This message is from: "Linda Patorni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
For those interested in propane stock tank heaters, I bought a Trojan 66B Stock Tank Heater at about $389. It's not cheap, especially when you fiigure a dedicated propane tank and a large enough stock tank to make it worthwhile. I bought a 90 gallon propane tank from Home Depot as my main 1000 gallon propane tank was too far to run a connection. The heater worked throughout winter (from November to March) on one tank of propane (I am at 7000 feet with fairly cold New Mexico winters). The link for the Trojan heater is : http://www.trojanlivestock.com/HeaterPages/TankHeaters.html
It might not work for everyone, but for me, (off grid, so I can't run high wattage electricity), it has been a lifesaver. No more breaking ice each morning, and I can go away for a couple of days knowing that my guys have water. The heater hooks on the side of my stock tank and is lit down at its base which is at the bottom of the stock tank. Once lit, there's nothing to do- it stayed alight even in strong winds because the flame is right at the bottom. You set it and it has a thermostat, so it fires up if the temperature gets too cold. I found that my 6ft. round stock tank stayed completely ice-free throughout winter, even with our four foot snowfall in January. I can't compare it, cost-wise, with electric heaters as I don' have electricity bills, but it saved my own energy and mental stress!
Happy to discuss further, if anyone has questions. Linda The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
