Heated 3 gal waterer - read before you buy (or use)

[BawkinOnTheBench]

I bought that 3 gallon heated waterer from Premier. I decided to set it up this weekend. I would have to say that it has a design flaw, though it's still quite usable. The rim of the bowl is at almost exactly the same height as the hole the water flows out of. This makes it quite intolerant of a less than level surface. I put mine on the same bricks I'd had my other waterer on, flipped the waterer over and walked away - and it flooded the corner of my coop. Luckily the lowest corner. Before I set it back up I actually used a level to adjust the sand under the bricks, and I also put it inside one of those big balck rubber bowls, the kind you use for horses. I hate to waste the floor space, but I really hate to soak my coop.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

WOW
I was thinking of that too

Thanks for sharing

Joanne

 

[chicknsnbiskits]

I had the same problem with our 1 gallon lug base waterer. DH actually constructed a little wood "holder" for it now to make it level and keep the birds from pushing it around. Works so far.

 

[vermontgal]

Thanks for the warning, zul32. I was just about to set mine up this week... I only have 4 birds, so 3 gallons is a bit of overkill. Not sure if this is going to be the waterer for me, actually.

 

[Heidina]

I hang mine from 2 side-by-side hooks, so it's always level. Stays cleaner, too.

 

[LynneP]

That's a good tip, thanks for mentioning it.
My 3 gal galvanized waterer is made in Indiana, the hole is lower and it works well. I think the brand is Farm Innovators.

 

[spook]

set the out flow hole on the low side, it will never overflow. I too place my waterer on 2 patio blocks under the nest box so they do not get stood on, pooped in, and cleaner.
Good luck!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
LOL, I have actually typed this in on three separate occasions, gonna respond to this thread, but then deleted it because I have never used it on a waterer where the hole is *really* near the level of the rim and was not sure whether it would work in that particular situation.

Certainly in *general* if your waterer is unlevel you want it with the hole on the downhill side.

I have one of the model under discussion here, btw, although I haven't yet set it up, and am glad for the heads-up about it!

Pat

 

[sunbury chick]

This is a stupid question,but,can the chickens get shocked if the waterer is smaller than the heater it sits on?

 

[patandchickens]

Only if you've got a serious electrical fault going, and not using a GFCI. ONLY EVER plug a waterer heater into a GFCI-protected outlet (if you have none, won't do it yourself, and no electrician feasible at the moment, at least buy one of the portable ones to use).

The item discussed here has the heating element molded into the red plastic bottom part of the waterer, though, so that's not an issue in this case.

HTH,

Pat