“No Power” Water Tank Never Freezes

“No Power” Water Tank Never Freezes LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment Bud Williamson combines an insulated tank cover with heat from Mother Earth to keep his water tanks free of ice No extra heat or circulation is needed with his all-natural system     “Stock tank heating systems whether propane wood or electric cost a lot to run are high maintenance and are a safety issue ” says Williamson “We saved $2 500 a year in electricity alone by getting rid of our electric tank heaters With our Geothermal Rubber Tire Tank Insert no matter what the weather our water systems are operating ”     Williamson runs cattle on his own ranch and does consulting with other cattlemen setting up grazing systems That means designing if not also installing fencing and watering systems     “We figured there had to be a better way so we developed one and have spent the past 3 1/2 years fine-tuning it ” says Williamson     Williamson started with the standard large rubber tire tank that is popular on a lot of livestock operations Most include a standard float system tied to a valve on a pipe stub sticking out of the concrete base He added a 10-ft long 3-ft dia length of heavy-duty plastic culvert insert to the concept     With Williamson’s system the insert is placed vertically 10 ft into the ground with the rubber tire tank above it The water pipe is brought into the culvert at the bottom delivering 52-degree water As it circulates up through the culvert which is also conducting heat from the surrounding earth it naturally warms the water throughout the tank Even if no new water is being introduced as water cools at the surface it drops to the bottom and circulates back up as it is warmed     A quick coupler valve on the water pipe at the bottom of the culvert but ahead of the float valve can be disconnected from above with a one-hand release While the female end remains inside a vertical pvc pipe the male end can be pulled out Any service work on the float or its valve can be done above ground and away from the water and then easily reinstalled     “With a standard hydrant if you have problems you have to backhoe out the hydrant ” says Williamson “With ours drop in a pump empty the tank and the insert and you can get in and do the repairs ”     Even with the ground-warmed water extreme cold can shut down a tank at the surface For those conditions Williamson devised an insulated tank lid It consists of a 2-in thick steel frame with 2 layers of plastic sandwiching a layer of poly insulation     The lid has multiple opening options from a single door to a combination of quarter and half doors Some or all can be left open depending on the number of cattle to be watered and the time of the year A limited access drinking hole lets cattle drink even in subzero weather while leaving other lids closed     “If you have 20 head and a 12-ft tank you may need only one door open but with 100 head in the summer you might leave both halves open ” says Williamson     It is in extreme cold that the tank insert and lid system really shine “We’ve had tanks sit for 2 winters with no livestock ” says Williamson “You may get some ice buildup around the tire but not where the float is ”     While Williamson’s company will install the tanks with lids and inserts he is also selling the inserts and lids for installation outside his area Inserts for 9 to 15-ft dia tanks sell fro $2 400 Lids for 13-ft dia tanks sell for $2 100     “We can ship them for a local contractor to install ” says Williamson “We recommend the use of an auger to install the culvert It creates less disturbance and eliminates the need to compact the soil around the tank ”     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Bud Williamson P O Box 13 Moorcroft Wyo 82721 ph 307 680-4595; customranchservices com

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