Waterer question (need help quick!)

[happyhens]

This isn't a terrible emergency, but I will be leaving tomorrow and someone else is going to be taking care of my chickens. So this needs to be working today, and I can't figure it out!
We bought a 3 gallon waterer that is the same design as this one-
http://www.strombergschickens.com/images/founts/PPF5_l.jpg
I can't get it to work right. If I take the little black cap off the bottom and leave the big black cap screwed tightly on the top, the red tray overflows and all the water runs out. Is mine defective, or am I doing something wrong?

 

[kycklingar!]

sounds defective. Check for leaks, and if the plug on top is in tightly. If any air gets in the top, it will leak for sure.
In an emergency, you can also make your own makeshift waterer. Just take any leak-proof bucket, and a dish or tray (like a pie tin), and a thin spacer like pieces of tile or thin strips of wood (thinner than the pie tin is deep). Fill the bucket with water, place the spacers and pie tin on it, and flip it upside down fast. Should keep for a few days in an emergency.
Hope you work everything out!

 

[Lollipop]

Air is getting past the caps. Both caps need to be screwed on tight........Pop

 

[Chickenfeet]

Wish i could help. just bumped it up for you. hopefully someone else can help.

 

[happyhens]

Quote:
Both caps? The black one on the top AND the smaller one on the bottom? If the smaller cap on the bottom is screwed on, can the water still get from the tank to the tray? Thanks for all the input, I'm still a little confused... maybe it is defective though.

 

[Opa]

The large cap must be screwed on very tight. Remove the small black cap and place in back on the threaded storage lug at the top. If water overflows the bottom pan you haven't created the vacuum necessary. Return small cap to bottom fill, remove large top cap, apply small amount of vasoline to rubber gasket and reinstall. Insure that the large cap is threading on straight and tighten as much as possible and then some. Remove small black cap and place on top storage lug. The first time I tried it I must have redone it a half dozen times before it worked. Even now I sometimes have to do it twice.