How can I use a car battery safely for outdoor power supply?

Okay so I need to know how I can safely use a car battery outside. I want to use it as a power source for a water heater for my horse water. The water heater will be using about 12-30 watts. I want to make sure that the battery is also protected from weather such as rain. Is there any way I can do this? Or is there an other way I can supply power to the heater with out cords?|||When we were using a motorbike battery to power our electric fencing, we puts ours on top of a log with a bit of plastic film over the tope to prevent it from getting we from the ground, and then cut out a hole in an old plastic biscuit box with a stone on top to weight it down and covered the battery and exposed wires with that. So long as the chords up the water heater are plastic coated and both ends are covered, they should be fairly weather proof.


Never had a problem working like that, just had to check the covers a couple of times a day to make sure it was all ok.|||You may just be able to stick it in a large plastic container (like rubbermaid) and cut holes in the container for the cables (being careful to tie them up and keep them away from grabbing distance from the horses).|||if your going to use it for a water heater, make sure you hook up a gfi outlet just incase you get a short in a wire it wont electrify the water an zap or even kill your horse|||i use a car battery for my fencing all i do is put bucket over the battery stops rain gettin i also put a hole in the side to run cord thro