Horizontal Chicken Water Nipples.....Leaks?!?

[N8than]

Good afternoon all!!!
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, if that's your thing.
Down to it...
I have gradually expanded my flock from 14 to 26 hens. We started with chicks back in April for a quarantine project for the kids. With everything, I over researched and over designed things. I came across these horizontal water nipples on a well reviewed site, not the knock offs either. I bought a bag and installed them in a PVC waterer I made for the chicks. They loved it. a drop never spilled and it was easy to refill plus keep clean.
I decided to put the hens on the same system. Hens took to it with really no delay, GREAT!! Fast forward a few weeks during to blending of birds and they were all sharing and drinking. Though I was noticing a lot of leakage. Not from the area around the nipple, from the pin its self. It seems most of the 8 i have drip what I call excessively after a hen uses it. Needless to say that creates a mess in the coop.
Reached out to the supplier via IG and was informed that it is normal activity, that even her hens had drippage, especially on hot days when the nipples are used more. I was not a fan of that answer. How did 12 chicks never spill a drop, though now I have constant water dripping? Well the hot weather came and went, and being in Upstate NY the cold is slowly settling in. Still leaking a lot. Still not happy. Has any one else used these? Same problems? I have ordered another set to replace these and see what happens. Also, thoughts on keeping things from freezing this winter? Thank you all so much.

Nathan

 

[KarynVA]

I have used a 5 gallon waterer that has horizontal nipples and metal pins for several months at this point. Haven't seen any leakage. But I have only 3 hens and, like I said, haven't been using it all that long. I hope mine don't start to leak!

 

[drinkoj]

Mine leak time to time in my 5 gallon bucket set up, but my 11 pullets hit those 4 nipple all the time so I expect some leaking.
Do you have any floating debris in the pvc piping? My 5 gallon bucket had some and noticed a lot of leakage, emptied it sprayed it out, and hit the metal pins and it cleared up.

 

[N8than]

Mine leak time to time in my 5 gallon bucket set up, but my 11 pullets hit those 4 nipple all the time so I expect some leaking.
Do you have any floating debris in the pvc piping? My 5 gallon bucket had some and noticed a lot of leakage, emptied it sprayed it out, and hit the metal pins and it cleared up.

Thank you so much for the response. I did take them all out and clean the nipples. A few had some PVC in them from the drilling, though nothing since then. I have 8 ( I believe) for my 26 hens. I understand a little drippage, though this seems a bit much. Maybe I am wrong and this is normal. Just wanted to get some other professionals feedback.

 

[3KillerBs]

I got these RentACoop nipples and have no leakage anywhere in two waterers.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DVM6RC9/ref=twister_B08DDK5X6W?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I did follow advice from one of the reviews to hand-tighten the nipples rather than use the drill attachment so as not to crack the plastic.

I used the smaller of the recommended drill bits then carefully pared away just a little more plastic with a razor knife. Using the larger drill bit (we didn't have one), would probably be even better.

 

[aart]

I understand a little drippage, though this seems a bit much. Maybe I am wrong and this is normal.

You have to figure out if it's dripping from when they drink or of your thread seal is leaking.
I test mine by completely drying the outside of the vessel, setting it up on a couple pieces of 2x2 lumber on top of my dryer(easy to see), and watching closely for any drips.
But mine are installed into plastic that is softer than PVC, might be best to drill and tap.

Posting pics of your water system might help here.

 

[ADKcluckers]

A lot may be dependent on the quality control in the manufacturing, which for something with such a low per unit cost is likely to be minimal. I worked for years in plastic molding factories and can tell you that the slightest issue with a mold or feed line, or smallest variation in the raw material, can lead to lots of slightly bad parts being packaged for use before anyone notices. Once was personally responsible for several hours of bad production before I had noticed a bit of metal was jammed in one of the molds and leaving a very small void in the finished parts. Who knows how many of those caps ended up leaking on the finished products.

I put two nipples in a heated bucket for when the weather gets colder (upstate NY here too so it's not far off) and really hope they won't leak, but for the summer bucket I just put it in a spot where the leaking water won't cause much mess in the covered run.

If you have the waterer inside the coop, not in the run, like I did at first I would suggest moving it. Other than the leaking issue, I was convinced to move mine out after a lot of tips from veteran chicken keepers saying the birds should be going inside to lay and to sleep, not to eat or drink or hang out. You want to encourage them to get out and get exercise, move around, and be active in the run or yard. Think of the coop as a bedroom, not a house. You don't want them eating and drinking in the bedroom

I am planning on making a sort of mini lean-to area inside my covered run that'll be even more protected from cold winds, and that's where the heated bucket will be, along with their feed bowl. Should help keep that spot cleaner too as it'll be open on just the longer southern side and won't have bedding and such inside, just a sand floor.

 

[Wolfie2]

I have a 4" pvc waterer I made for the vertical nipples. Have tried 2 different brands so far and they both have leaked. Not sure I want to keep spending the money on this to MAYBE find one that works.

 

[aart]

I have a 4" pvc waterer I made for the vertical nipples. Have tried 2 different brands so far and they both have leaked. Not sure I want to keep spending the money on this to MAYBE find one that works.

Show us the waterers.
Are they leaking around the threads, or from the pins?