Plastic Waterbutts and Freezing Winters – Do they crack?

I’ve just fitted plastic waterbutts to my house but its just occurred to me that if we have another very cold winter the water inside them would freeze, and thus expand, at the same time as the plastic would become brittle due to the low temperatures, potentially causing them to crack and fail.

Does this happen?

If so does the old ‘football on the fishpond’ trick work to stop the ice forming a complete skin or do you just have to keep them empty until it warms up?

I’m hoping for a warmer winter but am just planning ahead!

Thanks.

DAVE

“Does this happen?”

No

What FunkyDunc said. Never had a problem with ours over the last two pretty horrific winters.

We’ve two in the garden, the’re normally pretty low anyway by winter but even when half-full (or more) freezing hasn’t caused an issue

Ours has been through two winters without a problem.

Surely so long as the ice has somewhere to expand (i.e. upward), it won’t crack? Or do I have that wrong?

konabunny – Member
Surely so long as the ice has somewhere to expand (i.e. upward), it won’t crack? Or do I have that wrong?

+1.

we put apples in the horses water buckets in the winter … the bob about and help keep the surface moving.

that was until the horse figured out how to dook for apples.

Ours froze solid last winter, it swelled up but didnt split

I’ve got two of them collecting rainwater from my shed roof, been in situ for approx 18 years and freeze every winter. No leaks to date 🙂

Two of ours cracked last year but we did get down to -16C. The pond was frozen almost 12″ deep.

Cheers all!

DAVE

Ours froze solid last winter, it swelled up but didnt split

😯
I didn’t think that would be possible! (Not in the UK anyway).