Heated Bird Bath Help

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Heated bird baths are a great addition to a bird feeding station. Since they are electrical,sometimes there are things can make the customer think that the bath is not working correctly. Often times the problem is just a quick fix or not even a fix - just a little cleaning or adjustment to get the heated bird bath back on track.

Here are some quick tips to use:

My Heated Bath Does Not Turn On

This is a common question in early winter when backyard birders are just starting to put their heated bath outside. Where are you testing the heater? About 99 percent of the time people are turning the heater or bath on in their home to test it and that is the reason why the units aren't starting up. Customers sometimes expect that when they plug a heating unit in the wall that it will warm up similar to a curling iron. But bird bath heaters are thermostat controlled and shut off when the temperature is around 40 degrees

Most people tend to keep their homes a little warmer than that. The first question I always ask is "Are you testing the unit indoors?" If the answer is yes, you need to try it outside where it is cold.

It is important for people to keep in mind that heaters are not going tokeep the water hot tub warm. Many people expect it to be really warm water, when fact it is just warm enough to keep the water open.

For small heaters like the Nelson Blue Devil Heater you can test those indoors by sticking them in a freezer for a few hours and then plugging them in. If after you have it plugged in for a few moments you see steam rise, then the heater is working. Sometimes Nelson heaters will get mineral deposits built up on the unit. This can affect the heater's performance.

A trick to try is to soak the heating unit in white vinegar overnight and then rinsing and scrubbing off the deposits the next day. An old toothbrush works very well for this. Clearing off the deposits can go a long way to improve the heating capability of a bird bath heater.

Are Heated Baths Harmful to Birds?

There is no scientific evidence to back up this claim. If a bird is bathing during freezing temperatures, then there is probably something else wrong with the bird. A heated bird bath is to keep the water open not for birds to have a hot tub bathe.

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