Self-Heating Water Tank Never Freezes Up

Self-Heating Water Tank Never Freezes Up LIVESTOCK Beef 17-3-25 When Bob Mikesell came up with the de-sign for his new freeze-proof waterer, the only way he could test the first ones he installed was to wait for cold weather. After the winter of 1993, which was the coldest in Frazeyville, Ohio, in 20 years, he was happy to discover he didn't have a bit of ice in his big concrete waterers. "When you hate to chop ice off a watering trough as much as I do, that's good news," says Mikesell. He got the idea for his half-buried waterers from observing his neighbors spring house cave which ran free all winter. He decided to build a "cave" for each trough in his pasture. Mikesell took the idea to Don Brown, a local Soil & Water Conservation District technician and asked him to help draw up plans for a tank buried under 30 in. of dirt, leaving only enough open area for animals to drink. Brown worked out the details regarding water circulation, size of tank, and size of opening. A smaller tank would have been easier to design but Mikesell wanted one with at least 150 gal. capacity. He told Brown, "I never want ice that I can't break with a flick of my fmger." Using Brown's plans, United Precast of Mt. Vernon, Ohio built the first tank in Jan. 1992. It didn't work as well as they wanted, in part because it wasn't installed facing the sun. During the year, five more tanks were installed and other farmers in his Soil & Water district who qualified for drought relief assistance, also adopted the idea. The waterers are spring-fed and the constant flow of water also helps keep them ice-free. Mikesell channels water into the tanks through perforated pipe. Last winter, sub-zero weather put them to the test. Of the six tanks Mikesell installed, only one had any ice at all and that was just in one corner. "These freeze-proof tanks cost more but anyone who has something more interesting to do than chop ice will appreciate them," states Mikesell. He advises fencing them off so cattle won't trample the "cave" top. He installed his tanks in fields where he winter feeds cattle and sheep with hay and a late planting of turnips. The land has rolling hills. He notes that it would be difficult to adopt the idea do flat pasture. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bob Mikesell, 18176 CR 3, Frazeysburg, Ohio 43822 (ph 614 327-2575) or Don Brown, SWCD, S. 7th St., Coshocton, Ohio 43812 (ph 614 622-8087).

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