My Inexpensive, Low-Energy, Automatic Chicken Water Heater

Reading Time: 5 minutes
By Steven Lee
With winter looming, I needed an inexpensive, worry-free way to keep my chickens’ water from freezing. Inspiration was hatched at the thrift store by a used curling iron that consumes only 13 watts of power — not enough power to make ramen noodles but enough to keep water from freezing when temperatures drop to zero!
The chickens’ water dispenser is a five-gallon plastic bucket with four chicken nipples from the feed store, installed in the bottom of the bucket.

In addition to the curling iron, my project would use seven pieces of pipe (Figure A): a 3/4″ galvanized cap; a 3/4″x6-3/4 galvanized pipe nipple threaded into a 3/4″ 90° galvanized elbow; a 3/4″x 1/2″ PVC male adapter threaded into the opposite side of the galvanized elbow; a 1/2″x18″ PVC nipple that protrudes 3″ above the bucket lid through a 7/8″ diameter hole and is glued into the slip end of the 3/4″x 1/2″ PVC male adapter; a 1/2″ 90° PVC slip elbow on top of the 18″ PVC nipple; a 5″ PVC nipple inserted into the other end of the PVC elbow; and lastly, a 1/2″ 90° PVC slip elbow attached to the 5″ nipple.

To dissipate the heat, the curling iron heating element would nest in the galvanized pipe (Figure B), which would roost on a 10″ terracotta saucer, which would brood on the bottom of the bucket in the water (Figure C), while the switch perched on top of the bucket lid to stay dry.


I fed two lengths of 18-gauge high-temperature wire through the pipe and spliced the wires to the curling iron heating element with high-temperature porcelain wire nuts (see figure B). After trimming the wires to length, I spliced the wires to the curling iron switch with two more porcelain wire nuts (Figure D).

After testing the electrical, I reassembled the curling iron handle and affixed the galvanized cap. I used electrical tape to seal where the wires exit the PVC fitting and to secure the curling iron handle to the 5″ PVC nipple.

Next, in my coop rafters, I installed a 110/120 volt pull-chain, porcelain lamp holder with an outlet that I connected to a GFI circuit. The outlet is powered even when the light is off. Into this outlet, I plugged a 110/120 Volt Thermocube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet (Figure E). I plugged the curling iron into the Thermocube. The Thermocube automatically turns the curling iron on when temperatures fall to 35 degrees F (2 Celsius) and off when temperatures rise to 45 degrees F (7 Celsius). Now, I don’t have to be a mother hen watching weather reports or thermometers. My finished product is safe and worry-free (Figure F)!

Who would imagine I’d have chicken nipples and curling iron in my chicken coop! But they keep my flock hydrated, healthy, and happy. And healthy and happy hens are laying hens!
Parts List | Cost |
Curling iron from a thrift store | $2.00 |
5-gallon food-grade plastic bucket with a sealing lid | $5.00 |
4 chicken drinking nipples (from the feed store) | $5.00 |
10″ terracotta saucer | $3.00 |
6′ of 18-gauge High-Temperature Lead Wire (online 100′ for $129 but I bought 6′ for $9 at an electronic and appliance repair store) | $9.00 |
4 thermal wire nuts (from same electronic and appliance repair store) | $3.00 |
3/4″ galvanized 90° FPT x FPT elbow | $2.54 |
3/4″ galvanized cap | $2.54 |
3/4″x6″ galvanized nipple | $2.37 |
3/4″x1/2″ PVC male adapter MPTXS (male end threaded, female slip) | $1.28 |
2-1/2″ PVC 90° slip elbows ($.78 ea.) | $1.56 |
1/2″x18″ PVC nipple (bought 24″ and cut to length) | $1.28 |
1/2″x5″ PVC nipple (cut from 24″ pipe above and cut to length) | $0.00 |
PVC pipe glue | $3.99 |
Teflon tape (to prevent leaking pipes) | $1.99 |
Pipe silicon (to seal the chicken nipples in the bucket) | $2.00 |
Porcelain Lamp Holder with Pull Chain and Outlet | $4.29 |
120-Volt Thermocube Thermostatically Controlled Outlet | $12.99 |
Electric tape | $0.99 |
Total | $64.82 |
Optional items:
- Chain to suspend bucket
- 2’x2′ chicken wire formed into a cone to place on top of the bucket lid
Tools needed:
- Felt tip marker
- Phillips screw driver
- Drill
- 11/32″ drill bit (unless your chicken nipples require a different size pilot hole)
- 1″ drill bit for hole in bucket lid
- 2 wrenches (pipe or adjustable) to tighten pipe fittings
- Either a PVC pipe cutter or a hack saw to cut the PVC pipe nipples
Originally published in the October/November 2019 issue of Backyard Poultry and regularly vetted for accuracy.
I use an aquarium heater in a 5 gal bucket. No need for any extra hardware and sits in the water so no shock hazard. I also saw someone used an old crockpot set to low inside the coop. Don’t know how much energy it would use or if it’s a potential fire hazard though.
I purchased a 50w(? heats a 10 gal ) aquarium heater. I used a Gatorade bottle, put some gravel in the bottom, cut a slit in the top, put the heater in the bottle, filled it with water, put the lid back on then put it inside a 2gal bucket with chicken nipples
….The rocks keep the bottle from tipping over and the water inside the bottle protects the heater even if the chickens were to empty the bucket. I also have a thermocube (?) outlet which automatically comes on at 34 deg shuts off around 40. Keeps the water from freezing. I have read that the side mount chicken nipples are better to use in real cold weather as the bottom mount will sometimes drip and freeze.