Water buffalo in freezing temps

[m16ty]

I've got a M149A2 and I'm using it to water my livestock. This is the first winter though with it in use. What I'm mainly worried about it freezing. It doesn't get super cold here but we will usually have a few days each year where the temps never get above freezing. It will never get cold enough to freeze solid but I'm sure it would have some ice in it

Has anybody had a water buffalo full of water in freezing weather. Obviously, if the tank freezes I can't get any water out of it but mainly what I'm worried about is damaging the tank or plumbing. I know they are insulated and I'm sure that helps but the tank is exposed to all the cold wind.

 

[wreckerman893]

If I remember correctly there is a valve that cuts off the water at the tank......you can then open the faucets and let the line drain.This will keep the pipes from freezing.

I can remember our mess Sgt. in Germany putting a gasoline stove burner unit under the buff to keep it from freezing.....they would throw a tarp over it to keep the heat in.

 

[m16ty]

If I remember correctly there is a valve that cuts off the water at the tank......you can then open the faucets and let the line drain.This will keep the pipes from freezing.

Yes, you are correct about that. At the moment I'm using the valve on the back of the trailer hooked to a hose that is hooked to a float valve in the stock tank. When winter sets in I'll do away with the hose to the float valve and just fill the stock tank when needed. I've got electricity at the stock tank so I'll run a heater in the stock tank. I guess I could buy another heater and drop it in the buffalo.

I honestly doubt that it will ever get cold enough I'll be unable to draw any water out of the water buffalo (the valves extend a pretty good bit inside the tank and I'm sure this is a design feature to help keep the valves from freezing). I'm just worried about the ice damaging the tank itself.

 

[Bob H]

............................................ I'm just worried about the ice damaging the tank itself.

Leave room for expansion and you should be fine.

 

[rosco]

A 1500 watt submersible heater in the tank will do wonders. Locate it as close to those valves, and it will work fine. Using a tarp to cover the whole thing is another trick. That with a pan full of bricketts under the trailer, is a trick we use to start equipment/cars here. Leave the hose dribble water into the stock tank over night. And/or get some of that moulded pipe insulation from the building supply, and put it over the hose. I'm doing that with the hose from a solar well, now, and its getting to +15 over night. But its not going to work for more then another couple of weeks, here. If you can afford the water, once its running through a hose or pipe, it will keep running - even at -50F.

Little Genny running a compressor to blow out some lateral lines'

 

[JAYHAWK 1962]

I have had water in some of my m149a2 all winter and it never froze. The only time i did have any trouble was when i left water in outlet pipes and it froze solid and craked the pipe out went 400 gallons of water and made a nice ice skating rink.

 

[sigo]

We had diesel fired heaters attached to all of our water buffalos in Alaska. It wasnt the immersion heater referenced in the TM, it sat on the trailer forward of the tank and was permantly fixed. I owned several of uncles, but I never personally used one. I believe it was plumbed into the buffalo and water circulated through the heater and back to the tank. They used a 5 cal MFC in a bracket on the trailer as the fuel source. They worked down to -60 or so, and probably even colder. I've attached the TM for your enjoyment.