Automated, non-electric horse waterer installation

[MossflowerWoods]

The units cost $480 each, plus $50 shipping. They agreed to pay the shipping on two units (total $100) if I'd agree to document how things went.

All,
FYI - Pricing from the OP's OP...

David

 

[BeezFun]

Why did you place two of the basically beside each other?

Do they recommend more than one unit if you have more than X # of animals?

The positioning is related to the barn I'm going to build next spring. It is true that the number of horses can require more units, but we only have two horses now so don't need it for that. These will all be inside the barn, and there will be a separation by the hydrant so the horses on either side stay separated.

What is purpose of the frost free hydrant (wash rack are too)?

Right now we have to drag a hose out there to wash things, including the horses. It's also nice for sprinking the lawn out there, it's a long way from the house and the water pressure in the hose is low. The expensive part of putting in a hydrant is digging the hole. Since I had the hole I figured it was a no brainer to put one in.

How much do they cost?

$480 each plus $50 shipping

Your install looks great.

Thanks, I had nightmares the first few days imagining my connections breaking loose underground. I'm sleeping better now that it seems to be holding. I think I checked everything 20 times before I closed the patient up, now I know what it feels like to be obsessive compulsive.

 

[BeezFun]

BeezFun,
I'm thinking about something like a US Army surplus "Water Buffalo" type trailer for 3/4 of the year, but the winter will be a challenge regardless.

I am thinking for the future as much as possible.

Thanks for sharing this project.
David

One of the things I looked at was recessing the tank partway in the ground and insulating it real well. Put an insulated top on it and only have a small opening for the animals to drink out of. I found quite a few plans online for this kind of thing. If you put it it out in the sun, it might extend your season to 11 months. You could trailer the water out to fill it. My family raised cattle in South Dakota, in bad winters they had to take hay out with a helicopter, I always think about that when I think I've got horse problems.

 

[dieselscout80]

Thanks

I wonder if they may shorter tubes since I'm in South Carolina and our frost depth is about 6" - 8" or so.

 

[BeezFun]

Thanks

I wonder if they may shorter tubes since I'm in South Carolina and our frost depth is about 6" - 8" or so.

Yes they make shorter lengths. They also make custom lengths, but can't see why you'd need that.

 

[BeezFun]

I forgot to update this thread. I had to go back and install a water hammer arrestor at the end of the line out by the drinkers. The hammer was so bad in the house it was pretty disturbing. I should have thought of this, any time there's a spring loaded valve involved, it requires either a riser or an arrestor. I ended up adding two arrestors, one as a backup in case the other one loses air. The parts are cheap compared to the labor of digging this back up again. This was huge oops, I had to dig the end of the line back up to add these.

 

[BeezFun]

Another thing that's come up is that in the summer when the horses wear grazing muzzles, they can't operate the drinkers because the muzzles are too large and clunky to operate the paddles in the drinkers. So that's made it necessary to keep a trough of water available.

As far as winter operation, they work well. The only problem we've encountered is when we either had freezing rain, or when there was a fast freeze/thaw cycle. When ice gets on the drinking/paddle mechanism, it prevents the mechanism from working. Solution is to either wait for the sun to melt the ice, or go out there with a bucket of hot water or a heat gun.