Bruce's Journal

[CntryBoy777]

Ya know I was thinking as ya was talking there...ya could use a washer hose with some pipe insulation on it...since is such a short distance....it would be flexible enough to move around and give the hose extra protection from the severely single digit temps. But, it is sounding really good and should save some hard work....bundled up, on frozen ground, hauling water. Gonna get started on my set-up here very shortly...

 

[Bruce]

Hopefully. Sure would be nice if the plastic pipe to the frost free "yard hydrant" hadn't gone belly up!

@CntryBoy777's idea is to fill the barrel for use after I have to pull the hoses for freezing weather. And since we almost always have a thaw in January, I can refill it then. I think it will hold 40 or 50 gallons. That should cut down carrying water from the kitchen to the alpacas substantially. The chickens are easy, their 5 gallon container lasts a good long while so I would just bring a gallon or two every week to top it up. While they don't like to walk in snow, I think they like to eat it so they don't drink all that much from the nipples in the coop.

 

[Bruce]

give the hose extra protection from the severely single digit temps

single digits isn't the big problem, double digits BELOW 0°F is the BIG problem
My "plan" is to tuck the empty hose into the insulated box since the rain barrel is round and the box square, there is vertical space in the corners. I just have to make sure the hose can drain out before I do said tucking. A piece of pipe insulation couldn't hurt since it doesn't take long to freeze non moving water at those temps! I think the stock tank heater only goes up to 40° so it isn't like there is a lot of residual heat.

 

[Bruce]

Hmmm, double post.

 

[CntryBoy777]

It may be more residual than ya think...if it can maintain that 40° at those cold temps. The ground at that temp will melt the snow that is frozen above it, until the temp of the ground drops. Being shielded from the outside ambient temps will aid greatly inside the barn, too. I really am anxious to find out if it does work for ya....and certainly Hoping so....

 

[babsbag]

Reading about all your water issues and freezing temps makes me thankful for my winters. My only concern this year is moving the does water back into the barn so they don't have to get wet to get a drink. The problem is that Alondra likes to "dig" in the water trough so the ground around the trough stays muddy. I really don't want that in the barn. I have been thinking of pouring a concrete slab around the trough. The farm where I bought Jumanji uses lick-its for their goats, no dirty troughs but also no place for Alondra to play in the water...she likes her water.

 

[Bruce]

It may be more residual than ya think...if it can maintain that 40° at those cold temps. The ground at that temp will melt the snow that is frozen above it, until the temp of the ground drops. Being shielded from the outside ambient temps will aid greatly inside the barn, too. I really am anxious to find out if it does work for ya....and certainly Hoping so....

If it does, I'll give you the credit. If it doesn't I'll blame me for listening to a stupid idea

The barrel in its rigid foam "house" is sitting on a platform about 1 foot high. It is sort of a grate with 2x4s running horizontally with a 2x4 space between each piece of actual wood. It was placed over the frost free spigot, I assume so there was a flat surface when they wanted to fill something and any excess water could go down to the (small bit) of rocks underneath. I leveled a space nearby and moved the platform away from the spigot.

The barn, having a dirt floor, does stay warmer than the outside for some time until it stays cold long enough to freeze the ground inside.

 

[CntryBoy777]

Just so ya know....I've never applied for a patent for anything, but some of those ideas have proven to be worthwhile....many have made sense at the time, but there seemed to be something that wasn't thought of or factored in that caused the failure.......

 

[Bruce]

I figure at the VERY least, it will work to some temperature below when I can use the frost free spigot coming out of the house foundation (ie, nothing below 33°) so even if the spigot on the rain barrel (for which I can neither give you credit nor blame) doesn't work at really low temps, there should be many weeks when I don't have to carry water from the kitchen sink

 

[Mike CHS]

Not having to carry water is always a win.