I have one and tried it on a 7gal. plastic bucket. Everything worked great. I had to fill it quite often though. As you said, the battery is dead fast here since it may not get above freezing for a couple of months at a time, and below zero or in the single digits at night. A good friend in Texas suggested a solar charger to keep the battery up but they only work if the sun shines. It usually doesn' t here, in the winter. For 30 bucks I think with your climate it will work o.k.