November 30, 2010

Keeping Water Tanks Ice-Free During Winter

On the farm, growth relies on the accessible water supply. The presence of water supports and enhances life. Where moisture is scarce, there one finds little life. Water plays an important part in the profitable handling of livestock, and the supply must not only be constant but it must also be kept pure and accessible, season in and season out.

It has been found that it is most beneficial to dairy animals if the water given to them is cool in summer and warm in winter. Frozen water tanks make it harder for farm animals to break off the ice that is why they prefer drinking from individual cups where ice is easily chipped off. For a cow to be able to produce a pound of milk, she needs four to five pounds of water which explains the importance of constant water consumption especially during the winter. We are happy that you enjoy this water tanks resource and don’t forget to visit us at rain water tanks.

Setting up insulation in water tanks will stop them from freezing over in winter. Water tanks subjected to direct exposure to the sun causes bacteria to grow thus making water tank lids very essential during the summer months.

Two Iowa tanks that did not freeze in winter were tested in two different sites within the state. One of the tanks was constructed using hollow tiles and cement while the other tank was made of concrete and enclosed within a small tank house. The farmer who owns the concrete tank stated that he doesn’t remember the tank ever forming a thin scum of ice in winter.

The tank was covered with a double wall structure and the owner filled the space between the walls with sawdust. The insulation of the other tank was constructed using ordinary building tiles that were laid five inches in thickness. The foundation of the water tank rises from three feet below the ground and the double walls were built from the same level. For water tanks news and education visit water tanks.

Three openings are present on the lid built from hollow tiles and concrete and the said lid serves as the only protection of the tank. Frost develops around these openings but the ice has always been thin enough for the fingers to break apart. Building the walls of water tanks in this way will halt the process of condensation.

The construction of an underground tank brings with it the advantage of a natural form of insulation at a minimal cost. If the water tank was built above the ground, freezing will most likely take place during winter.

The same treatment does not have to be applied to the outside wall. Swelling masses of ice are moved upward by the wider width of the tank at the top and it also hinders pressure from breaking out onto the walls of the tank. This piece of learning was shared to us by the farmer who owns concrete tanks in northern Iowa.

Reinforced hollow building tiles and concrete would make the best lid for water tanks, according to the farmer who owns the hollow tile tank. It is permanent and thicker and less likely to develop frosty air in winter or hot air in summer. The tile is able to prevent the transmission of heat and cold through the dead air space in its structure.

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