Help Off Grid Chicken Coop

[Shockah]

Putting a heat source below an object will allow the heat to rise but what is rising is "heated air" and using such a small heat load (7 watt) will not heat enough air to keep the water from freezing.

A better heat source is one the emits or radiates infrared energy. That energy is absorbed by the object which then eventually heats up if more heat goes in than leaves.

Even then depending on what you are heating, how cold is it and how much heat energy you are sending are all variables to the solution (or problem). I won't get into the thermodynamics (too much math) but you can find out how much heat rejection a certain wattage lamp sends out in BTU's and then determine how many BTU"s you need to keep the volume of water from freezing.

One BTU will raise 1 pound of water 1 degree F. One BTU = 0.293 watt hours. So depending on how many degrees F you need to heat and how much water you want to heat will determine how many watt hours you need to use times a fudge factor due to losses between energy generated and the energy (BTU's) that get to the water.

Aaahhh,

As you can see, Hawaiians don't have much experience with frozen Chicken Coop water...

[SunEagle]

I thought the light bulb would be placed under the water bowl (because heat rises), not above it.

Putting a heat source below an object will allow the heat to rise but what is rising is "heated air" and using such a small heat load (7 watt) will not heat enough air to keep the water from freezing.

A better heat source is one the emits or radiates infrared energy. That energy is absorbed by the object which then eventually heats up if more heat goes in than leaves.

Even then depending on what you are heating, how cold is it and how much heat energy you are sending are all variables to the solution (or problem). I won't get into the thermodynamics (too much math) but you can find out how much heat rejection a certain wattage lamp sends out in BTU's and then determine how many BTU"s you need to keep the volume of water from freezing.

One BTU will raise 1 pound of water 1 degree F. One BTU = 0.293 watt hours. So depending on how many degrees F you need to heat and how much water you want to heat will determine how many watt hours you need to use times a fudge factor due to losses between energy generated and the energy (BTU's) that get to the water.

[inetdog]

More accurately, heat goes from where it's warmer to here it's colder. Air warmer than its surroundings "rises", but only in a gravity field or as the acceleration vector in other fields.

But fortunately for life as we know it, ice also rises (floats.)

[J.P.M.]

I thought the light bulb would be placed under the water bowl (because heat rises), not above it.

More accurately, heat goes from where it's warmer to here it's colder. Air warmer than its surroundings "rises", but only in a gravity field or as the acceleration vector in other fields.

[Shockah]

Well the idea is to put enough "heat" into the chicken coop to keep water from freezing. You will get very little heat from a 7 watt bulb to overcome freezing temperatures. Even a 40 watt bulb may not provide enough BTU's depending on how big the coop is and how cold it gets.

I thought the light bulb would be placed under the water bowl (because heat rises), not above it.

[J.P.M.]

LOL.. That's some funny stuff

Thank you, but I was serious about the rest.

[Robert1234]

...Maybe if I was a chicken in your coop I'd feel different...

LOL.. That's some funny stuff

[J.P.M.]

From experience..... Using a light shining onto the watering can is extremely inefficient.

Take a plastic bucket (I use one with low height like you use for changing oil). Put an old towel inside it for insulation. Take a string of minature Christmas lights and put them on the towel. Put your chicken's automatic watering can on top of the makeshift heater. Mine will keep the water melted down to single digits F. Goal is to just keep the water at 32-33 F maximum (just melted), not really warm it up. The birds are fine down to 0 F with no heat so long as you have nice roosting bars for them to sleep so as to keep their feet from getting frost bitten.

Like others said above, getting your wattage down as low as possible will be the key for you to make this project viable. Use as short a string of lights as you can so as to minimize your wattage, or you may even be able to use one of those reptile under tank stick-on heaters (they are only 10-20 watts or so) if you place the can on top of a well insulated stand. That experiment is up to you. I just used what I had available.

P.S. Normally I just put the watering can inside the greenhouse at night and bring it back out in the morning, although I will use the light heater setup during the day whent the temps won't get above freezing.

I know less than nothing about chickens or chicken coops, but, FWIW I'm pretty sure I like your style and common sense version of appropriate technology - kind of a breath of fresh air, for me anyway. Maybe if I was a chicken in your coop I'd feel different (my feet get cold easily), but I probably wouldn't die of thirst. Nicely done.

[Robert1234]

From experience..... Using a light shining onto the watering can is extremely inefficient.

Take a plastic bucket (I use one with low height like you use for changing oil). Put an old towel inside it for insulation. Take a string of minature Christmas lights and put them on the towel. Put your chicken's automatic watering can on top of the makeshift heater. Mine will keep the water melted down to single digits F. Goal is to just keep the water at 32-33 F maximum (just melted), not really warm it up. The birds are fine down to 0 F with no heat so long as you have nice roosting bars for them to sleep so as to keep their feet from getting frost bitten.

Like others said above, getting your wattage down as low as possible will be the key for you to make this project viable. Use as short a string of lights as you can so as to minimize your wattage, or you may even be able to use one of those reptile under tank stick-on heaters (they are only 10-20 watts or so) if you place the can on top of a well insulated stand. That experiment is up to you. I just used what I had available.

P.S. Normally I just put the watering can inside the greenhouse at night and bring it back out in the morning, although I will use the light heater setup during the day whent the temps won't get above freezing.

[SunEagle]

One would think putting a heating element in the water is the most efficient.

Yeah but those immersion heaters are usually very high wattage.

Better to use some type of infrared heating lamp in an enclosure next to the water bucket. It will still cost a lot of money to build an off grid system to do that too.

[Sunking]

One would think putting a heating element in the water is the most efficient.

[SunEagle]

Why 40watt bulb?

I would first test a 7w night light bulb, and go bigger only if needed.

Smaller bulb = smaller system = cheaper

Well the idea is to put enough "heat" into the chicken coop to keep water from freezing. You will get very little heat from a 7 watt bulb to overcome freezing temperatures. Even a 40 watt bulb may not provide enough BTU's depending on how big the coop is and how cold it gets.

[Shockah]

Wait until you price it out.

Why 40watt bulb?

I would first test a 7w night light bulb, and go bigger only if needed.

Smaller bulb = smaller system = cheaper

[Sunking]

That's exactly what I needed! Thank you!!

Wait until you price it out.

[scotty16]

That's exactly what I needed! Thank you!!