Salt Water in a Jug to prevent freezing

[jay3534]

We have water troughs that are too far from electricity for tank heaters and my wife was told to put plastic bottles with kosher salt in them in the tanks to prevent freezing. Did a quick search and it seems it may help. Anyone heard of this?

Thanks

 

[Egon]

If the bottles are hot it should work till they cool down to the tank temperature and the tank gets to ambient temperature.

Kosher salt???

 

[fried1765]

If the bottles are hot it should work till they cool down to the tank temperature and the tank gets to ambient temperature.

Kosher salt???

Salt water freezes at 28 degrees, fresh water freezes at 32 degrees.
Not much difference, especially if air temperature is below 20 degrees.

 

[oosik]

If you are looking for a solution - the bottle trick isn't going to cut it. Doesn't matter if the salt is kosher or not.

The ONLY way to keep the ice from forming on the water troughs is to add heat or lower the freezing point of the water in the trough. You could lower the freezing point of the water in the trough by putting the salt directly in the water and mixing thoroughly.

I don't think your animals will or should drink the salted water.

When I had a horse - went out in the AM and again in the PM - broke and removed the ice, added more water - the horse drank at those times.

 

[Egon]

Salt water freezes at 28 degrees, fresh water freezes at 32 degrees.
Not much difference, especially if air temperature is below 20 degrees.

When the tank gets down to 32 Degrees F the water will freeze.

 

[CobyRupert]

Fresh water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit). For every 5 ppt increase in salinity, the freezing point decreases by 0.28 degrees Celsius (0.5 degrees Fahrenheit).

Like others have said: The freezing point of the water in the jugs has nothing to do with the temperature of the drinking water and its freezing point (32 deg F). (Other than the "heat" that's transferred from the jugs to the tub when you 1st put it in. A hot brick would have the same temporary effect.)

Is this for horses? Have you tries setting the water tub on top of the steaming manure pile?

 

[KYErik]

Do you dump the salt into the tank? Or is the container of salt sealed up?

I have read that if the wind is blowing, a floating/bobbing object will stir the water a little bit and mix the upper and lower layers and delay the formation of a layer of ice (with warmer water under it). But eventually the whole tank would freeze.

I was wrestling with frozen cattle waterers yesterday- Murphy's law is always at work (two side by side light bulbs that were acting as a heater both burned out in the last 10 days).

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Perhaps what the bottles actually do is to keep a portion of the tank open so that the livestock can still get to the water.

How to Keep Water Tanks Clear in Winter – VitaFerm

I recall back in the old days, a lot of the farmers had stock tanks made of concrete, which held the heat a bit better than say a metal one, and they put an untreated fence post in it, which I was told kept a portion of the tank unfrozen such that the animals could get to the water. They also put one end of the post on the edge of the tank, which I noticed that it also allowed the occasional errant chicken or varmint to walk out of the water on the post.

 

[oosik]

I was looking in a farm equipment catalog and they had a - 120 gallon - heated stock water tank. They guaranteed - no electrical currents in the water. The heating element was between the double walls of the water tank.

Works on the same principle as my GE slow cooker. I just wonder how much extra juice it takes to go that way opposed to the elements in the water.

I guess it doesn't make much difference if your animals just stand there and refuse to drink.

 

[/pine]

Just an off the wall thought...what about a 12 volt water pump to keep the water circulating fast enough to keep it from freezing?