thermo-sink waterers working well

[elwapo]

-36 with wind chill this morning and the energy free thermo-sink was still without ice.
The best investment I ever made in a waterer!


http://www.stevensonbasin.com/images/thermosink.pdf

 

[cowsense]

Looks interesting; have seen articles on similar setups. What's the cost?

 

[mtrancher]

They are expensive!! I bought 3 about a year ago and I think they were around 1450 a piece. They do seem to be pretty good quality though.

 

[elwapo]

cowsense
Dave Flundra sells them out of the Maple Creeek area. They are not that expensive when you consider the cost of running power lines and the power cost to heat traditional stock waterers in the winter. Another cost saving feature is you dont have to pour a concrete slab. We put gravel around them and level it in the spring.
Shoot I should ask for a commission for the testimonial.

 

[Jason]

If you are running a water line, power isn't a big deal.

I can use a lot of electricity for the extra $1000 per waterer.

I use 150 watt oil pan heaters in my waterers.

Even if they ran 24 hours a day 30 days a month for a full 6 months, that's 648 kwh. At the current cost of $.06 / kwh that's $38.88

Interest on the $1000 is $60 a year if you borrow at prime.

 

[elwapo]

savings from energy free
1) no concrete pad 250.00
2)no power line 50.00
3)no power bill/10yrs 500.00
5) misc electrivcal parts 25.00
6) doing your part for the environment ?
6)no thawing of rock hard frozen electric waterers priceless
in a blizzard at -40

 

[Silver]

We have one of these waterers, and it's ok. It still requires breaking the ice out of it every day, and sometimes the float freezes to the underside of the lid, or the water freezes around the float. You also have to protect the lid with something strong or the cows will bump it off and then you have a disaster. But it beats the heck out of opening a dugout or the creek on a daily basis.

 

[Cowpuncher]

Jason wrote:

If you are running a water line, power isn't a big deal.

I can use a lot of electricity for the extra $1000 per waterer.

I use 150 watt oil pan heaters in my waterers.

Even if they ran 24 hours a day 30 days a month for a full 6 months, that's 648 kwh. At the current cost of $.06 / kwh that's $38.88

Interest on the $1000 is $60 a year if you borrow at prime.

I don't think you can run electricity very far without high voltage. If you want to run electricity here, it will cost you $10,000 per mile and a minimum charge for electricity of about $45.00 per month. Some of our watering tanks are 6-8 miles from power. We just use an ax for about 60 days a year.

 

[Silver]

one of these troughs in action...... (notice the axe on the fence. It gets used ALOT)

 

[John SD]

Jason wrote:

If you are running a water line, power isn't a big deal.

I can use a lot of electricity for the extra $1000 per waterer.

I use 150 watt oil pan heaters in my waterers.

Even if they ran 24 hours a day 30 days a month for a full 6 months, that's 648 kwh. At the current cost of $.06 / kwh that's $38.88

Interest on the $1000 is $60 a year if you borrow at prime.

I don't think you can run electricity very far without high voltage. If you want to run electricity here, it will cost you $10,000 per mile and a minimum charge for electricity of about $45.00 per month. Some of our watering tanks are 6-8 miles from power. We just use an ax for about 60 days a year.

IMO, you're right about running electricity very far Cowpuncher. It just ain't practical or possible to go very far from the source, at least with conventional underground wiring. I've always had the impression that a quarter mile is about the limit. REA charges for new services within 500 ft of an existing line aren't too bad, but go any further than that and the cost gets prohibitive quite fast!

I'm using the new waterline I put in this year in my winter pasture. The tank itself is not winterized and is at the end of the waterline 2 miles from the water source. I don't think 2 miles of underground electric line would do much out at the far end. And it's at least a mile to bring in electricity from any other direction. ($$$$$)

The tank I'm using is a 10' round Zane's fiberglass tank with a Lewis/Watson valve coming in the center of the bottom of the tank.

So far, so good with temps down to about 0. I have just been chopping one hole for the 55 cows to drink from. Today I had to chop the float loose and will probably do that every day from now on. As the long as the tank stays full, I don't worry about the valve in the bottom of the tank freezing. The tank was about half full from yesterday because the float stayed frozen. I just chopped the float loose and pushed the arm down to make sure it was free. It was, but a full tank is good insurance to keep the valve from freezing.

 

[elwapo]

silver

It still requires breaking the ice out of it every day, and sometimes the float freezes to the underside of the lid, or the water freezes around the float

put a cup of vegetable oil in the float chamber. It helps fix the problem.

 

[elwapo]

siver

sometimes the float freezes to the underside of the lid, or the water freezes around the float

lower the float level. we have the water set at about 5" below the rim of the tank. cattle sticking their muzzle further down helps keep the bowl free of ice

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Why do I keep readin, "Thermo-silk"....everytime I read the title, that's what I see first

 

[Silver]

siver

sometimes the float freezes to the underside of the lid, or the water freezes around the float

lower the float level. we have the water set at about 5" below the rim of the tank. cattle sticking their muzzle further down helps keep the bowl free of ice

I did lower it, and it helped a little. But it will still freeze just enough inside the float chamber to hang up the float. Another irritating problem is if the pitless starts to leak. Although if its a slow leak you tend not to freeze up so bad in the drinking bowls . Ours is on gravity feed, and there is good pressure so you can lose quite a bit of water when this happens.
All in all I do like the trough though. I've considered running a small solarpowered air pump into it to keep the ice off of it. That or train the cows to spread their drinking evenly throughout the days and nights.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Cap Solar from Olds Alberta has a water out that has a propane catalytic heater that run 3-4 weeks on a 20 lb propane bottle.

Might only be needed for the severe cold nights.

 

[ajw832]

You can get 50% of all your Thermosink related costs back using EFP or you local group plan

 

[little bow rancher]

cowsense
Dave Flundra sells them out of the Maple Creeek area. They are not that expensive when you consider the cost of running power lines and the power cost to heat traditional stock waterers in the winter. Another cost saving feature is you dont have to pour a concrete slab. We put gravel around them and level it in the spring.
Shoot I should ask for a commission for the testimonial.

I'll be sure to let dave and the boy's at white lake know lol

 

[burnt]

cowsense
Dave Flundra sells them out of the Maple Creeek area. They are not that expensive when you consider the cost of running power lines and the power cost to heat traditional stock waterers in the winter. Another cost saving feature is you dont have to pour a concrete slab. We put gravel around them and level it in the spring.
Shoot I should ask for a commission for the testimonial.

I'll be sure to let dave and the boy's at white lake know lol

Wow I always do a double take when soemone pulls an old thread like this up.

For a minute I thought Jason was back, Greg, . . . one can only wish.

Anybody out that way stay in touch with them?

 

[elwapo]

four years later and i still think they ARE THE BEST WATERERS.

 

[Cedarcreek]

We have one of these waterers, and it's ok. It still requires breaking the ice out of it every day, and sometimes the float freezes to the underside of the lid, or the water freezes around the float. You also have to protect the lid with something strong or the cows will bump it off and then you have a disaster. But it beats the heck out of opening a dugout or the creek on a daily basis.

I've got one of those waterers, with just 3 horses drinking out of it I've got to break the ice every day.