Need help with waterer - pvc pipe/hose, valve, nipples, bucket

[ernie85017]

I saw this on ebay, it was $105!!!!
There went my hopes.

 

[seann]

You can make it yourself, costs less than $40

 

[Keel]

I bought everything except the chicken nipples from Home Depot. The nipples are from Ebay, they were $6 for 10.

Bucket $2.60
Screw top lid $6.97 (which will make filling easier)
1" X 2' PVC $1.80
1" X 3/4" PVC male adapter $0.96
1" PVC Cap $0.66
6' Leader Hose $7.47
3/4" Bulkhead Union $11.77 (there were cheaper options for this part, but in my opinion this is the best way to go.

This is the list from my receipt. Now that I am looking at it there is one piece that they didn't charge me for. I don't know what it is called, I think it is the threaded piece that joins the bulkhead union to the leader hose.

Howdy, sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I found this thread to be the most detailed and helpful information on this subject. My Home Depot had the PVC, the cap, the leader hose and the bulkhead union, but the bulkhead union wouldn't thread the leader hose beyond a half turn. I returned it and thought I'd buy it elsewhere, but Ace "was not the place" and they referred me to Tractor Supply, which had a 3/4" union but for thicker walls than my bucket. I'm guessing I'll try Lowes. More importantly, no 1" x 3/4" PVC male adapter was to be found.

I made some modifications. Here it is in place and working great for my 8 girls.

Yes, when the nipples were attached directly to the pipe it leaked. I tried silicone and thread tape with no luck. The threaded t's are working perfectly. Now that it has been in place for a while the only thing I see that I would change is spacing of the nipples. They should be farther apart.

Which brings me to these T connectors. I can find 1" T-connectors, but none with threads that would house the watering nipple, which I'm guessing is 3/8" or a hair smaller. I struck out at Home Depot, Ace and Tractor Supply with these also. I'm finding ebay has the threaded T connectors as was mentioned elsewhere in this thread, but they are all for 1/2" PVC, and following your list above, I purchased 1" PVC.

Reader's Digest version, my gals will be here this weekend, and I need a working waterer. I need a bulkhead union (3/4" is what is listedd), a PVC adapter that will connect to the 2' 1" PVC where the nipples are (hopefully) mounted, and some 1" T connectors with threads that will fit the red nipples sold on ebay.

If anyone can help with sources and (dare I ask) part numbers, I'd be MOST appreciative.

TIA!

 

[HennaRose]

I realize this post is months old now and you've probably figured it out, but for future readers, here's what I bought for my PVC bucket waterer today.

1-inch PVC pipe, 2 ft long (to be cut in half)
1-inch PVC Tee
1-inch to 3/4-inchPVC male adapter
1-inch PVC caps(2)
3/4-inch to 1/2-inch brass adapter (to connct PVC to hose)
6' leader hose
3/4-inch to 1/2-inch elbow fitting (to connect hose to bucket)
5-gallon bucket
5-gallon screw-on lid
PVC cement

I already had the nipples, sandpaper, zip ties, and a tube of silicone sealer.

I plan to put this together tomorrow and will get pictures ASAP.

EDIT 2/5/15 1:26 pm:

I ended up not needing the PVC cement and took it back. I forgot to take in-progress pictures and I'm not home now. I'll get to them tonight or tomorrow, but in the meantime here's how to put this thing together. This has 4 nipples and I'm planning on using it to water 10 chicks.

1. Cut 6 inches off the 2' pipe. This is to connect the tee to the adapter. (I forgot and ended up gluing and duct taping those parts. I don't know how well they'll hold so I'll get a new bit of pipe and fix it next week.) Cut the remaining pipe in half and sand the edges smooth with sandpaper.

2. Fit the long pieces into the tee and fit the caps onto the pipe ends. Drill holes for nippes (I needed something a little bigger than 5/16, but I can't remember the size. I'll check and edit this when I add the pictures.)

3. Fit the short piece into the tee and the adapter onto that.

4. Screw the nipples partway into the holes in the long pipes.

5. Make sure the nipples are lined up on the bottom of the pipe. Use the silicone to seal all the seams. Put a little silicone around each nipple at the pipe and screw them down the rest of the way. Set this piece aside to dry. (The tube says 30 minutes but it may take longer; it's rainy/humid here today and it took about an hour.)

6. Drill a 3/8" hole in the side of the bucket about an inch from the bottom. Push in the elbow fitting. Seal around that with silicone and set aside to dry.

7. Attach the brass fitting to the hose. Once the silicone is dry, snap the lid adapter onto the bucket and connect the hose at both ends. Install the pipe with zip ties inside the coop/run and put the bucket somewhere above it so water can flow from the bucket to the pipe. I put mine on a small table just outside the pen because I didn't have a safe way to hang it in the garage where the babies are brooding. Fill and use!

I'm sure there's a way to make this an auto-filling waterer by connecting it to a water source and using some other parts I don't have and can't remember right now, but 5 gallons will last me a bit because right now my birds are little. As they get older and need more water I'll see about adapting it to fill itself.

Edit again:

My bucket sprung a leak where the elbow fitting was installed. I ended up removing the fitting and threading the hose through the hole instead. There were no leaks without silicone around the hose, but I sealed it anyway,inside and out, just to be safe. No more leaks!

 

[zoly]

you need a square-sided bucket. Get one that Strongid comes in from a horse friend, or get a rectangular water storage container That has a perfect spot to screw the Tee into.

Thread the tee and nipples with white Teflon tape. Good luck!

 

[MikeCinC]

Here's a tip for those who are considering making a nipple watering system using PVC pipe. Once you drill the 11/32" hole for the nipple you can use a standard 1/8-27 Tap to thread the hole for the nipple. This is the thread pitch for these nipples. If you only run the tap half way into the hole the fit is a bit tighter for those who are concerned with leakage around the threads. Since the tap is tapered, only going part of the way into the hole will create a tighter fit. If you try the nipple and it seems too tight you can run the tap another turn or two into the hole to reduce the friction.

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

[wyoDreamer]

How high do you install the horizontal pipe with the nipples ?
I am going to install my waterer along the wall that will have the nesting boxes on it. I hope to be able to insulate the pipe and bottom of the nesting box to help stop freezing problems. A BYC member did that and I thought it sounded like a great idea.

 

[TrueFloridaGirl]

Could

Here is the one I made. The bucket will sit outside the coop to conserve space and be easy to fill.

you send me the supplies (items you purchased) to make this work. Please

 

[aart]

Could

you send me the supplies (items you purchased) to make this work. Please

@TrueFloridaGirl that member @jenniemig has not been here for 5 years,
and I can't find an article or thread describing this build.