Frost-Proof Waterer Built With Burial Vault
Minnesota hobby farmer Ray Rivard came up with a unique way to make a frost-free waterer for his horses. He used a 2,000-lb. concrete burial vault for the base of his Ritchie waterer. He didn’t have to go to the nearest mortuary and order a vault, because he already had several in his possession.
“There aren’t a lot of people who happen to own a vault-placing trailer and a supply of vaults, but I do,” says Rivard with a laugh. “Several years ago I was going to get into that business and bought the trailer and a few vaults to get started. One thing led to another and although the business never got off the ground, I kept the equipment.”
A few years went by and when he decided his wife’s horses needed a heated waterer, he figured using one of the vaults as a base was a good idea. “I dug the water line in about 8 ft. deep to the watering site, then dug a hole big enough to bury a vault on end,” Rivard says. “Then I ran the water line up through the vault and put insulation around it inside the vault to keep it from freezing. A faucet near the inside top of the vault turns the water supply on and off. One end of the vault protrudes about a foot above ground level and provides a sturdy base for the waterer.”
Instead of using the concrete cover, which weighs 700 lbs., Rivard made a cover out of treated plywood so he could install the pipe, insulate it and cover the side without dealing with a 700-lb. weight.
Rivard says the water line through the insulated vault has never frozen, but the extra-cold winter of 2013-2014 did freeze the waterer above ground. “I probably should’ve had the waterer on the south side of the building rather than on the north side where the wind hits it,” Rivard says as an afterthought, “but we put a 100-watt bulb in the cabinet when it gets 20 below and that keeps it warm enough so it doesn’t freeze.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ray Rivard, 20802 Lake Blvd., Shafer, Minn. 55074 (ph 651 465-3401).
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Frost-Proof Waterer Built With Burial Vault LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment Minnesota hobby farmer Ray Rivard came up with a unique way to make a frost-free waterer for his horses He used a 2 000-lb concrete burial vault for the base of his Ritchie waterer He didn’t have to go to the nearest mortuary and order a vault because he already had several in his possession “There aren’t a lot of people who happen to own a vault-placing trailer and a supply of vaults but I do ” says Rivard with a laugh “Several years ago I was going to get into that business and bought the trailer and a few vaults to get started One thing led to another and although the business never got off the ground I kept the equipment ” A few years went by and when he decided his wife’s horses needed a heated waterer he figured using one of the vaults as a base was a good idea “I dug the water line in about 8 ft deep to the watering site then dug a hole big enough to bury a vault on end ” Rivard says “Then I ran the water line up through the vault and put insulation around it inside the vault to keep it from freezing A faucet near the inside top of the vault turns the water supply on and off One end of the vault protrudes about a foot above ground level and provides a sturdy base for the waterer ” Instead of using the concrete cover which weighs 700 lbs Rivard made a cover out of treated plywood so he could install the pipe insulate it and cover the side without dealing with a 700-lb weight Rivard says the water line through the insulated vault has never frozen but the extra-cold winter of 2013-2014 did freeze the waterer above ground “I probably should’ve had the waterer on the south side of the building rather than on the north side where the wind hits it ” Rivard says as an afterthought “but we put a 100-watt bulb in the cabinet when it gets 20 below and that keeps it warm enough so it doesn’t freeze ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ray Rivard 20802 Lake Blvd Shafer Minn 55074 ph 651 465-3401
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