# Heat in a barn



## Cinm (Sep 10, 2012)

I need to know what is the safest way to heat my barn.The horses are out during the day and that's when the barn needs to be heated so the water doesn't freeze as it is -20 today .When they are in over night it doesn't freeze as they are drinking and the heat that comes off of them keep it warm enough but during the day when they are out is the problem.I want to know what the safest thing is to use.


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## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

could you just keep the buckets empty during the day ? or get heated water buckets.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Heated water buckets are the easiest thing to do. Unless you're worried about the pipes freezing, in which case a heat lamp will help.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

We have a pump heater to keep the pipes from freezing. We also have heated water buckets an trough heaters that help tremendously.
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## CCH (Jan 23, 2011)

We have an "in- floor" heat system and boiler. The heat lines are actually in the ceiling though because we opted not to have cement in the horse stalls. Went this route because it is a closed system and does not blow any air or intake air from the outside. It is really odd and I know of noone who has anything like it. The plumbers and electricians who did the install had never done it that way before. (As a side note, the barn ceiling is 11ft tall and covered with tin. There is a thick layer of blown in insulation on top of the tin and a large crawl space between the ceiling and the barn roof.) Iit works amazingly well and 100% evenly throughout. This way I can control box fans for each horse. dust is somewhat reduced because there isn't a heat blower coming on constantly.

As far as adding heat to a barn, any portable space heater, milk house heater, or propane shop heat should never be left unattended. If the horses are outside and the owner is willing to risk the building, that would be their call and those items might work.

You can buy heat tape for the pipes. Or they could install one of those Reznor heaters if you have gas available. I think electric radiant hanging heaters would also be an option.
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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

in our barn it's just heat tape at the handle of a frost free hydrant, then heated water buckets and the outdoor tub has a heat thing you drop into it and plug in.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

If it's just the water lines that you want to keep from freezing, safest, cheapest & most effective thing is the heat tapes on the pipes.
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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Tim, your frost free hydrant doesn't need heat tape. It is frost free. What can happen is water may get splashed onto the head that slides up and down on the exterior pipe. Before cold weather hits I'll use a little engine oil to smear around the top of the pipe and the joints that allow the raising and lowering of the handle. Even if a little water gets splashed it won't freeze to the pipe. We had freezing rain/wind and mine was frozen because I didn't lubricate it this past fall. A few generous shots of WD40 and a tap with a piece of wood freed it up. We again had similar weather and it's still working flawlessly. WARNING: the Kingston fire department published a study that 95% of all mobile home fires were caused by heat tape. It must be installed using the correct length, exactly how it supposed to be installed and replaced after 3 years.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

saddlebag you are correct.... for some reason I was thinking ours was frost free. 

but the more I think about it from inside the house the stupid thing has heat tape & insulation wrapped around it (the insulation is wrapped tight so not really doing anything but I will leave it to keep sister in law happy lol) so must not be a frost free hydrant in our barn. but heat tape, and heated buckets have been great even on the -20 days...even though when horses are out durring the day the buckets get unplugged and dumped


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## FGRanch (Feb 9, 2008)

I would use a propane radiant heater type deal!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If it's any help, most horses drink twice daily, around sunrise and again toward sundown. That is when to fill the buckets. Be sure each has drunk it's fill then remove the pail and dump the remaining water, or deal with the ice.


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