Farm Innovators Model C-50 Premium Cast Aluminum Birdbath De-Icer, 150-Watt

Product Description

The first state of the art electric birdbath de-icer! Constructed of patented cast aluminum for ultimate efficiency and safety, this de-icer is thermostatically controlled to operate only when necessary. Safe in all birdbaths. Three year limited warr

Top Reviews

and best of all
by Carroll Rudy (5 out of 5 stars)
February 21, 2015

I live in Wisconsin where we have serious winters and birds eat snow to supply their water needs for several months of the year. Believe it or not, Most winters we have periods when all the water is frozen, but there is no snow. Some birds can die of thirst during those periods, and with liquid water available, we attract many more birds to our feeders than we would otherwise have. We used to buy water-heating devices intended for chickens and small livestock at the farm supply stores, but they never lasted very long, and were a bit bulky for a shallow container that is appropriate for birds. So several years ago when yet another one quit on us, I tried shopping on-line for something more appropriate. When I saw this device, I thought I'd give it a try, for it is so thin you can put it in the bottom of an ordinary bird bath, and best of all, it was inexpensive, so there wasn't much to lose by trying it. When it arrived, I was surprised at how flimsy it looked, for it appears to be little more than heavy gauge foil like a disposable pie pan with wires inside. I had my doubts when I plugged it in but was amazed at how functional it was. This device worked for many winters when even if the temperature dropped to 15 below zero -- a regular occurrence in midwinter at this latitude, there was always an opening where the birds could get water. At 15 below, the opening gets to be only a few inches in diameter, but the birds don't seem to mind. There are only a few problems to consider. Because it is so light we weight it down with a brick or rock. We choose a rock that extends above the water level so the birds can sit on it to drink. We also add a piece of tree branch across the top for another perch. Also the electric cord is so short you will need an outdoor extension cord linked to an outdoor electric outlet, so if you don't have an outdoor extension cord of appropriate length, buy one along with. Our unit is in continuous use from mid-November until early April. After a few years of use the aluminum foil cover developed a leak at the cord inlet. I repaired it with silicone aquarium cement and continued using it for at least two more years. The metal gets tarnished and black after a winter's use, but do not try to scrub of scour it clean for you would probably damage it.. Just let it be black; the color doesn't matter. This winter the unit finally failed to heat the water any more, and the container of water froze solid. After looking for available heaters, I was pleased to see this device still being sold and this time I got two, in case one fails. We plugged one in after thawing out our water pan (In this climate you need something portable instead of an ordinary bird bath so you can bring it inside to thaw when necessary,) The heater worked perfectly just as the last one had. Last night it was 14 below zero, and an opening remained for the birds to use. We keep our bird watering pan that is made of rubber so it won't break when it freezes, up off the ground on top of a planter were we grow marigolds in the summer. You could put it on the ground, but where we live it would get buried under the snow and be useless for birds. Be sure to keep the water level up so the birds can reach the water which evaporates rapidly in extreme cold. We use soft water in the watering pan and usually add snow to the pan when the water level gets low, for snow melts into water with no minerals in it. We don't know how long the heater would last with hard water, but the way we use it gives us more than our money'w worth.
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My De-Icer Brings All The Birdies To The Yard
by Melissa Davis (4 out of 5 stars)
December 20, 2017

This works well for my needs. I just wish the cord was longer. The first day I installed it, water ran down and formed a huge icicle right where the plug connected to the extension cord... Not safe, I'm sure. I unplugged and melted it with hot water then resituated it so the cord plug was 'uphill'. Kinda tricky but it's been working well so far. Also, I already had pea gravel in the bottom of the basin to make my bath more shallow and easier footing for the little birbs. It works great to submerge the heater then line it with gravel along the edges to ensure it remains underwater (see photo). So far we've had a few freezes but the water always stays liquid. All the cute neighborhood creatures are drawn to it... Honestly, it's a bigger attraction than even a feeder full of sunflower seeds!
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Ice free bird bath and happy cardinals all winter!
by Sandwitch (5 out of 5 stars)
April 10, 2018

I bought this to heat a large stone bird bath over the winter and it worked great! It was easy to clean with a scrub brush and kept the water from freezing. Some items to note are that it works best when fully immersed as it might be in a water bowl for poultry or dogs; my birdbath had barely enough water to cover it. I noticed on a few occasions that when the water got low some freezing took place but shortly after I added water the ice melted. Also after a very heavy, rapid snow of the packing variety I looked out to see my birdbath apparently covered with snow. I assumed that the unit had failed and walked out to assess the problem only to find a dome of snow, hollowed out by the heat with liquid water underneath. I knocked the snow dome into the bird bath and the birds were back in business. I used this with a 100' outdoor extension cord and a water proof plug cover and it all worked beautifully all winter. I will update next winter!
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Birds will love you for this!
by Ann Barklow (5 out of 5 stars)
January 6, 2018

After reading some of the reviews I thought I made a mistake buying this. Last week the weather got down to 7 degrees. My birdbath water was not frozen. I see birds in my birdbath in the summer but nothing like the winter!! Seriously there was five of them getting water at the same time yesterday. It has been a good product for me and obviously very important for the birds.
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NEVER shuts off
by me (1 out of 5 stars)
October 17, 2015

I'm amazed that so many people love this thing. So far I've had 3 and all 3 run 24/7 and never shut off. Never. I had called the company and they said to put it in the freezer to reset the unit. That of course doesn't work. No matter what temperature the water is, if they are plugged in, they are heating the water. The 2nd one that I got from Amazon also failed to turn off, so I sent it back to the manufacturer and asked them to please test to make sure I got one that would work properly and if they couldn't, that I would like a refund. When my replacement finally arrived, first thing I notice is that it's VERY used. I mean scratched, dented, ridiculously beat up. Not only that, the moment I put it in 68 degree water INSIDE MY HOUSE, it turned right on and heated it up to nearly 80 and did not shut off. At all. It's not only the fact that this would cost over $15.00 a month to use (the box says pennies to operate - they must mean per hour), it keeps the bird bath water so warm that it evaporates constantly. I never had that with my old heater, which sadly is no longer available. So this product does keep the water warm. Very warm. You won't have any ice but just be aware of the extra unnecessary cost involved. And don't count on having the company sending you a working replacement. All that did for me, was lose out on the 5.95 shipping cost to send the defective unit back, only to get another defective one as a replacement. Used at that.
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The cord is too SHORT!!!
by Cubano (1 out of 5 stars)
August 26, 2018

I have bought the larger wattage models before and they come with a longer electrical cord. The length of this makes it impractical to work with around water because you can't put an decent size container. ONLY 10inches they need to increase the cord length to at least 24 inches.
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She's happy. I'm happy
by Hoople (5 out of 5 stars)
January 20, 2018

This is my second year using these bird bath heaters (yes, I have more than one heated water source for the hundreds of birds I feed) and it has not failed yet in persistent below zero weather. I gave one of the two I originally purchased to an elderly woman who feeds a feral cat, so that she didn't have to deal with the frozen water every day. I replaced it with another. She's happy. I'm happy. The birds and the cat are happy. Sturdy piece of equipment. I place a rock on top of it. The birds love to sit on the rock. Must warm the rock as well as the water.
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Great for the money!!
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
January 6, 2018

I have had this in my bird bath for 4 days now. We have been having sub zero and single digit temperatures since before I got it. It freezes solid at night, but I expected it would. -12 windchill is a bit much for just 44 Watts. BUT during the day there has been open water each day!! Even if it doesn't make it to double digit temperatures!! In the picture it was 8 degrees and snowing.

UPDATE:

This will be the second winter for this heater and so far it's working just as well as last winter!! The birds love it!!
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A Heater That Really Works!
by Eileen Anglin (5 out of 5 stars)
February 9, 2016

I have purchased many heaters and heated birdbaths, some have been good and some have not. This is a good one!

Some reviews talk about this being too big, but it doesn't disturb my birds at all. I put a rock on it to hold it in place, but I don't think it really needs it. Previously I had one that looked like a rock, but it did not perform well. One the very bitter winter days and nights, when you need it to work the most, it didn't. I would waken in the morning to see the poor birds pecking at the iced over bath. Not this one! In fact, the water has actually been warm to the touch, which really surprised me. I was wondering why so many birds were bathing in this one birdbath (I have 3 more) with this product. I discovered it was because this product seemed to warm the water, it was working so well.I took a video of my birds frolicking.

PROS:

Works very well, even warms the water of my birdbath.

Seems sturdy and well made

Cons:

None so far!
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A nice addition to my backyard winter fun.
by B. PRESS (5 out of 5 stars)
December 3, 2016

A nice addition to my backyard winter fun. I bought two of these affordable de-icers. MADE IN THE USA folks! When it freezes I'm hoping it does the job per the other reviews. I will be making a heated dirt "bath" like the other viewer did. Put dirt on top of the de-icer and the birds will enjoy warming themselves on it when its frozen out and snowy. So, they will have food, water and WARMTH! Looking forward to seeing how this works out. I will update my review soon.

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