Energy-Free, No-Freeze Waterer

2015 - Volume #39, Issue #2, Page #35

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Matt Eby’s home-built cattle waterer rarely freezes and requires no energy to run. Even when the temperature drops to 0 degrees or colder, the valve at the bottom of the water stays thawed, and Eby only has to break the ice to water his cows.
    “Commercial energy-free waterers cost about $1,000 but I built mine for less than $150,” says Eby. “The most ice I’ve ever broken through was 2 in. thick, and that was in driving north winds at 0 degrees.”
    He adds that with 10 cows using it, he rarely has to break ice above 10 degrees. It all depends on the wind and how much the cows drink.
    “The more or less cows you have, the better or worse it will work,” says Eby.
    His first idea was to use a 40-gal. Tuff Stuff feed bin surrounded by foam insulation inside a 55-gal. drum. He cut the top and bottom from the drum and made notches in it so the lip of the feed bin sat solidly against the rim of the barrel.
    “I put a giant garbage bag over the feed bin so the foam wouldn’t stick to it, inserted it in the drum and foamed the gap between them,” recalls Eby.
    Thanks to the garbage bag, Eby would be able to remove the feed bin. The idea was to plumb a buried water line into the feed bin and then return it to the insulated barrel.
    “I decided I would rather have less water in the tank and more insulation,” says Eby. “I found a plastic 20-gal. tub that would fit inside the 40 and foamed the gap between the two.”
    After cutting away the bottom of the 40-gal. bin, he was able to plumb the inner 20 gal. tub. He then cut away the bottom from a second 40-gal. barrel and placed it upside down in the hole over the water line outlet. He ran the connecting line up and through the two tubs to the 20-gal. tank.
    After reinserting the double tank in the foamed 55-gal. barrel, he lowered it into the hole over the inverted feed bin, filled in the hole around it and graded the surrounding surface.
    “The top of the waterer sits about 14 in. above grade with the bottom of the barrel about 42 in. below grade,” says Eby.
    After one false start with another float valve, he went with a Jobe ($50) valve. “The Jobe valve is the only way to go,” says Eby.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Matt Eby, 56641 Glenwood Rd., Cassopolis, Mich. 49031 (ebyfarmsllc@gmail.com).

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Energy-Free No-Freeze Waterer LIVESTOCK Beef Matt Eby’s home-built cattle waterer rarely freezes and requires no energy to run Even when the temperature drops to 0 degrees or colder the valve at the bottom of the water stays thawed and Eby only has to break the ice to water his cows “Commercial energy-free waterers cost about $1 000 but I built mine for less than $150 ” says Eby “The most ice I’ve ever broken through was 2 in thick and that was in driving north winds at 0 degrees ” He adds that with 10 cows using it he rarely has to break ice above 10 degrees It all depends on the wind and how much the cows drink “The more or less cows you have the better or worse it will work ” says Eby His first idea was to use a 40-gal Tuff Stuff feed bin surrounded by foam insulation inside a 55-gal drum He cut the top and bottom from the drum and made notches in it so the lip of the feed bin sat solidly against the rim of the barrel “I put a giant garbage bag over the feed bin so the foam wouldn’t stick to it inserted it in the drum and foamed the gap between them ” recalls Eby Thanks to the garbage bag Eby would be able to remove the feed bin The idea was to plumb a buried water line into the feed bin and then return it to the insulated barrel “I decided I would rather have less water in the tank and more insulation ” says Eby “I found a plastic 20-gal tub that would fit inside the 40 and foamed the gap between the two ” After cutting away the bottom of the 40-gal bin he was able to plumb the inner 20 gal tub He then cut away the bottom from a second 40-gal barrel and placed it upside down in the hole over the water line outlet He ran the connecting line up and through the two tubs to the 20-gal tank After reinserting the double tank in the foamed 55-gal barrel he lowered it into the hole over the inverted feed bin filled in the hole around it and graded the surrounding surface “The top of the waterer sits about 14 in above grade with the bottom of the barrel about 42 in below grade ” says Eby After one false start with another float valve he went with a Jobe $50 valve “The Jobe valve is the only way to go ” says Eby Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Matt Eby 56641 Glenwood Rd Cassopolis Mich 49031 ebyfarmsllc@gmail com

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