Molasses as anti freeze??

[Coosh71]

Like many of you, I am going around breaking ice in stock tanks in the -28° windchill. Someone told me this morning mixing molasses in the tanks prior to freezing temps will act as antifreeze. Said the water will get slushy but would not freeze. Has anyone heard of this or done this with success? If so what amount of molasses would it take to achieve this? Thanks

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I have no clue but I think I'd try Kenny's salt water in a milk jug first.

 

[Dsth]

Freezing point of molasses

Frozen Molasses. Although it can be stored in the freezer, molasses does not freeze solid in most home freezers. The sugars in molasses act as an antifreeze and lower the freezing point of this sticky staple. Instead of the entire molasses mass freezing, the moisture within the molasses never comes close to freezing.
no clue on ratio but I would think it increase intake with it in the water.

 

[Coosh71]

I have no clue but I think I'd try Kenny's salt water in a milk jug first.

Yes we are going to try that first. The molasses idea was interesting

 

[kenny thomas]

So what happens if I add molasses to the jugs?

 

[sstterry]

So what happens if I add molasses to the jugs?

Anything you add to the jugs so that it does not freeze will allow the jug to float and move to agitate the water and help prevent freezing. I would not just use a jug of molasses though, it is too viscus.
I ran across this setup a couple of days ago:

 

[Coosh71]

Anything you add to the jugs so that it does not freeze will allow the jug to float and move to agitate the water and help prevent freezing. I would not just use a jug of molasses though, it is too viscus.
I ran across this setup a couple of days ago:

Interesting set up. Thanks for sharing

 

[D2Cat]

Here's something that only requires a mild breeze to stir the water. I bought it a farm sale as a kit. Put it together and mounted it on some 1" pipe for an axle, using old steel wheels, and added a tongue so I could move it in or out to change the depth of the water.

It is simply a shaft rotating in some tubing with a bearing at the top and bottom. A seal on the bottom of the vertical shaft allows a bit of diesel to be put into the housing to keep water from freezing the shaft up. The shaft is put into about 8-10" of water. On the end of the shaft is basically a lawn mower blade which turns in the water bringing up the warmer water from the bottom and keeps it from freezing.

I eventually fenced off an area where cattle could only get to the shallow area. This was the first winter. It always allows an opening in the water.

 

[Dusty Britches]

That's really slick, D2. I'd love to see close up pics of the assembly. I'm a very visual person and struggle with visualizing with words.

 

[D2Cat]

I've got some literature stashed somewhere. The company that use to make them sold to someone else and then they quit making them as far as I know. But there are simple. I have seen similar wind turbines made using plastic snow shovels mounted like these alum. scoops.

Some of these I got twisted sideways, sorry. I'm not to sure how to rotate them.

 

[fasttommy]

That was a really new looking tire to be using for a tank

 

[sstterry]

That was a really new looking tire to be using for a tank

I thought exactly the same thing when I bought it. Since I posted this I have seen a lot of solar-powered bubblers on the internet.