Let's talk Bucket/Pail Heaters - should I get one?

[Erika]

I tried a quick search already but didn’t find anything that spoke specifically to my question.

Our barn does not have hot water beyond plugging a regular sized kettle in and boiling up a bit of water. While this is handy for small items, certainly not for heating up water to use to bath a horse with. I live in Canada where the time period for bathing with just cold water, or setting out buckets in the sun to heat is short.

For those times that more than 4 cups/1 litre of water is needed I was thinking about picking up a bucket heater. I know NOTHING about them beyond add water to 5 gallon bucket, add the heater and then plug it in. Is this safe? Will I be electrocuted (am I’m over thinking this?)? Will I burn down my boarding barn? (our electrical panel has been updated). On this note, I appeal to the wisdom of COTH to assist me in making a solid choice.

The options I have been eyeing up is a unit like this:

“Safer looking unit” https://www.amazon.ca/Immersion-Stainless-Steel-Household-Submersible-Inflatable/dp/B08H1TNCNY/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=bucket+heater&qid=1600268596&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUllMOUs3NTBLOFJSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjQxODY4MVc3OTMzQ0ZXOVQwOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDEyNTc1MzFSTlY3VzVUN1dQRSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

or this one, which is sold at my local farm supply store: https://www.tscstores.com/1000W-CS-PAIL-HEATER-P11097.aspx

Overall, I don’t plan on using this piece of equipment often. Just here and there when needed.

Thanks in advance to your wisdom COTH. I know someone will have experience with these and can help me make a better, informed choice.

[Scribbler]

A correctly functioning bucket heater does not boil water or even make it bath time warm. It just comes on enough to keep the water from freezing. There must be a thermostat regulator in there.

I’ve used them a lot in cold snaps here.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

[ayrabz]

What am I missing? if its at your barn…(as in using an electrical outlet there to plug it in) why wouldn’t you use an electric heated sealed bucket? with thermostat, no burnout?

[Scribbler]

@ayrabz

What am I missing? if its at your barn…(as in using an electrical outlet there to plug it in) why wouldn’t you use an electric heated sealed bucket? with thermostat, no burnout?

She was hoping to use this to heat wash water.

Ok, I looked at her links. Actually I see she has found an immersion heater that brings water to a boil. I don’t have an opinion on that. My guess is it would blow the fuses at my barn

OP, for this kind of nonstandard barn appliance you should also run it past your barn manager who can speak to the safety of the wiring.

[ayrabz]

thanks Scribbler. I was obviously scrolling too fast. Jeeze, I wouldn’t know how to proceed, other than, I still? think anything meant beyond keeping water from freezing…(bucket heaters, sealed electrial heated buckets) isn’t going to do it. Best I could suggest is a safe microwave, and a large bucket: nuke what you can to boiling. add one of those to one cold water one up to bucket lip. but you still will have bathing horse in cold temps to worry about I guess.

[Scribbler]

One year when I went traveling I carried a tiny cup sized immersion heater that let me boil a cup of water in a hotel room (budget European hotels with no coffee maker or microwave!) It was like the innards of an electric kettle. It definitely worked.

But I don’t know how much power a bucket sized immersion heater would draw.

[Simkie]

Yes, those immersion heaters do occasionally burn down barns. Generally when left unattended. They also need to be used with a METAL pail (not a plastic bucket!)

It would probably be a better idea to get a large cooler (like so!) and fill it with hot water at home. :yes:

[theresak]

Unless it’s really, really cold (and then why would you be bathing), I’d think an electric kettle of boiling water poured into a 5 gallon bucket mostly full of cold water would warm it enough to use. Or maybe 2 kettles of boiling water, which takes a total of 10 minutes to heat both.

[goodhors]

Do not EVER leave the heater on unattended!! My friend finished chores, left the immersion heater plugged in, in the bucket of water. The water boiled away, set the bucket on fire/melted, burned her barn down. No horses in the barn, but lost a lot of equipment stored there.

I won’t have one on the place, in case “someone else” might get the bright idea to use it, forgot they plugged it in and leaves. We all have brain hiccups, forget things, get distracted. Not ever owning or using one is the best chance of heater never causing an issue.

In Pony Club the kids were instructed on using wetted sawdust, rubbing it into groomed horse hair for cleaning stains, dirt, when there was no wash facilities or in cold weather. They folded cooler back from stained area, then recovered the clean, damp area, as they went around their equine. It does take some rubbing, more sawdust on bad stains, but it did a pretty fair job of cleaning the marks off. This was on various color horses.

[ayrabz]

yeah. if you want hot water in the winter/cooler months for BATHING an entire horse, you’re looking at the wrong device! There are a LOT of different options in these and different prices. but this example could get you started in looking. https://www.sstack.com/insta-hot-portable-equine-washing-system/p/21550c/sku/23516/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6t6m16vu6wIVDa_ICh3F_wpMEAQYASABEgLoLPD_BwE

[Mallard]

I am also in Canada and am wondering why a horse needs a full body bath in the winter.
The Showsheen people make a good ‘Bath in a Bottle’ called Miracle Groom (purple bottle) that we have used with excellent results.

[luvmyhackney]

I have one of the portable hot water heaters… it is awesome for winter bathing if no hot water at the barn or for cleaning water tanks. Hot water just cleans so much better. I did purchase it from Home Depot and installed it on a hand truck/dolly with zip ties and the gas tank on the bottom held in with bungie cords. Great for portability and was able to carry it to shows.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Eccotemp…r-L5/205574393

[Erika]

Thanks to all whom read my post and replied. As I knew the collective wisdom of COTH would shine through, it appears that the immersion heater is a pass. Too much risk involved. The whole “you can boil water in a plastic 5 gallon bucket” did seem to be a bit too good to be true.

For clarity, I was never planning on fully bathing my horse in the dead of winter. I was thinking more during the late spring & early fall when my horse gets sweaty from work due to a winter coat growing in/late to shed (she does get an Irish clip in December to address that issue for the deep winter months) where it would be nice to sponge down using warmer water vs cold well water and/or avoid having to boil a number of tiny pots of water. Alas, that is just not meant to be. While the insta-hot portable washers that @luvmyhackney & @ayrabz suggested look fantastic, they are not at a price point I am wanting to pay.

Thanks again COTH!

[SonnysMom]

@Erika

I tried a quick search already but didn’t find anything that spoke specifically to my question.

Our barn does not have hot water beyond plugging a regular sized kettle in and boiling up a bit of water. While this is handy for small items, certainly not for heating up water to use to bath a horse with. I live in Canada where the time period for bathing with just cold water, or setting out buckets in the sun to heat is short.

For those times that more than 4 cups/1 litre of water is needed I was thinking about picking up a bucket heater. I know NOTHING about them beyond add water to 5 gallon bucket, add the heater and then plug it in. Is this safe? Will I be electrocuted (am I’m over thinking this?)? Will I burn down my boarding barn? (our electrical panel has been updated). On this note, I appeal to the wisdom of COTH to assist me in making a solid choice.

The options I have been eyeing up is a unit like this:

“Safer looking unit” https://www.amazon.ca/Immersion-Stainless-Steel-Household-Submersible-Inflatable/dp/B08H1TNCNY/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=bucket+heater&qid=1600268596&sr=8-4-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzUllMOUs3NTBLOFJSJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjQxODY4MVc3OTMzQ0ZXOVQwOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMDEyNTc1MzFSTlY3VzVUN1dQRSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

or this one, which is sold at my local farm supply store: https://www.tscstores.com/1000W-CS-PAIL-HEATER-P11097.aspx

Overall, I don’t plan on using this piece of equipment often. Just here and there when needed.

Thanks in advance to your wisdom COTH. I know someone will have experience with these and can help me make a better, informed choice.

I have used the TSC one. The barn didn’t have hot water. The vet was there to tube a horse for choke. We used it in a metal pail. It was never unattended. I would only use it in a metal pail. If you are worried about leaving it on accidentally you could plug it in a timer and set the time for 15 minutes or 30 minutes so even if you forget to turn it off it turns itself off.

[eclectic]

I use approximately a 2-liter metal kettle. It automatically shuts off after reaching boiling temperature, and has an “on” switch you can push to start it heating up again. Have had and used it 3 winters now and don’t remember the brand. In fact I use 2, just in case I will need more water. Usually I just dump the full contents into a bucket of very cold water from the pump - to bring it to 60 or so degrees for comfortable drinking. But mixed with a bit of cold water it could work for a warm wash - though in freezing temperatures the water would chill up very quickly when used for this purpose.

I also purchased a large electrically heated drinking bucket but more with the idea of leaving it at the barn for my mare, since she does not have a source of heated water (it gets heated just enough to keep from freezing, but not to comfortable drinking temperature). Since she’s in a pasture board situation, I haven’t figured out a way to set it up for her though.

I use the kettles for when I’m at the barn grooming or tacking. They heat surprisingly quickly and I can get a bucket of drinking water ready while I’m fussing around pulling tack and grooming equipment.

[StormyDay]

So I have one of these
https://www.bissell.com/barkbath-qt-portable-dog-bathgrooming-system-2nd-gen-2290A.html?languageok=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping+Parts+%26+Accessories%2BUS%2BENG%2BSPART&utm_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&PID=google_Shopping+Parts+%26+Accessories%2BUS%2BENG%2BSPART&gclid=CjwKCAjw2Jb7BRBHEiwAXTR4jTBgmIdbEM7R3vbHTaVYkIbHlQ-RBPGRqsN-GZ4Qs8QcP5ofgFCM3RoC28kQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

it works really great. You put warm water in one side, and because it’s not a lot of water you can warm it in an electric tea kettle. It cleans the skin really well, and there’s no mess. You can bathe your horse in a stall.
it does take about 2 kettle sized amounts of water to bathe a whole horse. Maybe more if it’s really, really dirty.

[Texarkana]

I use the kind you have in your second link from TSC. I have used them for years for the exact purposes you describe.

It gets water plenty hot for a bath… too hot!

I use it in plastic 5 gallon buckets no problem. It takes maybe 15 min to heat up a bucket. I stay close by and don’t leave it unattended.

[Peggy]

Mine looks like the TSC one. I use it to heat water for things like soaking feet. Never blown a fuse or set anything on fire and the electricity at the barn is mostly not stellar. I do made sure the upper loop is immersed bc I remember something about doing that with my previous model, which must be the “unsafe” style since it looked like the TSC one without the protective cage.

You won’t electrocute yourself bc you’re not running current directly through the water. Instead the electricity heats the coil so it’s just heat transfer that warms the water.

[DMK]

As me to the tsc group, I’ve used them for over 20 years, and always in plastic buckets. Generally in the winter I fill up one of those Lowe’s type buckets and drop the wand in. By the time I’m done, if I need hot water, it’s more than hot enough to warm several bucket. If I don’t need hot water for the pony, it’s nice to have hot water for other things (tack cleaning, etc.)

If I think I need lots of hot water I fill up half a clean muck bucket. That’s kind of useful for scrubbing all sorts of things in the winter. The only down side to them I’ve noticed they quit working after a few years.