The red chicken nipples

[Charlierbrt]

I can not get the red chicken nipples to stop leaking. I have 4 in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket. They leak from the metal thing they peck. Sorry for using big technical words lol.
Help, Thanks, Charlie

 

[ChickenCanoe]

try back flushing the nipples. there could be debris in the seal

 

[pdirt]

In a similar vein to what ChickenCanoe said, each nipple is designed to be fully disassembled for thorough cleaning. It's possible that algae or something has grown inside the nipple and is preventing from a complete seal. Try cleaning the parts with an old toothbrush and a bit of vinegar. Once fully cleaned, they should be as good as new. Just be careful when you disassemble each nipple to do it in a clean/flat area (such as a garage floor) so that when all the little parts fall out you can pick them up and reassemble. If you do it in a chicken run or coop, good luck finding the parts you drop!

Here's a picture of a typical vertical nipple inner workings:

 

[Charlierbrt]

Thanks for the replies, I have cleaned them. So hopefully this works Thanks again.
Charlie

 

[pdirt]

Thanks for the replies, I have cleaned them. So hopefully this works Thanks again.
Charlie

Charlie - Yes, please do let us know if the cleaning worked for you. Inquiring minds enjoy knowing the answers to puzzles Good luck in any case.

 

[KristinaE]

I had a brand new nipple waterer bucket with vertical nipples that slowly driped from all four nipples from day one. Reassembling didn't work. I ended up switching to the horizontal nipples and have not had a leak since.

 

[Charlierbrt]

It worked. Cleaned out fixed the problem, leake very little. I guess this is just from them using them.

 

[pdirt]

I had a brand new nipple waterer bucket with vertical nipples that slowly driped from all four nipples from day one. Reassembling didn't work. I ended up switching to the horizontal nipples and have not had a leak since.

I haven't had my vertical nipples leak, but I could see why they could. They need a much more exact hole and teflon thread tape. Horizontal nipples are way better design, I agree.

It worked. Cleaned out fixed the problem, leake very little. I guess this is just from them using them.

Yeah, glad to hear it!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I like them both. I also like the drinker cups. The horizontals are the only ones that work in winter though.

 

[Chicken Hound]

The only ones I can find locally are sealed on the inside of the bucket with an O ring, no threads. I have not had any trouble with them, but you do have to be careful to drill the correct size hole.