there! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| How big is it? One of the more interesting ones I’ve seen lately is placing a 55 gallon metal drum on 2x4’s in the middle of the tank and building a small fire in it. I would think as long as you’ve got clean burning wood it wouldn’t put the horses off - heck my goobers would stand right next to our burn barrel when we had it by the fence line.
So that’s one thought. I’ve also seen boxes built around them and stuffed with straw between the box and the tank then sheeted over the top except for a drinking hole - not sure how effective that would be if you are in one of the areas with the bitter bitter cold. |
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  Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | as long as there is no hay or any vegetation around the tanks is to set the tank on cement blocks low to the ground so you might want to dig a hole so the blocks set in them place one of those oil burning candles in the hole of the block. it will heat the block and warm the tank to keep from freezing.. I saw this idea being used for chicken coop waterer.You will need a way to re-light it and so you horses can't play with it.oh the fire only touches the block not the tank,you don't want to burn a whole in your tank,turn the blocks so the holes are on the side.
Edited by cow pie 2018-01-01 10:08 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Interesting ideas, thanks! It’s only 110 gallons. I was hoping for something that wouldn’t take so much effort to get set up. Like some kind of inexpensive propane apparatus. I might try the fire in a floating barrel. That might work best. It’s either that, or i’ll have to buy over 300’ of extension cord. We are getting some very unusual cold weather, like everyone else. It usually heats up enough during the day to melt any ice. But, it’s supposed to stay below freezing for a few days. After that, things should be back to our normal winter. Which isn’t *that* cold... I’m just worried my horses won’t drink enough if there’s ice in their water. |
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Curve Ball
Posts: 2256
Location: Pelham, TN | We do not have many days of these brutal freezing temps either, but my grandpa always put a large piece of firewood in and it makes it easier to break the ice!! That is what I am doing right now while we have sub zero temps!! |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| I've heard you can float a milk jug of salt water in a tank to keep it from freezing solid, I've never tried it though. It's cold enough here in Ks, I have tank heaters - no time to chop ice at 4:00 am before work! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Griz - 2018-01-02 5:53 AM
I've heard you can float a milk jug of salt water in a tank to keep it from freezing solid, I've never tried it though. It's cold enough here in Ks, I have tank heaters - no time to chop ice at 4:00 am before work!
Sometimes that works - can’t be super cold and the tank must also be exposed to some wind to keep the jugs moving. The other theory is the horses will learn to push the jugs down and drink if the rest of the tank does freeze over...but I’ve also heard of people saying the tank just freezes over anyway after it gets so cold. |
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 Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
Location: CTX | Griz - 2018-01-02 5:53 AM I've heard you can float a milk jug of salt water in a tank to keep it from freezing solid, I've never tried it though. It's cold enough here in Ks, I have tank heaters - no time to chop ice at 4:00 am before work!
This is what I do, and go out very 3 hours or so to break the ice around it. It is 25 right now (wc 16). It doesn't work great, but keeps the ice thin enough for them to get water. Which is what I'll be doing all day today.... tomorrow we are expecting highs to be in the low 50's again, so it will only be 1 more night!!
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| OhMax - 2018-01-02 6:46 AM Griz - 2018-01-02 5:53 AM I've heard you can float a milk jug of salt water in a tank to keep it from freezing solid, I've never tried it though. It's cold enough here in Ks, I have tank heaters - no time to chop ice at 4:00 am before work! Sometimes that works - can’t be super cold and the tank must also be exposed to some wind to keep the jugs moving. The other theory is the horses will learn to push the jugs down and drink if the rest of the tank does freeze over...but I’ve also heard of people saying the tank just freezes over anyway after it gets so cold.
I tried this, it did not work but horses looked like they had a blast playing soccer with the jug :). I tried tying it but they would not leave it in the tank. They also enjoyed removing the insulation I wrapped around the pipes. |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| What kind of tank heaters do you all have? The floating ones or something else. I have been wondering whether to get the floating ones but on the box it says that it has to be "grounded". Not sure how to do that. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| Sandok - 2018-01-02 9:40 AM
What kind of tank heaters do you all have? The floating ones or something else. I have been wondering whether to get the floating ones but on the box it says that it has to be "grounded". Not sure how to do that.
I have the kind that screw into the plug of the tank - they're the only kind I've had luck with that the horses can't mess with and pull out. |
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 Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20904
Location: LouLouVille, OK | Griz - 2018-01-02 11:20 AM Sandok - 2018-01-02 9:40 AM What kind of tank heaters do you all have? The floating ones or something else. I have been wondering whether to get the floating ones but on the box it says that it has to be "grounded". Not sure how to do that. I have the kind that screw into the plug of the tank - they're the only kind I've had luck with that the horses can't mess with and pull out.
I use the ones that sink, but check the cords often... I had a horse that loved to pull it out of the tank lol... so I had to build a small top 1/4 section over where I put it down in the tank so he couldn't pull it out... :) I don't know how anyone lives with out a tank heater  |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| i used 2 small cat litre jug fill 1/3 way and about 1 1/2 cups of salt what ice is there is thin break it up throw it in a pile. its was 22 here yesterday for a high and 10 for a low and just as cold today and sunday. work like a charm. you have to use a lot of salt. |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10794
Location: Kansas | We tried every way to use a tank heater and couldn't keep the current out of the water. It's something you have to be very aware of as a friend lost a horse to colic because she wasn't aware the horse couldn't drink because of the current. We're just chopping ice but it freezes back so fast. Our cats are in the tack room with an electric heater and even their little bucket on the concrete floor scums over with ice.
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | I went to Walmart and bought 6 gallon plastic water jugs. I think they are for camping. Anyway each night I’m filling them and putting them in the house at night then taking them out in the morning when I feed. I figure each one will have a bucket to drink from until it gets above freezing. Their water troughs are thawing enough later in the day for them to drink from in the afternoon and night. |
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Veteran
Posts: 165
Location: TN | I have the same problem with frozen tank, I have heated buckets in each stall so they stay in. I have a heated water bowl in barn for dogs and cats so they have water. I hate breaking ice, it's suppose to get warmer where we live so hopefully things will thaw out until the next round of cold weather.
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Well, I ended up getting the torch that attaches to a propane tank. I couldn’t find the torch that uses the little disposable tanks, so I got this one. It does the trick and i’ll probably use it more after this winter than I would the smaller version.
I sure hope I get a barn built soon! This sucks. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | mreklaw - 2018-01-02 7:01 PM
I went to Walmart and bought 6 gallon plastic water jugs. I think they are for camping. Anyway each night I’m filling them and putting them in the house at night then taking them out in the morning when I feed. I figure each one will have a bucket to drink from until it gets above freezing. Their water troughs are thawing enough later in the day for them to drink from in the afternoon and night.
Mine are staying frozen during the day :(
I have to break through the ice. I’m sure they aren’t drinking as much as they would if the water wasn’t ice cold. I may have to try hanging some buckets and bringing some canteens out to them if this cold snap goes on much longer. |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Griz - 2018-01-02 5:53 AM
I've heard you can float a milk jug of salt water in a tank to keep it from freezing solid, I've never tried it though. It's cold enough here in Ks, I have tank heaters - no time to chop ice at 4:00 am before work!
We’ve been doing this, and so far it’s worked real well, with temps down in the low 20’s at night the past couple nights. Don’t be afraid to use several jugs, depending on the size of your tank. They just drift around enough to keep ice from forming. |
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