Homemade automatic watering system

[redneck]

I just put together an automatic watering system using a 5 gallon container and a piece of 3 inch pvc pipe. The pipe is about 18 inches long with a slot cut in it. I attached it to the side coop with conduit hangers.

 

[cookinmom]

Hey, that's pretty nifty! How is the tubing attached to the bottom of the big container, and what keeps it from leaking? That looks like the plastic tubing used for kitchen sink sprayers. Is that right?

 

[redneck]

The container has a threaded cap. I put in a plastic threaded hose barb. The tubing simply slips into a hole I drilled in the pvc.

 

[BirdBrain]

That's really nifty, but can I ask a probably obvious question? If the tubing goes down into the waterer, what keeps it from overflowing....I am just not "getting" the physics here. Can you be any more descriptive or am I totally missing something?

 

[redneck]

There is a vacum created inside the container that stops the water from flowing freely. When the water level drops in the pvc pipe it will allow air to get into the system and water will flow out into the pvc.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

Great idea, I've been trying to think of away to make a waterer. hope you dont mind me stealing your idea.

 

[mudhen]

I like the idea too! Not sure I really undestand the part where the tube goes into the PVC trough though.

But it is very clever, and I may give it a shot!!

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

Wow! Great idea! I had wondered if something like that would work, after seeing the similar setup for feed.

I would guess you have adjusted the hose so that it sits about 3/4 of the way up the diameter of the pipe; is that correct? If the end of the hose was too close to the bottom side of the watering pipe, it would seem that not much water would be able to be in the watering pipe. And if the end of the hose was really close to the top end of the watering pipe, it might overflow as it was refilling. Can you confirm about how far into the watering pipe you have the end of the hose?

What a fantastic idea. Thanks again!

 

[redneck]

I started with the hose all the way to the bottom of the pvc pipe. I finally settled on about halfway. With it in the middle I seemed to have a good flow but not an overflow. The container I used just had a threaded hole but the bottom of the hole was not cut out. It was still sealed. I drilled a 3/16" hole in the bottom to limit the amount of water that flowed into the hose. With 5 gallons of water there is a lot of pressure there. I will try and get some pictures of the hole thing dissembled.