Freeze Miser

Help Support CattleToday:

I've never seen one before. Interesting. Thanks for posting. What's the situation that you're intending for it? Above ground waterline, or buried? You're in Tennessee... alot different than up here in Minnesota. I think it should probably work for you. His video shows it installed on a top float. Doubt that'd ever work up here... the float will just freeze into the water anyway.

Jobe valves has a full flow valve that you can mount below the waterline in the tank (i.e.: up through the bottom) called the Topaz (Amazon.com : Jobe Valves Topaz Valve with Detach Short Tail, 3/4", Yellow/Black : Garden & Outdoor), and it has a special port on it for inserting their "FrostPro" valve into (Amazon.com : Jobe Valves Frost Pro Accessory, Yellow/Black : Garden & Outdoor). The FrostPro won't fit into the MegaFlow valve though, even though it's a very similar valve design to the Topaz. Basically, you insert the FrostPro into the port on the Topaz valve, and when the weather gets cold, you open the FrostPro, and it'll let a small amount of water flow through the main valve and out the FrostPro. Yes, it'll overflow your tank, so you have to provide a drain away line, but it will keep your line and the valve from freezing. The FreezeMiser will overflow your tank too.

Next spring I'm planning on installing some of these Jobe Topaz valves on a shallow bury waterline (16" deep... we normally bury waterline a minimum of 6') to feed water stations out across the pasture. They will be used for watering all winter. I expect the only problem would be if the well quits working, then my shallow buried line might freeze. I'm planning on intentionally keeping good tall sod cover over the line through the winter, and then catching snow in that. I'll install the valve at the bottom of the tank, and let the "overflow" rise up right underneath the float... that should keep the float from freezing into the ice over the top of the tank. If the cattle want a drink they will push down on the float, just like the Mirafont or Ritchie "ball in the hole" energy free waterers. I'll attach an overflow line inlet on the float too, so if the water gets above the "float regulated height", it will run into the overflow, and I'll take that down through the water and out the bottom of the tank below grade, to a drain tile or a french drain or drainage ditch. Don't think I'll have too much trouble as long as I'm leaving some water running, even though we do normally get down to -20+ every year. Running a little water is less costly than heated waterers.
 
We have gravity water here and at -10F we have a bit of water flowing in the bath tubs we use as waterers, no problem with it... I have BIG rock pits under my winter water tubs so there's no ice
Our water line is also buried about 6ft, the deeper the better, water will warm up a little if it's deep
 
Yeah, I looked into deep bury... tile guy would run the 1 mile+ line out for me at 6' for about $6000 (not including the cost of the line)! I built myself a shallow bury plow to put on my 3 pt., can put it in for nothing @ 16". I figure I can let quite a bit of water run down the hill for the added cost. I use a Cobett style waterer now, with a 15" heat riser tube, no added heat. Yes, the bucket does freeze over when it gets below 20F, but I just break that open once a day, and they're good. If they're grazing through snow, they hardly ever come up to drink anyway. I'll modify that system to accommodate the Topaz valve with the FrostPro on it.
 
Wouldn't be a bad idea to have one of those laying around. I have a couple hydrants that can go bad and need a rebuild/replacement and one of those would give some time until better weather or parts available to repair.
 
I've never seen one before. Interesting. Thanks for posting. What's the situation that you're intending for it?
I have one stock tank that I feed through a hydrant and can put a deicer in it. But when it gets cold enough I would like to keep the water flowing to the tank so I don't have to go around breaking ice. Very rarely happens here, but well worth it if I can avoid breaking ice on the rare occasion.
 
I've installed a Colbert system when breaking down and redigging a pond.......has been a good item....although with only a few years of use. That being said, just installed a second one, but not in use yet. Wish I could install a third one on city water......maybe in a couple of years. generally feel good about their product
 
I've installed a Colbert system when breaking down and redigging a pond.......has been a good item....although with only a few years of use. That being said, just installed a second one, but not in use yet. Wish I could install a third one on city water......maybe in a couple of years. generally feel good about their product
What is the price point on the Colbert system?
 
What is the price point on the Colbert system?

About $1000 range, depending on which model you're considering. Cobett Waterer (cammackranchsupply.com)

I made my own 20 years ago out of 24" plastic culvert, with a 15" inside, then filled between the two with foam in insulation. Used a rubber bucket for the tub (tried plastic, didn't last because of UV, rubber buckets been in there for 15 years and still good). At the time, it cost me about $250 to build with all new materials, a Cobett was about $800 then. Cobett's made a few helpful improvements over the years, but not much. I'll be upgrading the valve system on my next installations from the floatless underwater diaphram toilet valve like Cobett uses (pretty slow water flow rate, they also offer a higher flow "float type" valve now... didn't back then), to a float type Jobe Topaz (full flow valve), with the FrostPro on it. I'm putting the next ones out in my converted "row crop field to pasture" on a shallow buried line (I'm in Minnesota remember). When it gets below freezing, you can open the FrostPro and it lets a little water trickle to keep everything open, including the waterer itself then (no ice chopping, cattle can always have access to water). Have to have an overflow drain away line then though of course. I'd say south of I-80, a Cobett without any heat and no FrostPro type of device would probably almost always remain open. We're down to about 10 degrees here right now at night, and it's been staying open every day. The more traffic you have at it, the better it'll stay open of course. I ran an electric wire out to the ones in the yard, and duct taped a thermostically controlled car battery blanket around the bucket. If there's not much traffic on it, the water in the bucket is warm to the touch, even well below 0.

Model SB: Float Valve System | Cobett Company

Model LB: Float Valve System | Cobett Company
 
Last edited:
Cobett. They have current prices on their website. Shipping adds another $100-150. They will shop around for best shipping price. If you can pick up at the freight co.'s dock can save quite a bit over farm delivery.
 

Latest posts

Top