OT Richie Cattle Waterer
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=146295
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Topic: OT Richie Cattle Waterer
Posted By: Rod5300
Subject: OT Richie Cattle Waterer
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 3:10pm
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Hello, I am wondering if some of the fine Allis folks that have these fountains had problems with them thur the last 10 days with below normal cold temps. Had a couple that froze, but not much problem. Also any tips or advise for helping to keep these fountains from freezing etc. One tip I will pass along is that for unthawing mine I use a piece of flexible dryer vent pipe, put it over my exhaust pipe on truck and put the vent tube inside the fountain, cover the lid opening with feed bags and get inside a warm truck and let it thaw. Usually about 10 mins works well. Thanks so much for looking and commenting on this post. |
Replies:
Posted By: Stan R
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 3:51pm
| I guess the combustion products of the vehicle exhaust doesn't contaminate the water. |
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 4:05pm
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Not enough to worry about ------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot |
Posted By: Ky.Allis
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 5:05pm
| I have a one that uses electric and you NEVER have to worry about it. I also have a MiraFount that uses ground heat and only problem with it is the floating balls will freeze around the top where they seal. I go to dollar store and buy cheap jar of Vaseline smear a heavy coat of it around the lip where the balls seal. After doing this about 3 days in a row entire ball will be coated with it and if the balls do freeze it won't be much and one hit with your hand will free it. If I had it to do over I would have buried electric wire and bought another ritchey that used electric. |
Posted By: SteveMaskey(MO)
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 5:15pm
| I haven’t had any trouble but mine are electric. I bought a Richie combination waterer in 1988 and replaced it last year. Had to get a cattle waterer because he said they didn’t make a combo any more. New one is plastic the old one was medal |
Posted By: Dusty MI
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 6:25pm
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I asked my wife what unthawing is. She said freezing. Dusty ------------- 917 H, '48 G, '65 D-10 series III "Allis Express" |
Posted By: darrel in ND
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 6:33pm
| I have a couple of them. Electricity going to both of them. One has a stainless steel trough, and it has a couple heating elements attached to the underside of it. Other one is all plastic, and has a sinking heating element in the water basin. I have a light bulb socket wired into the inside of both of them, and so usually about a 60 watt bulb burning in them keeps the plumbing from freezing up. If the bulb burns out and it happens to freeze up, putting a heat lamp bulb in thaws stuff out pretty fast. Do NOT forget to remove the heat lamp bulb after things warm up. Don't ask me how I know that. Darrel |
Posted By: jiminnd
Date Posted: 09 Jan 2018 at 9:01pm
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Like Darrel said, I had a light bulb under mine, it dried things out under there and didn't freeze as easily ------------- 1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner) |
Posted By: ldogfarm
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 1:32am
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I have 11 of the freeze-proof and every year they give more trouble with freezing overflowing plugs coming out and whatever. They are fine fore the first couple years then they start giving trouble. Parts are off the chart expensive. Plugs $20.00+ floats around $30.00 valves $18.50 float balls $36.00. General top parts the break down from UV rays unavailble. I would not recommend them to anyone. For me most of them freeze if it gets in the teens and don't reach 40s in the day. |
Posted By: BillinAlberta
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 9:39am
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It's 28 below c here this morning and we have a few months of cold yet just like every winter. With 200 sheep to keep watered plus an assortment of bovines and horses you become an expert on waterers. I have 1 ancient Ritchie(25 years old). Make sure thermostat is functioning and element is not burned out.Most of our problems with waterers happen below the box in the hole that the water line comes up. The frost here penetrates to 6 or 7 feet so our water lines are buried 8 feet deep or more and the standpipe will freeze for the first couple of feet below ground level. To counter that most are wrapped with a heat tape from top to bottom. Make sure to situate the thermostat at the frost level or it won't turn on! Last point is make sure you have animals using it. The more the better.The moving water will keep it working.Bail a few bowls full morning and night if you need to.It helps a lot. Good luck. |
Posted By: Tbone95
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 9:47am
| We just put a new one in in November. Sure seems chincy made for the price, but at -13F last week it didn't freeze. Has a heating element under the pan, and a heat tape that traces the water line downward. |
Posted By: KenBWisc
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 10:28am
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All of the above recommendations are good. One that isn't mentioned and is, in my opinion, most basic is to place a 4-6" PVC pipe around the water pipe feed at least one foot below frost line. I even had six waters not installed this way I corrected one summer. Well worth the effort! ------------- '34 WC #629, '49 G, '49 B, '49 WD, '62 D-19, '38 All Crop 60 and still hunting! |
Posted By: Kurzy
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 4:32pm
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Howdy, Had two Richies, first one was metal second one plastic. Both were great, but in the wind had to put piece of plywood on side of wind other wise, freeze over. Horses ate the plastic one! How about that? Kurzy
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Posted By: caledonian
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 6:25pm
| Have Ritchie waters with electric elements. 22 below here new years day. No problems. |
Posted By: Clay
Date Posted: 10 Jan 2018 at 11:13pm
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We have had the same Ritchie waterer since the early 1970's. Great unit. Have had to replace the thermostat a couple times. Other than that, no problems.
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Posted By: LeonR2013
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 3:36am
| Hey Darrel, do you think you could wire one of those to your arse so it doesn't freeze off while you're out spreading hay or starting the little womans car? Just wondering.LOL |
Posted By: darrel in ND
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 6:36am
| I doubt it. Those elements get hot, and I'm not Keene on the idea of a horse shoe brand on my back side. Darrel |
Posted By: calico190xt68
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 8:14am
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I can't tell from your post if you used the earth tubes or not, or if you ran electricity to it. I am guessing you didn't run electricity if you used the exhaust pipe. In KY, you might not need electricity in most years, if you have enough animals drinking out of it, unlike the extreme north. I use the earth tubes that are about 12 inches in diameter and lets 55 degree air float up and keep the lines and the interior of the waterer somewhat warm. However, I have had the float freeze to the top side of the waterer when it gets below 0, like the past week. When the float freezes, the water in the tank doesn't, then the animals drink it down, which lets air into the valve and freezes it. When I install my waterer concrete pad, I run a 2 outlet plug in conduit in the inside. This way I can plug in the water tank heater and a 60-75 watt bulb. That bulb will keep the lines and the float from freezing in about any coldness as mentioned above. If the float and or the valve freezes, I remove the top, plug in a hair dryer and cover it with plastic and let it run about 30 minutes. This won't melt the waterer or valves since it is plastic, but still gets it pretty hot. Of course, you have to secure the hair dryer with a bunge cord to prevent it from dropping into the water when it thaws. In Kentucky, most years you would not run into this problem, but this past week was rough. If you didn't use the earth tubes then I recommend it. ------------- 80 7010, 80 7020. 67 190XTD Series I w/500 Loader, AC 2000 Plow, Member Indiana A-C Partners, Member TAC |
Posted By: JoeO(CMO)
Date Posted: 11 Jan 2018 at 8:24am
YEP
 ------------- |
Dusty MI wrote:Posted By: Rod5300
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2018 at 4:09pm
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Ky Allis, I tried your tip and it worked like a charm With all the freezing rain etc we had yesterday I went to check cattle this morning and stopped at the fountains and took my hand and moved the balls around All my fountains will get coated with vaseoline Thanks again for the tip Rod |