Ice Age No More In Your Water Tanks

The survival of a farm is highly dependent on the existing waterworks on site. Water sustains and propagates life.

Life cannot carry on with a deficient water supply. An influx of earnings can be made possible through the provision of a steady supply of clean water for the livestock on the farm.

It has long since been demonstrated that cool water in summer and water not excessively chilled in winter is best for dairy animals. 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.

A pound of milk takes four to five pounds of water intake by a cow and this fact affirms the importance of constant water consumption by the dairy animals especially during winter.

Other water tanks need insulation more than others in order to avoid freezing over in winter. Covering the water tanks with lids during the summer months will inhibit bacterial growth by preventing direct sunlight into the tank.

During winter, we tested two Iowa farm tanks that do not freeze despite the temperature in two sites in the state. One of the said tanks is constructed out of hollow tiles and cement while the other tank is built from concrete, sheltered by a small tank house. The formation of sheets of ice has never been an issue for the concrete tank according to its owner.

The owner of the water tank constructed a small cover with double walls and filled the space between the walls with sawdust to augment the tank's insulation.

Ordinary building tiles constituted the walls of the other water tank and five inches worth of thickness proved effective as insulation because the water tank does not freeze. The walls of the water tank extend from the base of the foundation which is three feet underground.

Animals are able to drink from the water tank through the three holes on the lid which is made of hollow tiles and cement. Thin sheets of ice form around these openings but they are easy enough for the fingers to break. Condensation is prevented in tanks with walls constructed this way.

Natural insulation comes with the construction of underground tanks at minimal cost. If the water tank was built above the ground, freezing will most likely take place during winter.

The external wall does not have to be processed in the same manner. The water tank's top interior, which has a wider width, is responsible for the movement of ice upward and the relief pressure from the walls. This information was revealed to us by the northern Iowa farmer who owns concrete tanks on his farm.

Cover for water tanks should be constructed with reinforced hollow building tiles and concrete as this would be best, according to the owner of the hollow tile tank.

The formation of frosty air in winter or hot air in summer can be prevented by this structure which is permanent and more stable. Insulation against heat and cold is provided by the tiles through the dead air safe present in its structure.