Water Trough Installation

[GaryBDavis]

Here in Central Texas, we don't get too much cold weather, but it does get down into the 20s several times during the winter and every once in a great while, it gets really cold like 10 or 12 degrees. Most folks don't do much to protect water troughs during the winter, just cut them off when we get a hard freeze.

I wanted to protect the pipe and valve from freezing and keep the cows from chewing on things so this is what I came up with. The idea is to let the float valve freeze (doesn't seem to hurt it due to its design). If it is a really hard freeze, it might start freezing up the hose that connects the float valve to the cutoff valve. But the hose will expand slightly so it won't break as easily as hard pipe would. If it does break, it can be easily replaced and the running water goes into the trough. The cutoff valve is cracked open just enough to let the float valve work. That way if it breaks, it won't flood the place too bad before I notice it.

As for the pipe leading up to the cutoff valve, it is galvanized pipe with an insulated sleeve. The head is protected with that expanding foam you get in a can.

I couldn't find any real good ideas when researching this so I came up with most of this on my own. Probably because I live in a fairly warm climate and nobody around here worries too much about it or goes to this much effort. You guys up north probably have some good setups and I'd like to see them. I have two more of these to make.

 

[radioman]

looking good- I like your inguenity :thumbsup: the valve shutoff door should be covered with block of foam for winter to prevent consedation from building up and freeze and let cold get through.

In north, we just use frost freeze shutoffs 4 ft deep or so so water drains out when shut off automatically so there is no water to freeze. In the barn- when it gets really cold, we just have it running 24/7 with overflow pipe to drain water so moving water doesnt freeze and moving water acts like friction to melt edges of ice that does forms.

 

[Bedlam]

Like these i think?
FROST PROOF HYDRANT 3/4 X 2' - Agri Supply

 

[GaryBDavis]

I use those frost-proof faucets that drain into the ground where I don't have livestock to mess with them. They work wonderfull. But for water troughs where the water needs to stay on rather than off most of the time, I thought I needed a different solution.

I've also used the freeze proof outdoor faucets like you see on the side of a house, but again, those are designed to not freeze when they are shut off.

Once, I saw a valve that was installed in the center floor of a trough. It stayed underwater near the bottom where it would not freeze and the cows couldnt get to it (except the calves I have that like to hop in the trough for some reason). Still, I couldn't find the components for it and no one eems to use them this far south.