Re: tank heaters
This message is from: "Melinda Schumacher" I think this is an excellent idea. I expect they have to be installed when the ground is not frozen. And even though I don't know what the installation cost would be, one of these would pay for itself (unit + shipping) in just about 6 weeks of my moderately cold winter. thanks! Melinda On Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 9:27 PM, Steve McIlree wrote: > This message is from: Steve McIlree > > Melinda Schumacher wrote: > > I have been shocked by the exorbitant cost of powering tank heaters. Two >> of >> them have more than doubled my entire household monthly electric bill! I >> am >> wondering if I could save electricity if I unplugged them for the warmest >> part of the day. Do they draw power continuously or is there a thermostat >> which cycles them on and off? >> > > Cynthia installed a Bar-Bar-A waterer for the horses last year. It works > quite well. The idea is that there is never standing water in the bowl. The > water turns on and fills the bowl when the horses drink, then after a very > short delay it drains to below the frost line. No electricity at all, and > never any ice with which to deal. You can see them on the company's Web > site: http://www.horsedrinker.com/ . These things are really slick, and > though they aren't cheap they should save quite a bit on your electric bill. > > -- > Steve Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Re: tank heaters
This message is from: Steve McIlree Melinda Schumacher wrote: I have been shocked by the exorbitant cost of powering tank heaters. Two of them have more than doubled my entire household monthly electric bill! I am wondering if I could save electricity if I unplugged them for the warmest part of the day. Do they draw power continuously or is there a thermostat which cycles them on and off? Cynthia installed a Bar-Bar-A waterer for the horses last year. It works quite well. The idea is that there is never standing water in the bowl. The water turns on and fills the bowl when the horses drink, then after a very short delay it drains to below the frost line. No electricity at all, and never any ice with which to deal. You can see them on the company's Web site: http://www.horsedrinker.com/ . These things are really slick, and though they aren't cheap they should save quite a bit on your electric bill. -- Steve Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Re: tank heaters
This message is from: Jon Ofjord Melinda, Most of the drain hole heaters are thermostatically controlled. I build insulated boxes for the tanks and cut a hole in the top for access by the horses. I believe the boxes pay for themselves in a season or two. Jon, in Northern Minnesota where it stayed above zero all day! www.northcoastfjords.com I have been shocked by the exorbitant cost of powering tank heaters. elinda in Marengo OH with Mirakel and Norrman -- Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Re: tank heaters
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more winters than I care to count - I thawed water buckets and water tubs using a propane heater usually sold to heat garages. Took a litle while to get the distance right so I wouldn't melt the actual container but warmed the ice enough to slide out. Each year I created mountains of GIANT ice cubes. Now we have in tank heaters that work well most of the time. My two older mares having been shocked several times won't drink from the tubs with heaters. What they will drink out of I bought at Dover Saddlery and it's muck bucket size with a built in heater in the false bottom and coiled electric cord which plugs in. Easy to keep clean and perfect size for the two of them. Robyn in MD ** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com. The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: tank heaters
This message is from: Holly Tuck <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I too would be very interested in the propane heaters. I live in Canada and would like to use these if feasible. Thanks, Holly > Fjords, so water in winter is an issue. > This winter I installed a propane water heater which > has been a lifesaver > and does't electrocute anyone. Holly A. Tuck 72 Falls Road R.R.#3 Site 8, Comp 12 Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4V2 Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: tank heaters
This message is from: "Brian Blevins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Please tell me about the propane heater. It is difficult for me to get power to one of my stock tanks and need a different approach. My father told me about kerosene heaters he used as a kid but that was when they used horses to do farm work - not kidding. I have looked for those heaters in antique stores but can not find them. Propane sounds interesting - is it on a small tank or a large home tank? Brian Original Message Follows From: "Linda Patorni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com To: Subject: Re: tank heaters Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:17:06 -0700 This message is from: "Linda Patorni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have never recovered from the guilt of mildly electrocuting my four donkeys on a daily basis some years ago. I had installed an electric tank heater and hadn't realized there was a grounding problem until I discovered they weren't drinking - I put my hand in the water and yes, there was a definite tingle. Now, living in New Mexico "off the grid", (i.e. I am not connected to the national grid) I have to produce my own power, relying on solar panels for electricity. My equine population has now increased to eight, including two Fjords, so water in winter is an issue. So, I am conscious of the wattage needed to heat stock tanks and can't use anything with more than 20 watts. This winter I installed a propane water heater which has been a lifesaver and does't electrocute anyone. And, thanks to all of you and that interesting discussion, I am planning to put fish in my tank - let's hope my super efficient propane heater won't fry them to a crisp. The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw _ ItÂ’s tax season, make sure to follow these few simple tips http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Taxes/PreparationTips/PreparationTips.aspx?icid=HMMartagline The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
RE: tank heaters
This message is from: "Gail Russell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> My fish have survived literally two inch deep water in mid summer when we developed a leak. They are pretty hardy. GailAnd, thanks to all of you and that interesting discussion, I am planning to put fish in my tank - let's hope my super efficient propane heater won't fry them to a crisp. The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: tank heaters
This message is from: "Linda Patorni" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have never recovered from the guilt of mildly electrocuting my four donkeys on a daily basis some years ago. I had installed an electric tank heater and hadn't realized there was a grounding problem until I discovered they weren't drinking - I put my hand in the water and yes, there was a definite tingle. Now, living in New Mexico "off the grid", (i.e. I am not connected to the national grid) I have to produce my own power, relying on solar panels for electricity. My equine population has now increased to eight, including two Fjords, so water in winter is an issue. So, I am conscious of the wattage needed to heat stock tanks and can't use anything with more than 20 watts. This winter I installed a propane water heater which has been a lifesaver and does't electrocute anyone. And, thanks to all of you and that interesting discussion, I am planning to put fish in my tank - let's hope my super efficient propane heater won't fry them to a crisp. The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
RE: tank heaters & fish poop
This message is from: "Kelly Hoem" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> It is probably static or induction of the power lines. The reason it is only bothering some and not others is the tolerance to noises and sensitivity towards electricity. Some may feel it and some may not be bothered by it just like we as humans do. I am a Lineman for a transmission power company and this guess to what you have witnessed "experienced" is from being around the industry. May also depend on how damp the ground, atmosphere and animals are. Kelly Hoem [EMAIL PROTECTED] The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
RE: tank heaters & fish poop
This message is from: "Skeels, Mark A \(GE Healthcare\)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> If you feel a tingle when you stick your hand in the tank, you probably have a open neutral leg feeding your stock tank, even a corroded/resistive connection could cause your water to feel a little tingly, because the 120 volts or part of it, is basically then going thru your heater, and back to the point where the neutral is open or resistive. So your water would then be the same potential as that voltage, especially in a insulated stock tank, such as a Rubbermaid. When the horse sticks his mouth into the water, the horse is grounded, and he touches a voltage with his mouth and gets a shock or tingle. I have heard of cows being killed because of this situation. Your heater could also have a nick or leak in the cord or connection point of the heater, and cause stray voltage. If you feel a tingle, I would unplug power right away and fix it. You might be able to stick a volt meter to a metal fence post or something metal that is stuck in the ground real good, and put the red lead into the tank, and measure the voltage, you shouldn't read anything. You would set your meter to the AC (alternating current) setting. If you have a voltage reading, then get it checked out. I don't know why the horse with shoe's wouldn't go over the electrical cord, if it was buried any depth it shouldn't have been a problem. If it was right on the surface or a inch or two under the surface, maybe the current flowing thru the wire, when the tank heater thermostat was closed so the heater was on, could have had enough magnetic flux lines around the wires, to cause a slight current in your horses shoes if he stood on the wire. Not sure. Basically that is how a transformer works, the magnetic flux lines in one wire causing current to flow in another wire in very close proximity, but not actually touching it. Usually the stock tank heaters have a Hot, Neutral and Ground wire, and if for some reason there is a short circuit their would then be a current in the ground wire. If you have a ground fault interruptor outlet (only about $7 at home depot) then it would trip and the horses wouldn't get shocked. If it keeps tripping, then don't bypass the ground fault outlet, get your problem fixed. Of course your stock heaters may be faulty, as we all know if we aren't cleaver in how we conceal the heater cord or heater itself, then our Fjords will figure out how to chew on the cord and pull the ting out and bend it all up nice for us. They aren't cheap. I put a board on the back half of the tank, and stick it half way thru the fence so the horse only has access to the water side, and the cord comes out from under the board on the opposite side of the fence from the horses. I learned in the early 90's about Fjords and how they seem to love chewing on anything, and it doesn't seem to matter if it has electricity going thru it. Mark Skeels -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lois Berenyi Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 8:14 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: tank heaters & fish poop This message is from: "Lois Berenyi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have a question about the fish poop, once having had an aquarium I hated to clean. What happens to the fish waste products. Do the fish recycle that as well as the algae and dropped grain? I have a comment to make about tank heaters. When we lived in NJ we had used them for years without incident except when one of the steers pulled one out and left it on the ground. But we had an interesting incident one year with a mystery. We had run the electric underground to the heater in the tub. The horses drank from the tub without any sign of upset. The tub was near the gate for easy filling or topping off. All the horses except one would go through the gate and the one who pulled back and went slightly wild had gone through that gate before. Then it occurred to us that he was the only one shod and when we turned off the heater he would go through the gate but when it was on he would not. Rather than re-do the electric we disconnected the heater and removed it and had no further incidents. After that we insulated the tubs and covered them and did away with all the heaters since each one would run up the bill about $50 a month x 4 tanks. Lois Berenyi now horseless in sunny, shirtsleeve North Carolina The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: tank heaters & fish poop
This message is from: "Ed Sullivan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi Lois, that's a *shocking* tale! I think I've got a similar mystery, maybe there's an electrical guru among the group who can tell us... Each year at the Haddam Neck Fair horse show, a couple of usually staid, unflappable horses will take off and go bonkers during the trail class. The course is set up under some big power lines, the kind you can actually hear if it's quiet, which of course the fair is not. The weather is often hazy-hot-and-humid, Labor Day weekend. Perhaps there's a little stray voltage hitting the ground somehow? So far our Fjord mares (both shod) have always behaved just fine in trail, and enjoy visiting with fairgoers -- every year we meet some who have never seen a Fjordhorse before! Ann in CT "dry lot" ?? HAH ! - Original Message - From: Lois Berenyi Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 12:28 PM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: tank heaters & fish poop This message is from: "Lois Berenyi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ..All the horses except one would go through the gate and the one who pulled back and went slightly wild had gone through that gate before. ... The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
