Keeping my lye tank warm in the winter

[trigger02]

I am thinking about using a submersible livestock heater to keep my cast iron cleaning tank running during the cold months. My lye solution works much slower when the temperature drops and I want to speed things up. I have seen heaters meant for water troughs and think one might work for this setup. But I am not sure if the lye will eat through the heating element over time. I want to hear if anyone has tried this or if there is a better way to keep the chemicals warm when it is freezing outside.

 

[checkm8]

Check if the heater is made of stainless steel because lye will dissolve aluminum parts quickly.

 

[shenshan5]

I am thinking about using a submersible livestock heater to keep my cast iron cleaning tank running during the cold months. My lye solution works much slower when the temperature drops and I want to speed things up. I have seen heaters meant for water troughs and think one might work for this setup. But I am not sure if the lye will eat through the heating element over time. I want to hear if anyone has tried this or if there is a better way to keep the chemicals warm when it is freezing outside.

Make sure the heater is always fully covered by the liquid to prevent it from burning out.

 

[tiptiptoe]

@trigger02 Do you have a way to control the temperature so the liquid does not get too hot and splash?

 

[iconic matz]

You could try insulating the sides of the tank with foam board to hold the heat in better.