Cordless Water Trough Heater

[scislandsprite]

Is there any kind of water heater that can be used for heating a large tank (ex. one of those 100 gal troughs) but doesn’t need a cord for electricity? Either battery or solar or something else as long as it doesn’t need to plug in as there’s no electricity access.

Preferably something I can buy and use without too much DIY-ing, not my strong suit unfortunately. Located in MA and the water trough is outside all year round. Any ideas?

Was looking at this thing but not entirely sure how it would work or be set up: https://colemanair.us/vp_asp/scripts/shopexd.asp?id=662

[Texarkana]

They make propane ones. I have never used one myself but I’ve seen them used on Amish farms.

Here’s a link I googled:

Murdoch's – Trojan - 66B Propane Stock Tank Heater

[Weezer]

I read a lot about the propane tank heaters because I was considering one. I ultimately didn’t get one because I live in a very windy area and I read that the pilot lights get blown out pretty easily. If I were to get one, I would have to build some sort of windbreak around it. My electrical engineer friend also explained that it takes a lot of energy to heat water, so solar just doesn’t really work if you live in a cold climate that is significantly below freezing. Ultimately, I just ran power out to the trough.

[Simkie]

It takes SO much electricity to heat water. Solar power would require a big battery bank–and batteries do poorly in the cold.

I’d look at insulated troughs that use the heat from the sun. This is a dyi version:

https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/SteveTank/SteveTank.htm

Here’s a ready made one:

http://www.solarstocktank.com/

Or install a drinking post:

Home - Frost-Free Non-Electric Automatic Waterer - Drinking Post Automatic...

(Or similar, there are a few of these auto waterers that don’t need electricity.)

[goodhors]

The tanks that Simkie showed, using a floating ball closure, do not hold much water, need refilling often. Usually those wanting solar tanks is because watering location is not close to run electric or near electric outlet. Daily filling is a pain (to me), hauling the hose way out or doing buckets in the cold. I did not get these.

Second problem with these tanks is drooling animals put water all over the top, freezing the ball in place so animals can’t push ball aside for a drink. Animals drool after EVERY DRINK. Water INSIDE is liquid but not accessible after top freezes.

Michigan here, with often very cold temps AND cloudy days to prevent much solar power for heating. I think we are in the top 5 “cloudy days each year” states, so solar things need to be thought out carefully. Not always enough sunshine for optimum power, like fencers.

[Simkie]

Real actual fire is also an option.

Build a wood-fired stock tank heater - Backwoods Home Magazine

@goodhors so what did you wind up using?

[Xanthoria]

It’s very DIY, but you can absolutely heat water using composting (manure). I could see in your case embedding water pipes in your large manure pile and circulating the water through the pipes in the pile to the trough and back using a solar pump.

Another thing likely worth doing is insulating the tank. I do recall seeing a tank insulated with thick walls containing composting manure actually! Though they’d have to be pretty thick - perhaps better to butt the tack up against the compost pile so one long side was heated up by the manure. It can get VERY hot, so that could even be enough to deice the tank. I have not composted thru a MA winter though, so take that FWIW.

[goodhors]

@Simkie We went “traditional” by changing some barnyard fencing, burying electric wire for electric tank heaters inside insulated boxes holding the water tanks. With multiple horses we wanted LOTS of water available all the time.

I had friends try the solar waterers, experiencing the problems I mentioned. One or two horse owners, so a tank for each paddock, but still the freezing shut problems, plus needing daily refilling.

[atr]

The solar one i had was really hard to clean as well. The design has a perforated “bucket” set into a larger box that fills with water and has the solar panel set into one side. You had to undo about 10 screws to get the bucket out to get to the larger tank. And it got stinky in there even in the winter.

We ended up running electric out to the run in sheds and using a tank heater. I set the fence up so we could use one tank for 2 paddocks which saved water, power and time.