Anyone have a GFCI on their water trough heater?

[obrionusa]

I just installed power and water outside of my livestock shelter house. I put a GFCI on the plug for the trough heater. Well it keeps blowing and the tank is freezing up. I put this in thinking a cow could get shocked if a short should occur. Whats is your thinking? Im thinking of putting another plug on without the GFCI.

 

[Limomike]

I am thinking that would be good for you to do. I cant stand GFCI outlets. As good as they may SEEM, I have replaced many of them over the years that quit, or kept popping out for no apparent reason. Even when I built my homes I have built, I eventually replaced most of the ones that went bad. But I gotta admit, that they do make them better than they used to make em when they first came out.
I got my heaters plugged into an extension cord running about 50 feet from the well house pump outlet. NO GFI outlet.

 

[Bigfoot]

I don't have one on mine. They kick off so easy I wouldn't think they would work for that application at all. BTW toss a tank heater in a cooler full of water and shut the lid. It makes a nice outdoor water heater.

 

[grubbie]

I highly recommend using a GFCI for your heater. The water we have in one of our wells is very hard and builds up minerals on the heater. The heater eventually overheats and shorts out. One time I noticed a couple days when the tank level was not being drank down at its normal rate. Stuck my finger in and got zinged. Some cows were obviously drinking a little bit but getting shocked. I replaced the heater and it actually took a couple days before the cows would trust it again, even though it was their only available water. I now use a GFCI on all of my tank heaters. Never had a problem or a trip that wasn't caused by a dead short. I am using the 1500 watt floating type heater in 9 foot round tanks. When they short out, it trips the GFCI and I change out the heater. Spend the extra few bucks for a 20 amp instead of 15.

 

[robertwhite]

ALWAYS put a gfci on a tank heater.

To be even more specific. Always use a quality gfci and a separate circuit for each one. The guys that are constantly tripping the breaker are tripping it for a reason. You either are using cheap outlets or you are using the gfci outlet on a circuit with other things on it. A typical 1500 watt tank heater uses 12.5 amps, so if you have more than 1 heater or have lights, extension cords or whatever else on the circuit you will trip the outlet.

Why take a chance with your livestock?

 

[Kscattle]

Drive a copper ground rod next to your tank and run a bare copper wire into the tank from the rod. If it ever shorts out it'll pop a circuit breaker.

 

[SRBeef]

Drive a copper ground rod next to your tank and run a bare copper wire into the tank from the rod. If it ever shorts out it'll pop a circuit breaker.

Better yet, do both. There should be a copper ground rod directly under/next to the waterer, as close as possible. Don't rely on the system ground a long ways away or with a resistance to ground. This may contribute to false tripping. Go with the 20 amp rather than the std 15 amp GFI.

#1 is to find out why the thing is tripping. Insufficient capacity or is there a short somewhere. May also only show up when the thermostat trips on... and maybe a job for an electrician. Don't need any stray voltage around cattle. Good luck.

Jim

 

[jedstivers]

The GFCI's on my house that are the outside outlets trip every time we have any lighting. I hate them.

 

[herefordlover]

Maybe the wire ran to the gfci is to small not alowing to have proper voltage. Another is cords ran from gfci not being heavey enuff or a combo of both

 

[HammondCreekRanch]

I will only use a gfi plug for my stock tanks. You must buy the weather resistant outlets that are made for outside use they cost a little more than the indoor ones but will last and work like you want a plug to. Keep it covered also.