K&H Pet Products Universal Waterer De-icer

Details

Not every container can take an immersion heater. Aluminum and plastic poultry founts, small dog bowls and odd-shaped pails all present the same problem: nowhere safe to hang an element. This one goes underneath instead, and the container sits on top of it. It draws 80 watts through a thermostatically controlled base and is built from polypropylene, with a sealed bottom and moulded handles so it can be picked up and shifted without getting fingers into the works. A thermal cut-off is fitted as a second line of defence, and the unit is MET listed with a two-year limited warranty. The cord runs 1.7 m (5.5 ft). It is designed to keep water thawed rather than warm, which is what you want, since stock drink cold water quite happily and warm water encourages algae. It suits chickens, ducks, goats, horses and dogs equally, because the container is whatever you already own. Set it on a level surface, ideally raised on a paver or block so bedding and mud do not bank up around it, and match it to a waterer whose base actually makes contact with the plate. A fount with deep feet gets less benefit. The sealed bottom keeps litter and pests out, but wipe the top plate clean when you refill so debris does not insulate the container from the heat. Being an electrical unit in a wet, dusty environment, run it on a grounded outdoor-rated circuit with GFCI protection, route the cord where birds and rodents cannot work at it, and check it over each autumn before you plug it in for the winter.