Looking for a winter watering system design.

[Doopy]

I'm searching for a cold weather waterer design that I had a diagram of several years ago. I had a barn fire two ears ago and my plans were destroyed. Now that my new barn has electricity I would like to build the waterer.

The design had a large cooler for a reservoir - a tiny water circulating pump - a small submersible heater in the cooler - PVC pipe to a horizontal manifold with about ten watering nipples. The warm water is circulated throughout the entire system 24/7 and the system does not freeze. In warm weather you simply turn off the pump and the heater and the system works good.

Any ideas as to where I can find this DIY design again? Thanks.

 

[aart]

I remember that one......try the advanced search>titles only and start scrolling threads is the only thing I can suggest for finding it.

Thought about doing that one but went with something simpler with a jug and 6 horizontal nipples for my 15 birds.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

even with a heated circulated system, the vertical nipples can still freeze. horizontal would be a better choice.

 

[aart]

Even the horizontal nipples might freeze in a pipe system...if they are threaded into T fittings which can keep them away from the warm flow thru the pipe unless you modify the T fittings....just drilling a hole into pvc and hand threading would be dicey, I've done it and didn't like the look and feel of it but didn't test it for water tightness.

Depending on ambient temps, you also might need to use an aquarium heater rather than a stock tank or birdbath heater for a warmer flow of water.

This shows how I played with the fittings when exploring a winter pipe system:

I cut down both the T and the threaded plug
(the T cut at the top in the pic was for another project but facilitated the next photo)


Valve of nipple close enough to the flow (at least a 1/2 to 3/4" closer than with a standard T)
that I think it would work.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

good advice

 

[Doopy]

Thanks folks. I think I found what I was looking for.

I'm designing a watering system for 80 to 100 birds and there is no way I want to tote water out there or fiddle around with hoses in zero degree temperatures.

Although I have a few electric heat traced hoses that work pretty well.

aart - that is an excellent idea but I was intending to put the nipples directly into the pie without a tee fitting. That way the nipple valve would be directly in the warm water flow. I have some experience with piping systems and nipples and putting the nipples into the pipe does not seem to be a problem.

 

[aart]

Thanks folks. I think I found what I was looking for.

I'm designing a watering system for 80 to 100 birds and there is no way I want to tote water out there or fiddle around with hoses in zero degree temperatures.

Although I have a few electric heat traced hoses that work pretty well.

aart - that is an excellent idea but I was intending to put the nipples directly into the pie without a tee fitting. That way the nipple valve would be directly in the warm water flow. I have some experience with piping systems and nipples and putting the nipples into the pipe does not seem to be a problem.

Would love to see your large capacity design completed...hope you post pics here when it is done.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks folks. I think I found what I was looking for.

I'm designing a watering system for 80 to 100 birds and there is no way I want to tote water out there or fiddle around with hoses in zero degree temperatures.

Although I have a few electric heat traced hoses that work pretty well.

aart - that is an excellent idea but I was intending to put the nipples directly into the pie without a tee fitting. That way the nipple valve would be directly in the warm water flow. I have some experience with piping systems and nipples and putting the nipples into the pipe does not seem to be a problem.

I have one bit of advice I discovered. If you're using the tapered thread horizontal nipples tapped directly into the pipe, the pipe has to be about 2" or larger. I tried it in 1/2 and 3/4 and it wouldn't work.

I'm with you on fiddling with water and hoses in sub zero temps. It hit -19 last year and the cold didn't let up all winter with 7 flocks. I never want to go through that again.

 

[aart]

I have one bit of advice I discovered. If you're using the tapered thread horizontal nipples tapped directly into the pipe, the pipe has to be about 2" or larger. I tried it in 1/2 and 3/4 and it wouldn't work.

I'm with you on fiddling with water and hoses in sub zero temps. It hit -19 last year and the cold didn't let up all winter with 7 flocks. I never want to go through that again.

Curious as to what aspect 'didn't work'?

Did you drill and NPT tap the hole?

 

[Doopy]

I'll take some pics later today as I'm away from the farm until after supper tonight.

Where do you folks purchase the horiz. nipples. I think I saw someone here that sells them. I have only used the push-in type of vert. nipples or the all metal, threaded type for pigs, goats, rabbits, etc. I checked on ebay and they are quite expensive but not nearly as expensive as the all metal nipples. Gosh, a few years ago I paid $6 each for stainless steel nipples for our other livestock. Chickens, quail, and ducks don't chew on them as much as the bigger four legged animals so plastic is OK.