Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living School me on stock tank heaters

Our 1200 gallon holding tank for the house has iced up thinking of using a stock tank heater to prevent freeze up in the future.

In really cold weather you will also need a covered tank. Open the tank lids during the day for the stock to water, close them at night. You still might have to chop a little ice, but not nearly as much.

I deleted my earlier post, hadn't read yours thoroughly and thought you were going to use it for a stock tank. I can say they are pretty effective if they are big enough, and insulation is good to hold the heat they produce. We used one on a 10 foot covered stock tank, only opened they lids daytime for the stock to water. Would still ice up in cold weather, but not too badly.

I had to put two 1500 watt heaters in my 150 gal stock tank this past week. Subzero temps at night. One only kept a doughnut around the heater about 10 " out. I'd say you need around 3000W , insulation around the tank and some way of keeping the water moving.

Arky, any picture, or a description? The redwood tanks here had a dry space underneath that heat could be placed in.

This is what I use in the tank for our horses. It’s thermostat controlled so not on 24/7, unless really needed. I use a dead chest freezer as a watered, so it’s insulated.




Will be building a new one this summer.

Couldn’t you use a submersible pump? Running water won’t freeze. They use bubblers under big boats to keep them from being damaged by ice at the dock.
Don’t mind me I never milked a cow in my life.

Is it freezing on the top of the tank, by the inlet, by the outlet, or what?

I'll try it explain in more detail. We installed a 1200 gallon holding tank to store water for the house. It is about 5'X4', round black plastic tank. It sits outside in the elements, bottom 2' are buried and about 3', above ground. This was installed because we have great tasting water but a history of slow recovering well. Hit water at 62' and drilled down to 160' (all the pipe they had on the truck) with out hitting water again. Set the pump at 140'.

Well pump, pumps water in the top (inlet), gravity feeds water from bottom (outlet) to a booster pump inside the insulated pump room and the booster pumps water to the house. The 1" inlet pipe from the well to the top inlet is heat taped and insulated from 6" below ground to the inlet at top of tank.

Every thing was fine, until this super cold came to town last Sunday. It has not been above 32* last seven days and not getting above freezing for another two day. Two nights in a row it was 0 or -0.
Checked two days ago and I could tell the tank was freezing up. The threaded access lid is frozen tight so I can't look inside. I can tell by rapping on the side that it is iced up inside. We still have water but have no way to know how much.

This is first time in 40+ years we have had this cold of weather for this long a period. I am just thinking with my contrarian mind, if they are telling you one thing(global warming) expect the exact opposite and prepare for the worst. So, just thinking about a solution for the future.

Hope this give a more clear picture of what is going on.

Bubbler may be the best option. Where should I look for a bubbler.

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Thanks for you innput.

Arky —years ago I bought a submersible pump from sears—stands about 8 inches high with garden hose attachment on base. 110 volt. Cost about $90.
I have trouble sometimes with water freezing right where my 1 1/4 “ line comes outta the Lake. Water levels fluctuate because Ontario Power Company will draw the Lake down over winter exposing pipe.

I attach garden hose to pump—turn it on so it sprays water on frozen line. Frozen line will unthaw—sometimes a few minutes sometimes hours.
First few years I lived on the Lake here I was fighting frozen water every winter. I always keep enough bottled water around to make a pot of coffee and can always cut a hole in the ice to get a 5 gallon pail to flush toilet

That pump only pumps around 10 gallons a minute maybe less but I would think it would stir things around enough to keep a 1200 gallon tank mostly frost free