Automatic waterer overflowing- is it me?

[Moodymare58]

I know that there are strong feelings both ways about automatic waterers. But is the following problem just bad luck or what. I have two stables with automatic waterers installed by professional plumber. Stable 1 has always had a small bowl always full type and has never been a problem. Stable 2 ( next door) has had one of those ones which horse presses to operate. Was fine for a while then kept overflowing. On plumbers suggestion I replaced the one in stable 2 for the same type as stable 1. It overflowed at once. He then told me to buy another one, same always full type as he thought newly installed one was faulty. Did so. It also overflowed. Thinking that I should upgrade I bought top of range corner unit which is again always full, much more robust system which I had seen working at friends yard, guess what overflowed on day 1. So I am thinking the problem may be the plumber not the unit...but is there a simple thing that might be affecting this water supply and not the others? Sediment or something?

 

[mjcssjw2]

well i may be being a little silly, but am not sure what type of waterer you have, do you have a picture, the ones I have used have a little float, that you move up and down- this controls the water level in the water bowl, on mine it is behind the little plate at the back of the water bowl that covers the mechanism. If you lift the plate up you can see the float, you just need to remove some water and adjust the float down - but I fail to see that a plumber wouldn't know that! maybe I am misundertanding the problem.

 

[eggs]

My first thought also was that the float or ballcock on the bigger unit wasn't adjusted correctly although given you have tried so many different units isn't likely. Have the waterers been fitted parallel to the ground - if it is sloping down at the front this may cause it to overfill. Only other thought is that one of the joints isn't fitted correctly and water is trickling into the waterer from somewhere else causing the overflow

 

[Janovich]

Can't say much more than the previous posters to be honest as they were my thoughts initially.

Hope you get to the bottom of it soon OP!

 

[Ritchie Industries]

It honestly sounds as if you have a water pressure issue at the waterer. I would suggest having the plumber measure what the pressure is at the unit and at that point, determine what the waterer valve pressure capacity is. If your water pressure exceeds what the waterer valve is rated for, install a pressure regulator on the line to minimize the pressure.

 

[Dubsie]

Or...do you have a horse that likes to sit on the unit/play with it/wreck it?

 

[Spring Feather]

It honestly sounds as if you have a water pressure issue at the waterer. I would suggest having the plumber measure what the pressure is at the unit and at that point, determine what the waterer valve pressure capacity is. If your water pressure exceeds what the waterer valve is rated for, install a pressure regulator on the line to minimize the pressure.

I'd agree with this ^^^. If your drinker valve is not competent enough to deal with the water pressure then that would make total sense as to why your drinkers keep overflowing.