Help, my new waterer overflows!

[Wimomof2]

Yep, has to be level. I hate it, stopped using it. What a waste of money!

 

[Birdinhand]

I had another harris farms one that had to be exactly level and I gave up. it ended up being a bit of a moot issue as I found that anything but a nipple waterer has to be cleaned so much it's not worth it. the only really good waterer I've found is a vertical nipple waterer that is easy to fill and has high quality nipples that don't leak. I use a heater in the winter time to keep it from freezing.

https://www.atwoods.com/cherry-chicks-chicken-kooler-35-gallon-ck2.html

 

[wyochick10]

I have one too. Hate it! Read all the reviews on how to make it not leak. None of them worked. Very disappointed!

 

[Papaw-John]

UPDATE:
I contacted the manufacturer of the drinker through email. I corresponded with "Bob" who over a couple of days and about 7 emails really helped me. The drinker is now working fine and watering my 100 roosters.
Because of the special attention I was given, I highly recommend their products!

 

[Mosey2003]

I bought one of these lightly used, the green 6.25 gallon model. I haven't yet unscrewed everything to clean it and it's not sitting perfectly level, but it's worked totally fine for more than two months for me. I've seen elsewhere that Harris Farms was really helpful to work with. I love the big open top for filling, so hoping I don't have any such issues if/when I buy another one.

 

[esavvymom]

UPDATE:
I contacted the manufacturer of the drinker through email. I corresponded with "Bob" who over a couple of days and about 7 emails really helped me. The drinker is now working fine and watering my 100 roosters.
Because of the special attention I was given, I highly recommend their products!

Please do share!! . We need help. I am so tired of this game.

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

They are a pile of poop. I have 2. Both not in service and hanging in the barn rafters.

1. They have to be EXACTLY LEVEL.
2. Twice a week they had to be disassembled and cleaned in the ball cock pressure chamber.
3. Numerous failures left my big flock dehydrating in the summer heat wave last year.
4. If you hang it to keep it plumb level, the handle won't last being made of cheep plastic.

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Can I have them for free?

*Edit* - Just read that you actually giving them for free after all.... but you live too far. Unless of course you can ship them for free too, hahaha.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The water is held in by the surface tension of the water. Once air enters the water container, water will flow until such time as a partial vacuum is formed then the surface tension prevents any more water running out until the fill hole is above the level of the water in the drinking tray. Once the water in the storage portion of the drinking fountian has refilled the tray the supply of air entering the water storage portion is halted until there is once more room for air to enter the water storage part of the fountian through the wee hole.

About as easy and as fool proof as things can get.

 

[sonomacluck]

The water is held in by the surface tension of the water. Once air enters the water container, water will flow until such time as a partial vacuum is formed then the surface tension prevents any more water running out until the fill hole is above the level of the water in the drinking tray.

I have a waterer made of metal, same concept, different company. It will absolutely leak if not level. I hang it, and level it, no problems. I can also get away with being a few degrees off level and it not leaking.

We do not clean any ball cocks like the manufacturer suggested, but the whole thing gets dirty due to dust. We spray it with a hose to clean it, fill it, hang it, done.

 

[sliceofblue]

I have the green easy fill drinker. It started overflowing after a few weeks. I read all the stuff about it being level and needing to have the vacuum seal. I got super frustrated because no matter what I tried, neither solution seemed to work. I even built a little level, concrete platform to set it on, and it still leaked.

I don't actually think either of those are the issue with this particular waterer. After lots of frustration, I brought it in the house, took it all apart, cleaned everything thoroughly, and did a few experiments. What I found in my situation, finally, was that the large (9"?) black float in the base of the unit had filled with water. That float is not permanently sealed, but it should not have water in it! I think a little water must seep into it over time.

After getting the water out of the float the thing worked perfectly. Just to be sure, I ran a test with the waterer tilted (sitting on a 3/4" block) -- it worked fine -- and with the lid completely off (no vacuum) and again, it worked fine. I put water back into the float and ran the same tests. Leaked over the edge again both times. Hope this helps.