Does anybody else have one? We just got ours installed last week and already I am crazy about it! No more dumping out stagnant tanks and hosing them out with a power nozzle then refilling,a twice weekly chore until now.My horses love it,they seem to be drinking more and they always have fresh cool water that isn't heated up by the sun as in a water tank.It's some of the best $ we've spent for our horses yet!
Posted 2010-06-22 8:17 AM (#121383 - in reply to #121375) Subject: RE: Ritchey automatic waterer
Regular
Posts: 99
Location: New Mexico
I love mine too however, the float valve keeps breaking off. I know its my fault because I don't have mine perm mounted. I have it mounted on skids so that I can move it to different areas. I do have a horse that loves to play in it and keeps pulling the plugs out. The only thing I do not like about it is the birds love to poop in it, so it has to get rinsed out every day.
Posted 2010-06-22 9:29 AM (#121389 - in reply to #121383) Subject: RE: Ritchey automatic waterer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas
A Ritchie is the next item on the list of improvements at our place. I've found the heat tape/cord that they come with is a little chinsy, but have seen them work down to -30F without it.
NM-Rider, do you have hydrants all over that you move it around to in order to hook it up in different locations? I don't see how a horse could fiddle with anything on a Ritchie, unless the side or top cover is off.
Posted 2010-06-22 12:57 PM (#121406 - in reply to #121389) Subject: RE: Ritchey automatic waterer
Regular
Posts: 99
Location: New Mexico
jdzaharia-I move it to three different places. What prob happened is the hose got tugged on and broke the float valve, easy fix. I came home to a flooded area. I just need to find a perm spot for it and mount it correctly, and bury the hose, but I like the ability to move it around. I also have a 2 yr gelding that is very mouthy it's so comical. He will play with anything from feed bags and chase the others, fetch a stick, (seen him do it), drags hoses around if they get too close to the fence, pull the plugs out of the waterer. He's as bad as a human toddler.We don't have the prob with freezing temps as most of you guy do our issue is the heat.
Posted 2010-06-22 1:34 PM (#121407 - in reply to #121406) Subject: RE: Ritchey automatic waterer
Expert
Posts: 2615
Ours is not likely to freeze up where we live,either.it is set in direct line with our outside water faucet,so,we only had to run another water line about 10 feet or so to connect.