Nipples

[DaveMK]

I’ve used these nipples for over a year now.
I’ve got them screwed into PVC pipe and connected to a water butt via silicone tube.

The set up works great, until winter.
The first episode of frost resulted in the PVC pipe connections busting due to frozen water expansion.

Since then, I’ve disconnected during periods of frost, and reconnected when frost passes.

However, I’m still having problems, such as today when the elastic band that holds the metal nipple pin must have broken, and the unit is now bust (photos attached.)

I’ve recently set up a new chicken coup up on my allotment plot, and have opted to screw the nipples directly into the water butt. So far this seems to work well.

I like these nipples, as they can be connected to a large water butt, prevent evaporation during summer and require no cleaning.

Does anyone have any advise for a bullet proof product similar to this nipple, or a better way of setting it up?

Thanks
Dave

 

[RoyalChick]

I’ve used these nipples for over a year now.
I’ve got them screwed into PVC pipe and connected to a water butt via silicone tube.

The set up works great, until winter.
The first episode of frost resulted in the PVC pipe connections busting due to frozen water expansion.

Since then, I’ve disconnected during periods of frost, and reconnected when frost passes.

However, I’m still having problems, such as today when the elastic band that holds the metal nipple pin must have broken, and the unit is now bust (photos attached.)

I’ve recently set up a new chicken coup up on my allotment plot, and have opted to screw the nipples directly into the water butt. So far this seems to work well.

I like these nipples, as they can be connected to a large water butt, prevent evaporation during summer and require no cleaning.

Does anyone have any advise for a bullet proof product similar to this nipple, or a better way of setting it up?

Thanks
Dave

I explored a system like yours but in the end just use the nipples in a bucket that sits on a heated base.
The ideas I picked up when researching it were:
- insulating the pipe and wrapping the insulation with tape so the chickens don’t eat it
- wrapping the pipe with heat tape
- using PEX pipe which is more tolerant of freezing - you still need PVC to anchor the nipples but with PEX in between

FWIW I have found the nipples themselves to be pretty robust. I got a handful of spares just in case but so far (4+ years) I haven’t had to replace any.

Hope that helps.

 

[DaveMK]

I explored a system like yours but in the end just use the nipples in a bucket that sits on a heated base.
The ideas I picked up when researching it were:
- insulating the pipe and wrapping the insulation with tape so the chickens don’t eat it
- wrapping the pipe with heat tape
- using PEX pipe which is more tolerant of freezing - you still need PVC to anchor the nipples but with PEX in between

FWIW I have found the nipples themselves to be pretty robust. I got a handful of spares just in case but so far (4+ years) I haven’t had to replace any.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for sharing your opinion. I believe that nipples straight into the bucket/butt will be the best solution, and will probably modify the garden coup system.

 

[TooCheep]

I'll second what @RoyalChick said. You can indeed keep a pipe setup functioning in winter using heating tape. I found it easier to use a heated bucket with nipples and then switch to a PVC pipe setup when it warms up. I'm tempted to simply abandon the PVC pipe setup, but it does have more nipples and higher capacity.

The bucket has a thermostat built in to keep the water just above freezing at about 40F/4C. The bucket and horizontal nipples have remained functional down to -10F/-23C.

 

[aart]

I believe that nipples straight into the bucket/butt will be the best solution, and will probably modify the garden coup system.

You may still need to heat the vessel/bucket/butt.

 

[DaveMK]

I'll second what @RoyalChick said. You can indeed keep a pipe setup functioning in winter using heating tape. I found it easier to use a heated bucket with nipples and then switch to a PVC pipe setup when it warms up. I'm tempted to simply abandon the PVC pipe setup, but it does have more nipples and higher capacity.

The bucket has a thermostat built in to keep the water just above freezing at about 40F/4C. The bucket and horizontal nipples have remained functional down to -10F/-23C.

Thanks for sharing your views too. The water butt I have on my allotment plot that has nipples screwed straight in is 300 litres, and hasn’t frozen over so far, but the nipples do freeze, and remain frozen for the morning until the sun defrosts them. I think this will be my go to set up from now, and I’ll ditch the. PVC pipe too.

 

[TooCheep]

Thanks for sharing your views too. The water butt I have on my allotment plot that has nipples screwed straight in is 300 litres, and hasn’t frozen over so far, but the nipples do freeze, and remain frozen for the morning until the sun defrosts them. I think this will be my go to set up from now, and I’ll ditch the. PVC pipe too.

Not 100% sure that is a good idea. You'll need a heater in the 300 liter container and that will require a lot of power. I'm only heating a 2 gallon/7 liter bucket. You want a container that will last multiple days so you aren't refilling it every day, but not so much that it will cost you an arm and a leg to keep thawed. The PVC pipe or a smaller container than your "butt" (sorry, that sounds funny in American English) would be much more cost efficient.

 

[Roosterinthecity]

Disappointed. I was thinking this thread was going in a whole different direction.

 

[TooCheep]

Disappointed. I was thinking this thread was going in a whole different direction.

You'll need to find the pictures thread for that...

 

[DaveMK]

Not 100% sure that is a good idea. You'll need a heater in the 300 liter container and that will require a lot of power. I'm only heating a 2 gallon/7 liter bucket. You want a container that will last multiple days so you aren't refilling it every day, but not so much that it will cost you an arm and a leg to keep thawed. The PVC pipe or a smaller container than your "butt" (sorry, that sounds funny in American English) would be much more cost efficient.

I understand your point. We don’t tend to go below zero for long where I am, so it’s relatively easy for me to pop to my allotment plot in the mornings that it’s frozen, to top up a bucket of water for the girls.
I don’t have access to electricity on the plot, so a heater isn’t an option.
I don’t think the 300L water butt would ever freeze solid here where I’m based. It’s only the top layer that has frozen so far, which means that the nipples are only frozen on the outside, and so far has always defrosted by mid day.