Can You Use an RV Heated Hose for a Stock Tank or Chicken Waterer?

Why the RV label does not matter

“RV” in a product title describes the largest group of buyers, not a limit on use. The makers themselves say so:

There is no technical difference to look for between a heated hose for chickens, a heated hose for a stock tank and a heated RV water hose. The questions that decide are the same everywhere: how long the run is, where the outlet is and what the maker's sheet demands.

What the hose does, and what it leaves to you

A heated hose keeps the water that stands inside the hose from freezing. It was not built to do more, and one maker says so about the supply side: “This hose is NOT designed to provide freeze protection to your water supply” (PIRIT manual). The same logic applies at the other end.

• The tank or trough holds standing water in freezing air, however the water got there. Keeping a drinking area open is the job of a stock tank de-icer, such as the Farm Innovators tank de-icer^* (paid link), a 1,250 W unit according to its listing.
• The chicken waterer is a small volume in cold air. A heated waterer, such as the Farm Innovators heated poultry fountain^* (paid link) with 100 W according to its listing, heats the water where the birds drink.
• The hydrant and its riser are not warmed by the hose either; see frozen spigot.

Do not expect the hose to deliver warm water as a side effect. Whether and when the water comes out warmer is covered under does a heated hose warm the water.

Our pick

Camco 25 ft (22911)

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Camco · Established brand

The 25 ft hose whose listing names its certifications and its certifiers.

Why here: For a tank or coop within 25 ft of the hydrant: Camco's own product page names livestock, agriculture and kennels as uses and confirms the 5/8 in bore and the −20 °F line. Camco publishes no wattage.

Best for: RV sites where the spigot is within 25 ft and named drinking-water certifications matter more than the lowest price.

What speaks for it

• Listing names an NSF/ANSI 61 certified hose and CSA lead-free certification to NSF/ANSI 372
• Thermostat-controlled heating cable that only heats as needed (listing)
• 5/8 in inner diameter
• Camco's own site lists a 3-year warranty with receipt

What to know first

• Camco publishes no wattage on its product pages
• Instruction sheet not available online: cord and insulation rules could not be checked
• Warranty is given as 1 year in the Amazon listing data and 3 years on camcooutdoors.com
• Costs clearly more than marketplace hoses of the same length

Length

25 ft

Rating (maker's claim)

−20 °F (Camco)

Inner diameter

5/8 in

Heat control

thermostat-controlled cable (listing)

Certification named

NSF/ANSI 61 hose, CSA lead-free to NSF/ANSI 372 (listing)

Warranty

3 years with receipt (camcooutdoors.com); 1 year in Amazon listing data

For longer runs, including the 100 ft PIRIT hose whose manual is written for farm use, the page on heated water hoses for livestock and barns compares the options from 25 to 100 ft.

Three rules that matter more in a coop or pen

Keep the cord where animals cannot reach it. The PIRIT manual has a sentence written for exactly this setting: “Route the supply cord and locate the hose so as to prevent damage by livestock.” The manual does not mention poultry by name; the principle of keeping beaks, teeth and hooves away from a 120-volt cord applies all the same.

Leave the thermostat in the cold. PIRIT requires the thermostat to be exposed to ambient temperature, not in a heated environment or an insulated compartment. If the cord end with the thermostat hangs inside a warmed coop or a heated tack room, the heater can stay off while the hose outside freezes.

GFCI outlet, no extension cord. PIRIT and Miller both demand a GFCI-protected, grounded outlet and both rule out extension cords. On many small homesteads the coop has no such outlet nearby. The reasons and the alternatives are on the page about extension cords and heated hoses.

Two more rules from the manuals fit the daily filling routine: do not run the hose coiled (PIRIT), and do not leave it plugged in without water (Miller).

When a heated hose is the wrong tool

If the waterer is filled once a day and carried back, or the tank is topped up in a few minutes, a heated hose solves a problem you may not have. An ordinary hose that is drained after every filling needs no outlet at all. A heated hose earns its place when the line has to stay connected and full between fillings.

If hose, de-icer and waterer end up on one circuit, add up their watts before winter. The page on heated hose power use gives the makers' figures for the hose; the circuit itself is a question for a qualified electrician.

More on electrical rules is under heated hose safety. The heated water hose overview explains the product type, and further short answers are collected under questions and answers.