jaymo
Full Member
Posts: 202
Likes: 89
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Post by jaymo on Jul 27, 2021 8:49:33 GMT -6
I am looking for suggestions on what brand of heated livestock waterer to buy.
I have a couple Canarm waterers that are pretty old but need to replace one. It's just rotting out with rust and corrosion.
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Post by cptusa on Jul 27, 2021 11:01:00 GMT -6
Ritchie makes a good water and it's kind of a no brainer for me because I'm only 15 miles from the factory.
Going to install a Cobett this fall. Energy free. A lot of people like them too. Mines going in a field that I graze after harvest to replace a stock tank.
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Post by garyfunk on Jul 27, 2021 12:05:06 GMT -6
I'll second the Ritchie. I have four of them.
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Post by Albertabuck on Jul 27, 2021 12:44:25 GMT -6
If I was to go back to them I would use Ritchie again, expensive but good quality. I got tired of the issues with them and now use insulated troughs and overhead gravity feed now, much less stress and always a reservoir when lots want to drink at once.
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Post by SWMan on Jul 27, 2021 22:27:13 GMT -6
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jaymo
Full Member
Posts: 202
Likes: 89
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Post by jaymo on Jul 28, 2021 6:20:18 GMT -6
Where did you buy the Miraco? |
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Post by cptusa on Jul 28, 2021 6:41:09 GMT -6
I don't know anything about the Miraco but I can tell you according to your link the Ritchie is about twice the price. |
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Post by garyfunk on Jul 28, 2021 8:52:50 GMT -6
Had the Miraco Mirafount waterers for quite a few years. They were energy free but had design flaws that we had to address. The valve was out of the water and thus it froze up constantly so we modified it ( those Canarms are the same). The bowl held 30gal and in the cold snaps you had to pour hot water into it to keep it flowing. In the end the bowl got cracks in the plastic and the insulation got soaked up and they became utterly useless in the winter. If the bowl would have had plastic as thick as the outside that wouldn't have happened.
I'm pretty sure the Ritchie has a ten year warranty if that means anything 🤔.
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Post by SWMan on Jul 28, 2021 11:07:51 GMT -6
Where did you buy the Miraco? I bought it at Northfork Ranch Supply in Cartwright, they sell lots of stuff there and prices are reasonable. Fraser is more than willing to say when something isn't worth buying, but I have not used it yet so can't comment on how well it works or lasts. It is a heated water bowl. |
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Post by cptusa on Jul 28, 2021 11:33:48 GMT -6
You'll be fine. Not like you're dealing with 200 cows.
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Post by Albertabuck on Jul 28, 2021 19:14:21 GMT -6
Swman, just make sure when you install it, you do up the stand pipe that it can't fill full of water if there is an issue under the bowl. I also run a 3/4 line inside an 1 1/4 for supply. Cork both ends of the little one and leave it inside and use the larger outer one. Two things it gives you is the means of running hot water thru things if something goes south and it freezes up, that inner line is always dry. And you can always as last restort use the inner line as supply. I also run the electrical inside a 3/4 poly as well, again provides options when things happen. But even with Ritchies I still got tired of thigns freezing up, always was running 100 watt bulbs under them to keep things going and more. Was a PITA many a very cold morning.
Also consider mounting it on a wooden platform, I had mine on some made from pressure treated laminated 2x6 bridge decking about 8x10 foot. Something for them to put their feet on and at the same time is much warmer than concrete and is movable to boot.
All my waterers got incinerated in that fire when I was moving, they were up on top of a highboy load of wooden fence panels, so it was the chance for me to go different here, and thats why I switched to the troughs and overhead gravity system. Much less grief and expense too and one thing I like a lot is how there is a good head of water if several want to drink all at once. I no longer need to stagger feeding times ect like I used to before.
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Post by SWMan on Jul 28, 2021 22:08:49 GMT -6
I'm curious about this overhead gravity system now, how does it not freeze in winter? Forgive my ignorance but I don't think I've seen something like this before, how is it fed with water?  |
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Post by Beerwiser on Jul 28, 2021 23:07:58 GMT -6
I agree with SW, please explain your overhead watering system AB. Couple of thoughts on pads and water lines. With the supply line I have always had the 1" line inside a 4" pipe and drop heat tape down. The one water bowl and my mothers house actually have 2 lines run in case one fails. Usually just tape a heavy nut or something to weigh it down. I have yet to have a line freeze when the heat tape is working. Nor have I had a problem with any of the plumbing between the ground and bottom of the water bowl. My biggest problem is wind on top of the water bowl that will freeze the float valve. If that happens, I throw a couple of old blankets over it and let it thaw on its own.
With the pad, all of mine were done with rail way ties. They move no matter how well you strap them together and with all the water the cows drip heaving is a problem on the primary one. It is never level. So my thought is to put a pipe down or even a screw piling and weld a plate just the size of the water bowl. Cut an access hole for the utilities to come up through and it should be everlasting. Past the water bowl I was thinking of rig matting to surround it. I hate having to fill in dirt where the cows push it out on the back. I am open to problems that might arise from this idea. It sounds good in my head, so it is most likely to go horribly wrong and on the worst possible day(-40 Christmas day comes to mind).
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Post by meskie on Jul 29, 2021 9:09:50 GMT -6
We have cement pads for all our water bowls. Have the 4 inch stand pipe with a 1.25 line for the water. We then wrap heat tape around a 1.5 inch pipe and slip it over the waterline. We wrap the top tighter and go less as we go down. Only time it freezes is when the heat tape doesn’t work and there is a small leak with water running down then it’s only Few inches down the pipe. The water bowl element generally keeps it warm enough If heat tape quits. It all depends how many cows are drinking also as moving water doesn’t freeze.
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Post by meskie on Aug 11, 2021 9:22:50 GMT -6
Finally got around to fixing the lid on our one watering bowl. The bulls drink out of it in the winter so it needed a bit of reinforcing. The styrofoam that comes with it to insulate doesn’t work very good when it gets water logged. Then it will freeze and fall out of place and either hold the float up so it freezes or will make the bowl run over. I lined it with 14 gauge metal and I’m going to spray foam it. Have done it on a couple others and it works well. It’s not stainless like the lid was but I figure I will need a whole new one by the time it rusts out. There is some 1/4x 1” flat bar running inside the skins to add some more strength also  |
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