Customer Reviews

K&H 9000 Ice Eliminator BirdBath 50-Watt De-Icer

5 star:		(82)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It finally got cold enough to try this out. So far, it seems to work very well. Temperatures have been in the 20s and 30s and it keeps a 12" circle of water ice-free. The birds have definitely been taking advantage of it.

It mentions this in the description, but I missed it initially, so I just thought I would reiterate that this heater is thermostatically controlled, so it only turns on when necessary. That's nice, as thermostatic plugs cost twenty bucks or more.

[UPDATE]
My circuit breaker tripped and the birdbath water froze. When I turned it back on, the heater thawed its way out of a solid block of ice at 5 degrees F. I'd say that it works pretty well!

I had procrastinated when it came to getting a bird bath heater. Winter came on later this year, but I had still for some reason waited until the bath was frozen solid to actually decide on what one to get. I was pleasantly suprised to find that by morning this little heater had melted all the way to the bottom of the bath. I don't have a bad thing to say about this product. The cord is a bit unruly, but I suspect that is the case no matter what heater I would have put in. Despite only being a 50 watt heater it has to date always kept the bird bath open, even on those nights where it got below zero and the wind chills were in the -30 range.

When the temp went down below zero for 4 or 5 days in a row, the heater was able to keep a small area free from ice in the bird bath for them to access the water all the time. It is nice to see the animals getting something to drink when everything else around them is frozen solid.

As for my electric bill, I did not notice a difference when using the heater during the months of Jan or Feb. The 50 watt heater is enough to keep some of the water accessible, but not kill my electric bill.

This ice eliminator worked not only for a standard size birdbath but I am successfully using it to keep a two-level water fountain running. It is amazing to see how many critters are attracted by clean fresh water - squirrels, birds, even a few neighborhood cats. I placed the unit in the lower bowl of my fountain near the pump. Since this allows moving water through the top spout, it stays open even in freezing temps.

This is a good deicer. The size is nice and will fit in most bird baths. In the cold New England winters it does not put out enough heat to keep the entire bird bath free of ice when it gets really cold outside but usually at least half is ice free. I like the auto temperature sensor so that it turns off on the warmer days. The only downside to this product is the length of the cord. I would have to run an extension cord no matter how long its cord was but I would prefer it if the cord was a couple of feet longer. The birds certainly do appreciate having a drinking source in the cold weather.

K&H Bird Bath Ice Eliminator This birdbath heater looks natural in the birdbath (unlike a coil) and can be painted if you want to. It's an energy miser at just 50 watts of power (others use 4 times more at 200 watts). At 11 cents per Kwhr., this heater costs just 13 cents/day or $3.90/month to operate, before considering the thermostat feature. The built-in thermostate turns this unit off at temperatures above 40 degrees. Your actual operating cost is probably $2 per month. That's a cheap price to pay for the entertainment of seeing birds year 'round at the birdbath. In the zero degree weather it still keeps a sufficient area ice-free, which is all the birds need. The birds seem to really appreciate it when there's no other sources of water. I've had mine for 4 winters now. I'm sure my 'bird-buddies' are glad I got it.

We got this to keep a terracotta dish thawed for the birds and squirrels and it works pretty well. So far it's kept a 12" diameter, 2" deep dish thawed at 8F. The only minor issue is that this must be covered by about 1/2"-1" of water to function, if the water evaporates and the top is exposed all the heat goes in to the air and the dish freezes over pretty quickly.

This is a good, simple product that works.
It has worked in temperatures down to 9 degrees fahrenheit so far.
I had a little scare when the house outlet switched itself off after a power surge, but that was a loss of power from the house, and no reflection on the unit.
One suggestion: add a small LED to indicate that the unit is receiving power. That small suggestion aside, the unit has performed faithfully.

This product works only when the weather isn't very cold. When temperatures are in the single digits or teens the water in the birdbath is frozen with a small thawed area where the ice eliminator is. I'm pretty disappointed in this product.

Thi product is awesome and last for many years. This is our third in about 20 years.