sandhiller
Well-known member
I was asked last evening how come my stock tank near a county road isn't iced over.
That tank is on a a well across the road that also supplies another tank. Both tanks have bleed valves on portable floats. Floats are adjusted to open valve when tank is half empty.
11 ft tanks hold over 1000 gallons, so there is about 500 gallons of room in tank when valve shuts off. Bleed valve running 1 gpm will take about 8 hours to fill tank to running over. I have not actually measured the amount of water coming out of the bleed valve on the tank by the well. That tank does not have a overflow and has ran over some, but not much. Neighbor owns the well, and has 100+ cows watering there. Except ocassionaly at night cows come in and drink before tank runs over.
My tank across the road has same setup, but bleed valve is open more. Reason is at this point, don't have a pressure tank so 1/2 hp pump is running high pressure all time.
Sound expensive? Draws less than 400 watts to keep two herds watered ice free. Ever see someone drop one of those 1500 watt heaters in a tank to keep a small hole open?
In another year, I will bury a length of 6 inch pvc pipe with ends capped. Will have a 2" tee in it, so water can come in top of pipe. Will run a 1.25 pipe through that tee, so water going out comes off bottom. That will trap air. Well has a check valve at top of well and no check at pump. It puts a pipe full of air in the system ever time the pump kicks on, so it will keep air in the pvc tank. That should take several hours of run time off of the pump.
My tank by the road has a overflow that dumps in the road ditch. Not much of a ditch, but lower than where the tank is. End of the overflow pipe is covered with a pallet with a old bulk bag on top with enough dirt to hold it and the edges down. Usually has a area of water in the ditch about 1 ft x 10 ft.
Will be lots less when I get the pressure tank in place.
Now when I put in a tank that may get used in winter, I get a 100 ft roll of 3" preferated drain tile from menards, and burry that 5 ft deep.
Top of well is above ground. I have a hydrent at both ends of my pipeline. Hydrant by well with tees & check valve is covered with feed sacks and a bulk bag. Last week, power was out for nearly 12 hours. Hydrent & fittings by well was not froze up. I think it drained through the bleed valves. Hydrant by my tank was froze. I have 2" pvc around the hydrent up to the head. Took about 1 quart of hot water to get that one running. Neighbors system had a 6 ft long garden hose out in the open. That was froze solid. I stuck the end of that up the pickup exhaust pipe for a minute or two. Then turned it around and did the other end. Hooked it up to water and it blew ice cubes out.
Sure beats chopping ice and I beleive cattle do better with ice free water.
That tank is on a a well across the road that also supplies another tank. Both tanks have bleed valves on portable floats. Floats are adjusted to open valve when tank is half empty.
11 ft tanks hold over 1000 gallons, so there is about 500 gallons of room in tank when valve shuts off. Bleed valve running 1 gpm will take about 8 hours to fill tank to running over. I have not actually measured the amount of water coming out of the bleed valve on the tank by the well. That tank does not have a overflow and has ran over some, but not much. Neighbor owns the well, and has 100+ cows watering there. Except ocassionaly at night cows come in and drink before tank runs over.
My tank across the road has same setup, but bleed valve is open more. Reason is at this point, don't have a pressure tank so 1/2 hp pump is running high pressure all time.
Sound expensive? Draws less than 400 watts to keep two herds watered ice free. Ever see someone drop one of those 1500 watt heaters in a tank to keep a small hole open?
In another year, I will bury a length of 6 inch pvc pipe with ends capped. Will have a 2" tee in it, so water can come in top of pipe. Will run a 1.25 pipe through that tee, so water going out comes off bottom. That will trap air. Well has a check valve at top of well and no check at pump. It puts a pipe full of air in the system ever time the pump kicks on, so it will keep air in the pvc tank. That should take several hours of run time off of the pump.
My tank by the road has a overflow that dumps in the road ditch. Not much of a ditch, but lower than where the tank is. End of the overflow pipe is covered with a pallet with a old bulk bag on top with enough dirt to hold it and the edges down. Usually has a area of water in the ditch about 1 ft x 10 ft.
Will be lots less when I get the pressure tank in place.
Now when I put in a tank that may get used in winter, I get a 100 ft roll of 3" preferated drain tile from menards, and burry that 5 ft deep.
Top of well is above ground. I have a hydrent at both ends of my pipeline. Hydrant by well with tees & check valve is covered with feed sacks and a bulk bag. Last week, power was out for nearly 12 hours. Hydrent & fittings by well was not froze up. I think it drained through the bleed valves. Hydrant by my tank was froze. I have 2" pvc around the hydrent up to the head. Took about 1 quart of hot water to get that one running. Neighbors system had a 6 ft long garden hose out in the open. That was froze solid. I stuck the end of that up the pickup exhaust pipe for a minute or two. Then turned it around and did the other end. Hooked it up to water and it blew ice cubes out.
Sure beats chopping ice and I beleive cattle do better with ice free water.