Solar Power Livestock Water Heater
A solar power livestock water heater can be an excellent choice if the area where your livestock heater resides is in the full sun. And, unlike what you may think, a solar power livestock water heater does not have to be expensive.
Many farms have electricity so getting water for their livestock is not a problem. If, however, you don’t have electricity or running water, your only other choice is to thaw the water yourself using some other source of heat such as a propane or wood burning heater. A solar power livestock water heater, in addition to being good for the environment, can pay for itself in no time.
In fact, if you are mechanically inclined, you might want to take a crack at building a solar power livestock water heater yourself. It’s not really that difficult if you get the right components – the most important of which will be the type of solar collector you decide on.
One of the more innovative systems is the Solahart system. This is usually roof mounted but it can be mounted in other structures as well. It just needs a high point to be able to collect energy from the sun. It used to be that you needed full or almost full sun for a solar collector to be effective, but a type like this works well in partial sun as well.
For the solar power livestock water heater a freeze protection system is advisable also. When the daylight hours are at their shortest the solar pumps will produce relatively little output. A special in-tank propane heater can be used to keep the water from freezing or solar-heated air or water collectors can be built on the tanks. In this system the sun’s heat is used to prevent the tank from freezing.
There are some water heaters available in the markets which are battery powered with which the water tanks can be prevented from freezing solid, so your livestock can have water 24 hours a day. All this can be done with a 12-volt battery which needs to be charged throughout day. Of course you can opt for bigger batteries and they will then last up tp four days.
Water heating requirements for livestock are necessary in many farmhouses. If the livestock is in enclosed buildings even air quality needs to be controlled for the health and growth of the animals. Solar power livestock water heaters can be installed to provide low to medium temperature hot water.
Hot water in farms is used for pen cleaning and for cleaning equipment in commercial dairy farms and is also used to warm and stimulate cows’ udders. On a dairy farm almost 40% of the energy used is for heating water and cooling milk. All these hot water requirements can be met with a solar water heating system.
There are no problems like low voltage and shocks and the basic model of a solar power livestock water heater is so robust that it promises to last a lifetime. Outdoor connections should be well protected, and the heater comes with a 90-day warranty.
In the United States an animal water tank with a solar panel is available. It has a recirculating pump which is fixed in a water tub container and includes a filter which removes the contaminants from the water.