Horses' Waterlines, Water Bowls, and How to Deal with Winter

Introduction

The third and fourth weeks of January are usually the coldest weeks of the year in Northern climates. They are often the most difficult weeks of the year to maintain ice-free waterlines and water bowls. There is nothing worse than trying to deal with frozen pipes and water bowls. This is not the time of year to find out that the water pipes to the barn were not buried deep enough.

Planning the Waterline

Plastic water pipes should exit the main source, e.g., basement of the house, and run to the horse barn, preferably without any junctions or connections. Junctions and connections make the thawing of pipes more difficult and therefore should be avoided.

Most farm owners will direct-bury their waterlines while a few prefer to place them in a conduit. This allows the farm owner to blow air into the conduit if the line becomes frozen or replace the line if required, without having to redig a trench between buildings. Check with your building inspector for local regulations and recommendations.

Waterlines should be buried a minimum of four feet below ground and preferably deeper in most areas of Southern Ontario. However, in Northern Ontario and under high traffic areas waterlines may need to be six feet below the surface. Check with your local building inspectors for their recommendations. Waterlines placed in plastic conduit or tile, such as "Big O" conduit, are less likely to freeze but are considerably more expensive to install.

Water pipes should be a minimum of 1-inch (inside diameter) of a type approved by the local building code, such as; green line, 100 P.S.I., and C.S.A. approved. If a pipe should become frozen the one-inch size allows for a smaller diameter pipe to be inserted and passed to the location of the blockage.

Water Bowls

Water bowls, which stay ice-free during the winter, are a blessing. Two general types are commonly used. One requires hydro; the other relies on heavy insulation of the bowl and sufficient water consumption to maintain it ice-free. With small numbers of horses, the heated bowls are recommended. When installing the heated water bowls, a hydro cable will need to be installed in addition to the waterline. It should be of the direct-burial type as per the local building code. Placing the hydro cable in a conduit will again make things easier should you need to run a new cable. Ensure that a rope is run inside the full length of the conduit in case you need to install a second hydro line.

The water pipe and hydro line will start from the source and run a minimum of four feet below surface (six feet below driveways) and rise from the subsoil depth into a small diameter tile, which is installed vertically. Commonly a 12-inch diameter cement tile is used unless the manufacturer supplies one. Some water bowls will be bolted to this tile while others are bolted to a concrete pad. Three areas of frustration occur at this point. The pipe can freeze as it rises to the water bowl; surface water can seep in and fill the hole or tile; and stray voltage (both AC and DC) can be present at the bowl.

Freezing of waterlines often occurs as the waterline rises. Some manufacturers supply heavy insulation for the riser pipe but often the pipe will need additional heat supplied either from a heater tape or light bulb. Wind chill on the riser pipe is the major cause of freezing. Therefore, pay attention to sealing water bowls where they connect to the cement tile and insulating the riser section of the water pipe.

Flooding of the tile is problematic and most commonly occurs during the spring thaw. Bowls should be installed on higher areas of ground or, better yet, in run-in sheds. The shed will provide protection from wind chill and be situated so as to reduce the chances of flooding.

Electrical connections have to be made very carefully and according to the building code. At least one grounding rod should be placed in the subsoil below the water bowl to allow for grounding. Your electrical contractor can help in the planning and installation and thereby prevent stray voltage.

Frost-free Water Hydrants

Frost-free water hydrants are very useful in barns. They work on the principle that a valve at the bottom of the hydrant opens and allows water to flow up and out of the hydrant. When the valve is closed, the water is shut off and the water in the hydrant drains down and out into the subsoil. For frost-free hydrants to work properly, they need to be installed with a layer of sand/gravel around the bottom of the hydrant to allow water to seep away. Poor drainage will lead to improper draining of the hydrant and freezing. It is better to use paving stones rather than pouring cement around hydrants in case they require servicing.

Thawing Frozen Plastic Pipes

Frozen water pipes are a real aggravation. If the waterline starts in the basement of the house near the pressure tank, it should be easy to uncouple the plastic waterline. A smaller diameter pipe, e.g., ½ or 3/8th. inch, can be placed inside the larger water pipe and advanced to the location of the frozen section. This is usually where the pipe goes under the driveway or under a high traffic area. These areas freeze deeper due to the lack of snow cover. A stiffer 3/8th. inch pipe, such as the Plasco air tubing (Thermal Ease), is preferable to the more common ½ inch black poly water pipe since heat will make the black water pipe limp.

The end, which will be placed in the larger bore waterline, should be cut on an oblique angle or sharpened like a pencil to create a point. The use of the 3/8th. air tubing will permit passage through a standard 1-inch connector should one be encountered.

A small submersible pump such as those used in fish ponds, which pump 50 to 100 gallons of water per hour, are readily available from many local suppliers, e.g., G.S.W. 1/6 HP Model 306630 (115 volt, 60 cycle, 8 amp). Many of them will have garden hose fittings and you will need to find the appropriate fitting(s) to attached to the end of the ½ or 3/8th. pipe.

Warm water is placed in a bowl, bucket or suitable reservoir directly below the entrance to the waterline. The smaller line is advanced to the blockage and the water pumped from the reservoir down the smaller pipe. Water will flow back down the one-inch water pipe and into the reservoir. This allows for a continuous flow of warm water to be directed at the blockage. The smaller pipe should be able to be advanced at the rate of about an inch a minute when using warm water. Connections within the waterline will prevent the advancement of the larger ½ inch poly pipe. However, the 3/8th. air lose, when pointed at the end will pass through the standard 1-inch in-line connectors.

Summary

• Too much or too little water can be very frustrating.
• Bury all waterlines deeply using a backhoe. Trenchers are not capable of installing the lines below the frost line in most Northern climates.
• Ensure that electrical connections are installed according to the building code.
• Water bowls save a lot of work but require checking daily to ensure nothing has gone wrong.

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