Bucket

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)
Is a very commonly used plastic type. It is lightweight, strong, and typically transparent. PET is often used for food packaging like beverage bottles or jars. It can also commonly be found in polyester clothing or rope.

High-Density polyethylene (HDPE)
Collectively polyethylene is the most used plastic in the world. However it is classified into three types, low-density, linear low-density, and high-density. HDPE in particular is a strong and resistant plastic, keeping things safe from moisture or chemicals. So if you have a bucket and wanted to know “What does HDPE on a 5 gallon bucket mean?,” now you know! Aside from buckets you might find it in milk cartons, detergent bottles, kids toys or benches.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or Vinyl)
A hard and rigid plastic, PVC is highly resistant to chemicals and weathering. This makes it ideal for construction and building applications. Additionally, since it does not conduct electricity, it is often used for wiring and or cable projects as well. A third primary use for PVC is medical settings since it is impermeable to germs and easily disinfected. Note: PVC is the most dangerous plastic to human health, known to leach toxins like lead and dioxins throughout its entire life cycle.

Low-Density polyethylene (LDPE)
This softer, clearer, and more pliable version of HDPE is typically used as a liner inside a beverage container or in corrosion resistant surfaces.

Polypropylene (PP)
Is one of the more durable types of plastic. It is extremely resistant to heat, making it ideal for lots of food packaging or storage that is meant to hold hot items or be heated itself. Think microwave safe when you think of PP. While it has some flexibility to it, it is known for holding its shape over time.

Polystyrene (PS or Styrofoam)
This plastic is known for its lost cost and high insulation ability. As such it is a staple of the food industry. However, similar to PVC, it can leach toxins into food if used improperly and become very harmful to humans.

Other
That's right, the notorious cousin to “all of the above” and sibling of “N/A” is present in the world of plastics too. A 7 is essentially a catch-all for any type of plastic that does not fall within the other six categories. It's important to note that 7s are not recyclable and not recommended for food storage, simply based on the number code alone. With slightly more research into what the plastic actually is, you can determine for yourself if it's a plastic you would eat with or stray away from.

“Use rubber buckets as opposed to metal or plastic ones as rubber is a good insulator and will slow down the rate of freezing. “

Think about the positioning of your water buckets. Placing them inside field shelters or in front of hedgerows provides a layer of insulation and will slow the water's cooling rate and therefore delay any freezing. If the buckets are outside ensure they are situated in a place that will catch any sunlight in the daytime (if there is any!) so the water gets as much warmth as possible.

“Putting your bucket in a rubber tyre will help slow down the rate of freezing as will banking any bedding around the bucket in the stable. You can also sit your water bucket inside a larger bucket and then use straw or shavings to line the space between the two buckets for insulation,” adds Jess.

If you are using multiple buckets in a field or shelter, place them close to each other. Horses often group together to drink so this will raise the area's temperature and slow the freezing rate.

Another useful tip is to fill a plastic bottle with water and a cup of salt before putting the lid on and placing it in the water bucket. The salt will prevent the water inside the bottle from freezing and the bottle will float in the water which will stop the water in the bucket from icing over.

“We have a water trough which the horses don't have access to but we use to refill any buckets so we always cover that at night to save having to break the ice the next morning,” concludes Jess. “If buckets or troughs do freeze, don't just break the ice and leave it to float in the water, take out any chunks so the water takes longer to refreeze.”

In the USA and Canada where temperatures are more extreme than in the UK there are several ways to prevent water buckets from freezing. In colder climates it is also important to have measures in place for any water taps and pipes.

“Heated water buckets — where the heater is in a sealed compartment at the bottom of the plastic bucket, so no shock can transfer — that can hang on the wall are really useful but you need to fully enclose the metal coated cord in the wall so that the horse or any rodents can't chew it.

Placing a piece of wood or a well-sealed plastic jug filled with rock salt in each water barrel won't necessarily stop it icing over but is a good tip to stop the water from freezing so hard that it breaks the barrel.

“Wrapping all exposed pipes with foam and silver reflective blankets helps to prevent them from freezing but I find horses tear it off if I put it around their bucket or barrel,” says Jay Jay, who has also insulated and heated the area where all her pipes meet.

Installing hot water tanks in your barn and hanging hoses in heated rooms ensures you always have access to water to fill up any water buckets, regardless of the temperature.

“Leaving a trickle of water running from the tap down into a drainpipe underground in the really cold weather is a good idea as running water rarely freezes,”Jay Jay adds.

“Back up power is a necessity for us so we have three generators that we use to keep water and water heaters running in power outages,” reveals Jay Jay. “We also have a self-draining standpipe as back up if everything else freezes up.”