Heated hoses - anyone tried them?

[SpringOakFarm]

Has anyone used a heated hose at the barn? When trying to come up with a new pasture option at our boarding facility, the biggest problem was getting access to a water source that wouldn't freeze up...so I got to thinking about options and wondered if there was such a thing as a heated hose...one quick google search and voila...there are a bunch of them.

Here's an example:
http://www.shanestack.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-29007

Anyone ever tried them? If so - work well, good value? Yeah or Nay?

Thanks!

[Kiwayu]

Wow. I just sent that link to my BO. If that works well, how awesome would it be to have that!!! :yes:

I'm definitely following this thread for feedback. :D

[Seven-up]

Interesting. I wonder if you could use it for baths in the winter? Does it only heat up the water that's in the hose? Meaning you only have 1" x 20' of hot water before it goes cold again?


I'll be following this thread, too.

[elsbet]

What a great idea! I'll be following too!

[findeight]

Think OPs concern is with water freezing in the hose, not getting hot water.

In that case, it would help a little but the water is still going to feeze in the tap or spigot and first few of feet of that pipe from the tap to wherever the freeze line is under the ground surface.

It will not solve the frozen pipe problem.

[SpringOakFarm]

findeight - you are correct - it won't heat water...

We have access to a water source that doesn't freeze, it's the frozen hoses that we can't deal with. We need for water to simply be able to pass through the hose. The 60 ft. hose option would reach from the barn to the pasture.

We just need a hose that the water can get through! I think it sounds awesome. Given that this facility doesn't have automatic waterers with heaters, I think this might be a good option for us!

Well, if no one else has tried them then I might be the first one here and I'll let you know how it goes! :yes:

[GrayCatFarm]

Sent to my trainer! Right now we wrestle the hoses into and out of the heated bathroom every day in the winter, and there are 14 horses in the barn to water. What a mess

[Seven-up]

Well that sounds like a PITA. I'm glad frozen pipes isn't a concern for me here.

I thought warm baths in winter from a hose just sounded too good to be true.:D

[Chief2]

The idea behind the heated hose is great, but the price tags are a bit high. I could never talk hubby into spending $182.07 on a 60-foot hose.

[Plumcreek]

The winter of the mega-disaster frozen water line to the barn, I made my own heated hose. I had to do 300'. Bought a whole box of foam pipe cover tubes. Bought gutter heater cables. Covered the gutter heating cable and hose in pipe foam tubes and duct taped around every foot or so. Took a long time and it was 15 degrees - that is how desparate I was. But it worked like a charm. We did have to leave the hose slightly dripping since it was so cold, and that kept the center from freezing solid. I would plug in the gutter cable when I went to the barn and the hose would be thawed completely in 20 minutes. Cable got too hot to leave on all the time. The water hydrant up at the house had heat tape wrapped around it and foam tubes duct taped over all but the handle and as deep into the frozen ground as I could get it.

Yeah, fond memories. Note to others: Dig water lines trenches AFTER you do the finish grading. Creating one little shallow spot will do you in. Continuing education of a barn designer.

[HMF]

We bought one of these last winter, it is great!! We used to drain the hose after watering, even then it would end up in the house to thaw at least once a week. The hose does not heat the water, it just thaws out anything that freezes in it. We have a 60' hose, I wish there had been a smaller option when I bought it, 60' is a lot more than we need.

[LisaB]

So you hook it up, wait 20 minutes for it to heat up. Then use the water that's in there. What about the new water going through? Is it just chilly or lukewarm or what?