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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | Hi this year It has been really cold here in Wisconsin. And I just can't keep my waterer from freezing up. We have done everything we can think of to solve this. And it will be ok for a day or so and then it freezes again. Anyone have any remedies that we might not of thought of?? This hauling water is a pain in the butt!! Thanks |
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Veteran
Posts: 214
Location: lyle,mn | Make sure you have a good wind break on the north side of it and one other side if possible. Can you add some insulation in the inside with out it touching any heating units? What we have done is bought some copper heating wands(2) and wired them into the exsiting wiring and dropped them down the stand pipe about 12" below the bottom of water which helps heat the air. Keep it covered at night and just keep it open during the day. Just make sure that the horses can't paw at it. We will take a couple of old winter coats and bushel basket to cover the water and then put a gate around it to keep the horses away. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 781
 
Location: La Cygne, KS | Is there a reason why you can't use a stock tank heater or heated water bucket/tub? If electricty is the issue, I have seen propane heaters that keep the water warm. Lots of racnhers out in the western states use this style. I've attached a link to a company that I use for equipment. http://www.stockyardsupply.com/page20/?M=D The propane heater is the last item on the left. |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | I have to use a stock tank heater when my waterer is frozen, it is just the inconvience of having to drag it all out when that is why I have an automatic waterer. It's been up to 24 below here this year, even some tank heaters can't heat enough for that. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | What part freezes up? The bowls? The valve? The stand pipe?
What model Ritchie do you have?
I have seen Ritchies work just fine even without the heat cable at -30F. Make sure the stand pipe is not touching the big insulated pipe. If it is, it will carry the frost down. |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | I have the 300 18050 the double waterer. it is freezing in the ground. Nothing is touching. We have done everything. We turned it around so the wind wasn't hitting the door. It has foam insulation around it, the heat tape on it. The tank heater is in it. I can get thawed out with a blow dryer but then a good cold night and we are back to frozen. Hoping spring comes soon. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Originally written by wwrgirl on 2009-02-02 1:24 PM
It has foam insulation around it, the heat tape on it.
Insulation around what? The outside of the whole unit? Or insulation around the pipe inside? If you've got insulation around the outside of the unit, I don't see what that would hurt. If you have insulation on the inside, that is likely your problem. It will only take up air space and allow frost to get closer to the pipe.
Is your heat tape/cable working? Hot to the touch? This heat cable is the worst part of a Ritchie. When it gets old, it gets really fragile. Any Ritchie dealer should have replacement cables on hand.
Take a look at this link to see if it sparks any ideas: http://www.ritchiefount.com/polycoldweather.html
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Also, try contacting Ritchie with your problem, too. http://www.ritchiefount.com/contact.html |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | YEA!! Finally have water today even with it being -5 this a.m. Lets hope it stays unthawed!! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Unthawed???
What did you do to get the water going? |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | We dropped a trouble light down into the tube and drop rock salt sown there. I guess we made too much work for ourselves when we took it apart and turned it around etc.... As long as it works I am happy. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | You put rock salt down the riser tube, between it and the water pipe?
If that's the case, it's no wonder it's freezing up. Get that out of there.
How deep is your water line? A lot of people will say 4 or 6 feet is deep enough. It's not! Not on a cold winter where the horses trample the insulation value out of the snow. 7.5 feet is a minimum, and 8 is better. |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | It now works, and it didn't before the salt went down so I will leave it alone. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | I just don't understand what you are trying to accomplish with the rock salt in the riser tube. |
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Member
Posts: 17
Location: Western Wisconsin | After taking it apart one of the things we found was that the water shut off valave had a slow leak in it. So the tube had ice at the bottom of it. The trouble light alone couldn't melt it so it needed some extra help from the salt. Like I said it's worked perfectly since then. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas | Just so you understand, the salt lowers the melting point of water. So, yes, it will make the ice melt, but won't make the water warmer. It will just make the ice liquid at a lower temp, which will freeze the pipe. Think of when you make homemade ice cream. The ice cream freezes because it has salt and ice around the outside of the container. Ice alone would not freeze the ice cream. Plus, even if the water drains away, the salt in there will just give the frost a path from the riser tube to the pipe.
I realize you say it works now, but your solution seems to be a Band-Aid to the problem. Did you fix the leaky valve? I hope everything stays working for you. Happy Winter. Ha ha. |
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Ritchie waterer
