On the subject of creating a watering system- Uniseals --- are marvelous. No caulk, no plumber's tape- just use a hole saw to cut the appropriate size, stick the Uniseal through the hole, push the 1/2" or 3/4" PVC pipe through the hole- absolutely wonderful for use on the awkward curve of a bucket front. Never had so much as a drip leak.
In the "wish I had known" section as it applies to watering systems, I wish I had originally thought to put a separate drain (made with a Uniseal, 1/2" pipe, 1/2" elbow, pvc ball valve) in the bucket's side for the purpose of emptying the bucket without ever lifting it or messing with the stuff it's connected to... as good as Uniseals are, if there is still water in the bucket and you pull the pipe out, the water will come gushing out.
Today I wanted to drain out the warm coop water and replace it with cool fresh water. It didn't have a drain so I went through the whole dance with an almost full bucket- getting the lid off without damaging the other PVC work that is glued- well, now it has a drain. Having a 2nd Uniseal with the above described set-up gives means to flush the bucket in seconds and refill with clean water. Another wonderful place to have a drain is at the end of each PVC pipe line of poultry cups and/or nipples. Overkill? Maybe, but for that one-time $3 expense, I can flush the pipe quickly and often- good way to keep things clean. In places where water conservation is especially vital, having control of the discarded water makes it easy to reuse in the landscape or garden.
In the "wish I had known" section as it applies to watering systems, I wish I had originally thought to put a separate drain (made with a Uniseal, 1/2" pipe, 1/2" elbow, pvc ball valve) in the bucket's side for the purpose of emptying the bucket without ever lifting it or messing with the stuff it's connected to... as good as Uniseals are, if there is still water in the bucket and you pull the pipe out, the water will come gushing out.
Today I wanted to drain out the warm coop water and replace it with cool fresh water. It didn't have a drain so I went through the whole dance with an almost full bucket- getting the lid off without damaging the other PVC work that is glued- well, now it has a drain. Having a 2nd Uniseal with the above described set-up gives means to flush the bucket in seconds and refill with clean water. Another wonderful place to have a drain is at the end of each PVC pipe line of poultry cups and/or nipples. Overkill? Maybe, but for that one-time $3 expense, I can flush the pipe quickly and often- good way to keep things clean. In places where water conservation is especially vital, having control of the discarded water makes it easy to reuse in the landscape or garden.