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Frozen Water Tank Tips!

By February 22, 2022September 29th, 2023No Comments

Freezing water tanks are always a problem in the winter. So you have to do one of two things;

  1. Figure out how to get power to the tank for a tank heater
  2. Or break ice…

I recently read about a trick some folks use out in the high desert country and thought I would try it. What it consists of is drilling a couple of post holes under your water tank.

The theory is that the heat from the earth will help keep the tank from freezing. Now you could dig the holes by hand or use a post hole driller on your tractor if you have one.

First I marked out the spot with the tank so I could keep the holes inside the tank outer edge. Then I drilled two twelve inch holes under where the tank sits and smoothed out the dirt that came out of the holes to build the dirt up around the holes. It actually looks good as the tank is slightly higher than the ground. The key is you need to get the holes drilled below the frost line in your part of the country. 24” in the Midwest probably, about 36” in the northwest. Of course, if you live in Montana drill as far as your drill will let you. 😊

I will keep you posted if I have any luck with this as I have not been able to get power to the water trough yet. I will report back on a success or failure.

I am told this will not keep it from getting a skim of ice on the trough but the heat from the earth will keep the water from freezing solid. I’ll let you know!