Wasted $80 on a heated bird bath last winter that cracked in a week

I thought it would help the cardinals but the base split open after the first hard freeze out here in Westlake. Has anyone found a model that actually survives a Lake Erie winter?

3 comments

3 Comments

richard_ramirez1d ago

HECK no, you're not wrong. I tried that exact same thing a few years back and learned the hard way that most of those cheap plastic ones are a total joke in a real freeze. Here's the thing nobody talks about: The problem isn't the heating element, it's the base material. You need one that's made out of a heavy-duty resin or metal, not that flimsy recycled plastic they use to keep the cost down. That cheap stuff gets brittle from the constant thaw-freeze cycle and just gives up. Look for one that says "polyethylene" or has a stone or concrete look, those hold up way better out here.

emma_hart1d ago

Used to think all heated bird baths were overpriced junk. Not anymore.

evaperez1d ago

Richard, you say the base material is the problem but I've had the opposite experience. I got a stone look one with a heavy base and the heating element gave out after two weeks while the cheap plastic one my neighbor has has been going strong for three years. @emma_hart might have changed her mind but I think most of these things are a gamble no matter what they're made of. The real issue is the thermostat inside them, not the shell. That's what fails first in my experience.