How to stop my waterbutts from freezing?

[Samuel1988]

Morning all,

I came across someone saying that they keep their waterbutts empty over the colder periods to stop them from cracking and I was wondering if there is anyway I can try to avoid this problem with a full waterbutt & IBC container?

Its not as if though that in this area we are going to get a deep freeze but its just a precaution as I would hate for the cold to ruin my waterbutts!

Thank you for your help,

Samuel

[Bigmallly]

Maybe ignorance on my part but I have never done anything with my waterbutts & they have been fine.

[Kristen]

Needs to be very cold for them to split - a layer of ice on the top won't do it, but if the water freezes solid then that will split plastic ones. Dunno about IBCs but I doubt they would be immune.

I open all the taps on mine in the main part of the winter so that they just drain-through.

[Guest]

I have always just left mine to it and again no problem. If you are that fussed then wrap with various things - what would be best would be trial and error.

Black plastic - absorb what heat there is
Bubble wrep
Cylinder jacket (intended for indoors so I imagine would have a limited lifespan/ one winter)
corrugated card somehow wrapped with plastic (plastic to try and stop too much soggyness)

More layers would be better to trap air.

Wait a min. you are in London how bad are you expecting it to get this winter? Do you know something we don't?

[WendyC]

The main water but in my garden has been there nearly 20 years, full of water all winter. Never had any problems with splitting. I guess it might be a problem if the ice had nowhere to expand into, but i can't imagine them freezing completely solid.

[arpoet]

A football floating on the top will help keep the ice clear... However, as I don't really use the water in butts during the winter I 3/4 empty mine if a severe cold spell is forecast and refill in late winter/early spring. I have a tap on the rainwater diverter that I turn off so all the water from the roof goes into the drains in winter.

[alldigging]

Are they sealed or open?
It is unlikely if they are open then they will be damaged. If they were sealed up and it was very very very cold then they might freeze solid and try to expand.. that might be a problem if they are airtight sealed.

[Kristen]

A football floating on the top will help keep the ice clear

Not sure that is enough for an above ground container (i.e. where the whole of the external surface is subjected to cold, rather than, say, a pond where only the top surface) - but it would only really be an issue in a prolonged bitterly cold spell.

Cheap plastic butts, with weak seams, are more likely to be an issue too - Blue orange-juice containers are very robust, and burying them would help (although not sure that helps with then being able to get the water out again!!)

[Kristen]

It is unlikely if they are open then they will be damaged. If they were sealed up and it was very very very cold then they might freeze solid and try to expand.. that might be a problem if they are airtight sealed.

I think the general problem is that it gets cold and the surface freezes - several inches lets say. Then it stays cold and the rest of the water butt contents, lower down, start to freeze. Because the surface is frozen the new ice cannot expand upwards - particularly if the top of the butt is formed narrower, to support the lid - so it expands sideways instead

Regular frost won't cause that problem though, so perhaps only need to drain water butts when the weather is forecast to hit -5C or so, or remain below freezing for several days?

[Bill HH]

I am lucky to live in an area that has little frost, but if severe weather struck i wouldnt hesitae to drain them off, The need for water is much less in winter and they will soon fill up with April showers.

[lottie dolly]

never had any bother with our butts,the ones at home are my late dads,they got be over 40 years old,the smaller blue ones at the plots have had no bother with either,both with and without the tight fitting rubber lids,you get ice on the top sometimes several inch,if i am correct,2sheds has fish in her's all year,

[Samuel1988]

wow 2sheds has fish in her waterbutts?

Interesting

[Bigmallly]

I have 30 fish in my waterbutt...............it's called a pond............

[Alison]

I have a couple of waterbutts at home and 4 plus an IBC at the lottie. 3 of the ones at the plot are Wilkos basic ones and the other one was inherited when I moved house. I never empty any if them and they've seen some very cold winters. The only time this has been a problem is when I've wanted water for the tunnel and it's frozen so won't come out

[Snadger]

My chickens have never seen or tasted tap water for the last 5 years. Covered water butts are their water supply fed from the chicken coop roof. I often have to break the ice in winter but its usually less than 6 inches thick. I have had a water butt freeze on the top and around the sides but there was still a pocket of water in the middle.

I've probably put the hex on it and the whole lot will freeze solid this winter (I have 10 water butts and a 1000 litre IBC!)