This message is from: Mark and Lisa McGinley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sue Harrison wrote: > but how to heat the > outside tub...that is a problem...since it is artesian and flows in > erattically I am not sure how a heater would work...by heater do you guys > mean a coil? I have only seen one of these and it was just for heating one > pail. Hi Sue, It's called a stock tank heater and they are basically an electric coil. There are three types that I have seen. The first is a sinking coil that mounts to a basket that keeps the coil from touching the bottom. Then there is kind of the same model that floats on the surface. And finally, there is a model that mounts in the drain plug of the stock tank. I like the first model the best because it's easy to take out when you clean the tank and the horses don't seem to play with it like they would with the floating model. I'm sure the safest one would be the one that replaces the drain plug but I would think it would be a pain to clean around. They all sell for around $25.00 (US) around here. They also are thermostatically controlled and shut off if the tank is empty BUT the basket sinking type will still function when the "sensor" is in the water but the coil is above water level. This can be a problem if there is any hay in the tank and it sits on the coil. My sheep tank in my old barn always had some hay in it (messy eaters?) so I had to really keep an eye on the level of that tank. I had caught it with smoking hay on the coil once! You are correct in thinking that you wouldn't want to try to heat constantly replenishing artesian water with the stock tank heater. It would probably be on all the time if the water is colder that what the heater is factory set for. I have a feeling though that the water is warmer than that setting. I'll take the temperature of one of my tanks with a heater in it and let you know what it says. If your water is warmer don't waste your money on a heater. If it's colder, maybe use the artesian overflow to fill the tank when needed and just divert it when it's full. Then only heat that water. Mark McGinley Mariposa Farm Washburn, WI
