keeping water unfrozen

[elizajay]

(When you use the tea-lights or paraffin heater, do the chickens not knock it over ~ fire risk?? Like I say I don't have chickens but I would worry about using those if I did.)

I have put a tea light in a ramekin surrounded by pot feet and a metal water container on top filled with warm water. The chooks have been drinking it with great enthusiasm.

[Mell]

The one reason I can see for hot water to freeze faster is that hot water normally contains less dissolved gas, and the dissolved gas might slow down the freezing, perhaps by making freezing point marginally lower?
Whether water with a layer of ice on top remains unfrozen longer than hot water is not a fair comparison anyway. Once there IS ice on top you aren't comparing like with like.

I think in lab conditions you have a point.

This 8am I smashed the ice on one bucket of water and poured hot water, not boiled but direct from my hot water cylinder transported 7 miles in the back of my car in an identical bucket. They were placed next to each other near the barn door. The hot one was still unfrozen this afternoon 3pm and smashed one was frozen over again, so I'll still with taking hot water up

[Snadger]

It was all the rage a while ago, but it needs specific circumstances...


A reviewer for Physics World writes, "Even if the Mpemba effect is real — if hot water can sometimes freeze more quickly than cold — it is not clear whether the explanation would be trivial or illuminating." He pointed out that investigations of the phenomenon need to control a large number of initial parameters (including type and initial temperature of the water, dissolved gas and other impurities, and size, shape and material of the container, and temperature of the refrigerator) and need to settle on a particular method of establishing the time of freezing, all of which might affect the presence or absence of the Mpemba effect. The required vast multidimensional array of experiments might explain why the effect is not yet understood

Basically it has to do (in our most commonly found situation in the field/garden etc) with the ice on top insulating the water under it (which is denser than the ice-an unusual thing), which is a completly usless situation when you need to water your livestock as you need to break the ice, regardless.

The relevent question is, for livestock, will exposed cold water or exposed hot water freeze fastest. Or you could ask given most animals do not like to drink chilled water, is it better to warm the water & let them take their fill of leave lots of cold water to not freeze which they won't drink & then they will consequently dehydrate ?

If the water is flowing from the ground source I don't tend to warm it with hot, but if I have static water I do as most livestock will take their fill, or dip their heads, at a comfort point as the water reaches it.

Will Sir Stanley Unwin please stand up!

[walldanzig]

the only problem I have is no mains supply up at the lottie

[Mell]

the only problem I have is no mains supply up at the lottie

Electric ? Gas or solar, or a heater candle/parraffin (away from combustables) or is there water ? if you can keep the water moving it is less likely to freeze

[Scarlet]

I use those rubber horse food trugs- the shallow ones - they don't crack. i take a watering can of hot water and a stick - bash the ice on the top- add the hot water- which quickly cools but keeps the water defrosted for a while.

Great idea - I have had two cracked buckets this week I'm off to buy some trugs tomorrow.

[Flummery]

The Apple Cider Vinegar in my shed froze solid the night before last - when the temp went down to -13! An inch of ice on the water in the bucket. I brought the ACV indoors but it only got down to -10 last night. I just keep going out to check the water. Impossible when you are at work though.

[BUFFS]

cold spell

wednesday morning i checked my min/max thermometer ,and it showed -15 locally ,probably because of the nearby river,we are always 1/2deg below daughters area only 4 miles away,the large water container (4 ltr) was again just a solid block,cleared it ,put it in back yard its still the same size now,temps up to -2 and warming,chooks seem to shrug it off,so far,how cold can they tolerate without starting to suffer? they get warm rice about 3.30/4pm to fuel them for the long nights,but it cant be easy for them in these temps..

[Mell]

Rather deoends on the breed, bigger ones will generally cope better than smaller. Also solo hens worse off than a flock. Although I have Commando Quail, who is all alone (tiny obviously ) in an outside cage and has been for 2 years, all other quail you look at them funny & they die, but commando quail is very unusual

Saw this Chapelwood No Ice! Bird Bath Anti Freeze - Birdcare Accessories - Dobbies.com wonder if it is OK for domestic birds can't see why not, but only to -3C

[RichmondHens]

Saw this Chapelwood No Ice! Bird Bath Anti Freeze - Birdcare Accessories - Dobbies.com wonder if it is OK for domestic birds can't see why not, but only to -3C

What does it contain to give it its antifreezing properties? I have googled it but can't locate a list of ingredients. It does say it is 100% natural but before using it I would like to know what's in it.

However, it looks like it is warming up a bit (at least for our part of the UK) so we may not have to be defrosting for that much longer.

[Hilary B]

One detail no-one has mentioned (or if they have, I missed it). If you've broken the ice off the top of the bucket, REMOVE the ice, and top-up with hot water. Leaving the ice in there (even if you move it out of the way so there is a drinking space) only gives it a head start towards re-freezing.

[Mell]

What does it contain to give it its antifreezing properties? I have googled it but can't locate a list of ingredients. It does say it is 100% natural but before using it I would like to know what's in it.
.

No idea I'd suggest emailing the manufacturers ?

[Hilary B]

A thought, would adding sugar help keep water unfrozen? I think it would only help when temps were not particularly low, but might be worth trying when the forecast is for about -1 or -2?

[polo]

I think we need to think of something! Looks like another freeze on the way....

Polo

[Snadger]

I think we need to think of something! Looks like another freeze on the way....

Polo

Yep, and I've already punched a hole in two of my plastic watering buckets trying to break the ice.