I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated). I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot. If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?

On 9/24/20 6:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated). I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot. If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?


consider a "stock tank heater" something like this if barrel is wide enough

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...r?cm_vc=-10005

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 24 Sep 2020 15:24:53 -0700 (PDT), T Farmer
wrote:

I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated). I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot. If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?

Where do you live?

Do you have a basement?

On 9/24/20 5:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated). I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot. If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?

It wouldn't do much to keep your water from freezing. A fish or
livestock tank heater with a thermostat would probably be the best
answer to your problem.

On Thu, 24 Sep 2020 18:36:43 -0400, wrote:

On 9/24/20 6:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage.
I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated).
I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me
that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called),
but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot.
If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape
around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing
or would it create a fire hazard?


consider a "stock tank heater" something like this if barrel is wide enough

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...r?cm_vc=-10005


Take all the money spent on insulation, heat tape,
electric heaters, electricity to power the heaters ...
and look for a sale on big jugs of bottled water !
Store them in your heated home ...
With all the money I just saved you - build a nice sturdy
rack for storing the jugs.
Yer welcome.
John T.

On 9/24/2020 6:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated). I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot. If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?

Insulation slows the movement of heat. With no added heat the water
will eventually freeze, but it will take longer. Once frozen, the
insulation will slow the melting once the air heats.

Use the insulation but with some sort of immersion heater right in the
water.

T Farmer wrote

I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to
use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep to from
freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated).

Can't you keep it in the basement or the house, its not that big.

I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel
but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing.

He's right.

So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called),

Yes.

but the salesperson told me it might
melt the plastic because it get pretty hot.

You can get heat belts and pads that are used for plastic
beer brewing barrels which dont melt the barrel.

Or use an electric blanket.

If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel,
then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation
would that work to keep the water from freezing

Yes it should do.

or would it create a fire hazard?

Depends on the insulation. Rockwool or glass fiber
would be fine, polyfoam would be a fire hazard.

Worth adding a thermostat so it only heats when
the garage is below freezing to save on electricity.

On 9/24/2020 4:40 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 9/24/2020 6:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in
case of a water outage.Â* I would like to keep it from freezing this
winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated).Â* I bought a vat of
insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't
keep it from freezing.Â* So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's
called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because
it get pretty hot.Â* If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel,
then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to
keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?

Insulation slows the movement of heat.Â* With no added heat the water
will eventually freeze, but it will take longer.Â* Once frozen, the
insulation will slow the melting once the air heats.

Use the insulation but with some sort of immersion heater right in the
water.



Or put the barrels in an insulated box with a small space heater set to
34 F.

On 09/24/2020 04:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in case of a water outage. I would like to keep it from freezing this winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated). I bought a vat of insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't keep it from freezing. So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because it get pretty hot. If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel, then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?


If the heat tape is below the water level in won't melt the plastic.
Whether it will keep the water from freezing is another story. Around
here you'd probably wind up with a large ice cube floating in a thin
layer of water.

On 9/24/2020 7:24 PM, rbowman wrote:
On 09/24/2020 04:24 PM, T Farmer wrote:
I have a 50 gal plastic barrel that I fill 2/3 with water, to use in
case of a water outage.Â* I would like to keep it from freezing this
winter (it's in my garage, which isn't insulated).Â* I bought a vat of
insulation to wrap around the barrel but someone told me that wouldn't
keep it from freezing.Â* So I just bought some heat tape (I think it's
called), but the salesperson told me it might melt the plastic because
it get pretty hot.Â* If I wrapped the insulation around the the barrel,
then wrapped the heat tape around the insulation would that work to
keep the water from freezing or would it create a fire hazard?


If the heat tape is below the water level in won't melt the plastic.
Whether it will keep the water from freezing is another story. Around
here you'd probably wind up with a large ice cube floating in a thin
layer of water.

Use a variable power control (light dimmer?) on the heat tape to limit
the temp would work too. Make sure it is rated for the rated power of
the tape.

We raised a few ducks.

In the winter I put an aquarium heater in their water bowl and it did fine.

But that was Virginia. If you're in Alaska, probably not.