Water heater for animal - outside

[cmarks]

Hello.

I have an outdoor, weather proof socket fed from a socket inside, via a FSCU. It's currently got a 13A fuse in it. I'm wanting to get a water heater for chickens that I have out in my garden. If required, link to it is here: http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Electric_Heater_for_animal_drinkers.html - for any weather we may have that might freeze the water.

if I run an extension (or bit of flex long enough to reach their run), will this be alright left plugged in when we're away for a couple of days? I'm concerned about rain - but as far as I can see the extension plug fits inside the outdoor socket's lid fine, so it's sealed there - if I ensure that the extension socket that the water heater will be plugged into is in a waterproof place (it'll be fixed to the underside of their coop) would it be alright?

I was thinking of dropping the fuse in the FSCU to 10A - despite the heater coming with a 13A fuse in it.. figured if it did trip due to any rain, then 10A would be better than 13A so it doesn't take all of the downstairs power with it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[viewer]

It's only 24W so a 3A fuse in the 3 pin plug would be OK (it may have this already - but reviews suggest it could be unsuitable so perhaps changing it would be a good idea). A smaller fuse will not stop the RCD tripping if you have a problem, so you need to see what is on what protected circuit. Even under the coop the extension sockets need protection - the sort of clipped closed boxes sold by B&Q would be OK.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

It would be better to have a more permanent supply, with the cable properly routed and protected, taken to the coop.

You talk about using it while you are away, but surely they'll want water rather than a skating rink when you're at home as well?

If the adapter comes with a 13A fuse then:

a) Be aware that you've bought an electrical item from a company that does not understand electrical safety

b) Replace it with a 3A one.


The tripping you imagine is very unlikely to be the sort that will take out a plug fuse, and if it is there's absolutely no guarantee that a 10A would pop before a 13A one. Not much more guarantee that a 3A one would either.

A fault which would take out all of the downstairs power would be an earth fault tripping an RCD, so I assume that the outside socket is on one?

 

[cmarks]

Thanks, I was planning to wrap it in plastic, or something similar - wasn't aware they sold such units, so I'll pop down tonight and have a look

Edit: Ah, just checked the site, it says 13A plug - which is why I assumed the fuse would be 13A.. perhaps its not, I'll found out

Edit2: Sorry just read your comment about tripping the RCD.. I may have misunderstood about it tripping (it's probably obvious but I don't know much about electrics).

I've traced the cable from the outside socket (goes throught he wall into a fused unit, with a switch on it, then from there, there's a single cable into a single socket, which is part of the downstairs ring)

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/acatalog/Electric_Heater_for_animal_drinkers.html

I see they also sell galvanised chicken drinkers.

Are galvanised chickens the rustproof variety of the iron chicken the Clangers had?


Because I think they prefer soup to water...

 

[cmarks]

It would be better to have a more permanent supply, with the cable properly routed and protected, taken to the coop.

You talk about using it while you are away, but surely they'll want water rather than a skating rink when you're at home as well?

If the adapter comes with a 13A fuse then:

a) Be aware that you've bought an electrical item from a company that does not understand electrical safety

b) Replace it with a 3A one.


The tripping you imagine is very unlikely to be the sort that will take out a plug fuse, and if it is there's absolutely no guarantee that a 10A would pop before a 13A one. Not much more guarantee that a 3A one would either.

A fault which would take out all of the downstairs power would be an earth fault tripping an RCD, so I assume that the outside socket is on one?

Sorry mixed your reply up with the previous one.

Whilst we're at home, I'm happy to go out a couple times a day and give them fresh water, it's only really for whilst we're going to pop away at some point over winter - I just want to ensure that the water will be fine (not frozen). I've a neighbour popping over to check on them - but my outside tap will be off, so they won't be able to refill it if it is.. they're elderly so I'd rather not have to ask them to chip any ice out, carry a bottle of water from their house, etc!

 

[cmarks]

Im sure they probably would prefer soup

Have just seen this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Outdoor-Extension-pressure-feature-electric/dp/B001EP4GG4 if that'd fit in my w/p socket would that be a better bet than using "normal" flex?

 

[ban-all-sheds]

1) That RCD plug will not fit into your outdoor socket.

2) As per previous comment, I assume you already have an RCD, in which case you don't need another one.

3) From the reviews on the website the adapter that comes with the water heater won't fit into that socket.

 

[cmarks]

I was planning on plugging the water heater into an extension cord, and running that to my outdoor socket. My chicken run is in a seperate garden, ~10-15m away from where the socket is I'd guess.

That's what I meant about wrapping the extension cord socket -> waterheater plug in plastic - and then fixing it to the base of my raised chicken coop (which is in a covered run - but with the horizontal rain we get in wales, still manages to get water in the run).

 

[timtheenchanter]

personally, I would suggest that these may/may not work anyway, my chucks knock their water around quite a bit.

simpler way, larger water container, like a shallow builders bucket, fill that with water and put a ball in the top that will float (ball pool balls work well for chickens), worked ok for me last year, and worked for horse drinking water plenty of times before that.

I think that an extension over that distance, not made for the job is asking for problems imo.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=eco+pond+ice+free

 

[bernardgreen]

From the image it seems that the pad is ELV ( 12 volt maybe ) from a plug top power unit . If that is the case then extend the ELV cable and have the mains powered power unit in the house or other weather proof location. That way any damage ( hen pecked ) and water on the heater will not trip the house RCD.

 

[viewer]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=eco+pond+ice+free

I don't think he's got that much water
If Bernard green is right then perhaps the OP could do as we do for our little monsters. Everything is 12V but fed from an old car battery. The 230V goes to a normal charger. This means that the chooks always have water and an automatic door even if the power fails. Ours is now via properly fixed SWA, but for a year we used extension arctic (pushed through a pipe where walked over) without problem and using the suggested plug/socket protection boxes. If the chooks destroy the trough or the heater fails, then the fuse between the battery and heater will go. The charger's electronics give protection for the bit afterwards. 15M seems a lot for 12V - more heat in the wire than the pad?
BTW we used a small fishtank heater last winter in very exposed conditions - the house froze solid, but the chooks always had water. HTH

 

[securespark]

Im sure they probably would prefer soup

Chicken soup?