In colder climates, de-icers are commonly used to keep animal stock tanks from freezing. Styles of de-icers vary, but include floating units, submersible units, and units that fit into existing drain plugs. The vast majority of known de-icers are thermostatically controlled, turning on only when temperatures approach freezing. However, in the event that a de-icer is not thermostatically controlled (which is likely rare), there are substantial energy savings to be had.
This measure requires that a thermostatically-controlled de-icer replaces a functioning, non-thermostatically controlled de-cier. This early retirement case is the only case assumed to have energy savings, since all known de-icers currently on the market are thermostatically-controlled.
