|
|
Discussion on Heated Water Buckets
|
| Author |
Message |
Member:
lucyc1
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 4:18 pm:
My vet has just suggested using heated water buckets in our 20-stall boarding barn. In the winter the horses are in the barn at night, and out in the pastures during the day. The pastures are too far from electrical sources for us to heat the tubs, but we're seriously considering installing heated buckets in the stalls. (Not automatic waterers, just heated buckets.) I'd like to know if others have done this and what the issues are. Where do you install a plug? How run the cord? How can you make this safe? It would be a relief to know that the horses have plenty of warm water to encourage winter-time drinking, but I am concerned about the safety issues/fire hazard issues.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
|
Member:
rtrotter
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 4:49 pm:
Hi Lucy,
I have used heated water buckets in the past. The cords come out of the bottom of the pail and the ones I use have a protective wire around the cord itself. What is your stall construction? Can you drill holes beneath the buckets and run the cords outside the stalls to your existing electrical outlets?
Rachelle
|
Member:
lucyc1
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 5:26 pm:
Hi Rachelle - Yes, we could drill holes through.
You say you've used them in the past. Did you think they were worth it? If you're no longer using them, was there a problem?
Thanks!
Lucy
|
Member:
mrose
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 6:13 pm:
I use heated buckets and love them. We have 7 stalls in use. We run heavy duty extension cords from the wall plugs put he wall,across the ceiling beam, and down the stall wall. Our stall have stall fronts that have feeder door, so we hang the buckets near the feeder doors, run the covered bucket wire out through the pipe panel and attach it by way of a plastic tie which is run around the frame of the door, then plugged into the extension cord below the door. The cord is attached to the walls and beams with large fencing staples. It just fits through the staples and the cords stay put year round. On the pipe panel stall fronts the cord is secured with good ol' duct tape. We've never had a problem with horse chewing on or playing with the cords, and we have Arabs which are very talented with their noses ad love to cause problems. LOL
We've used the buckets ever since I first saw them in the feed store and can't imagine not having them.
|
Member:
rtrotter
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 6:45 pm:
Hi Lucy,
Yes, I still use them, as a matter of fact we just got done winterizing this past weekend. My horses are mainly outside and so are the water buckets. I've used the same ones for years with no problems. The horses do not seem to bother the wires and I make sure that when plugged into the extension cord that the cord is off the ground and away from any outside water source(like snow). Like Sara, I would not trade these things for the world. The unfrozen buckets allow me to give my horses fresh water every day. And I do not miss breaking ice on -10 degree mornings.
Rachelle
|
Member:
lucyc1
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 7:04 pm:
Thank you both so much!
Our horses will thank you too!
Lucy
|
Member:
pattyb
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 8:08 pm:
LOLOL Sara! My Arab/Paint is in to everything! Leave it out by accident over night..........you'll find it 20 feet away in the mud/dirt by morning..
I love heated water buckets...but I did run into two problems:
We ran the cords thru the walls and up thru PVC pipe to the outlet for each stall...but not to let me down, Ziggy found them to be rather interesting..to the point that we had to build little wooden boxes over the outlets so he would stop unplugging them.
Not to be out done, Ziggy found a new hobby...grabbing the bucket by the rim and pulling it away from the wall...only to let go and be entertained by the banging and sloshing when the bucket slammed back into the wall. He de-heated 2 buckets before I realized what he was doing. I had to replace them with electric tubs that were to big and heavy for him to move. All the other horses did quite well with them...must be that Arab gene....
|
Member:
mrose
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 9:04 pm:
In our old varnish we had to build boxes like that around all the light switches in the barn and take the knobs off the radio. One gelding could open his stall and loved to flick on the lights and blast the radio in the middle of the night! Arab of course!! But I digress....
|
Member:
lucyc1
|
Posted on Monday, Dec 12, 2011 - 9:33 pm:
Pointswell taken. We have had our own set of troubles with horses turning lights on in the middle of the night. Have several ingenious ways of stopping them now.
I see that we will have to be creative in how we run the wire -- but am energized to find a way to get my guys warm water at night. Will just have to get creative with the plug in issues.
|
Member:
canter
|
Posted on Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 - 10:40 am:
I too use a heated bucket for night time stall use. The one I use has the cord wrapped in wire. Each stall has a plug way up in the corner at the front of the stall so I place the bucket so that I can run the cord outside of the stall, wrap it around the piping stall guards and up to the plug. Never had an issue, but my mare is not an Arab LOL. One caution - at the beginning of each season, I test the bucket well away from the barn to ensure it is working properly and there are no shorts in the cord, prior to setting it up. Better safe than sorry, but if you are buying new buckets, it shouldn't be a worry.
|
|
|
