Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt
I Googled it.
We're both wrong. It keeps the water from freezing over in the winter.
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And I was just able to look up
this particular model. And at the risk of looking way to excited about this, it's really pretty cool.
You run a water line to this thing, and a float controlled valve, much like a float in the back of your toilet, fills the tank from below. Since you are running the water to it underground, below the frost line, it doesn't freeze in the winter, even in cold climates. The livestock just have to be actively using it so that the cold water in the tank is constantly being replaced by fresh water from the relatively warm underground pipe. In the summer, that same underground pipe means the water is cooler for the cows. And the balls keep the water temperature fairly constant.
The one I saw was about 300 yards uphill from the nearest building that had an obvious water supply, but I suppose you can run a hose underground for 300 yards. There was a dilapidated shed about 80 yards from this watering tank, and maybe the plumbing came from that shed.