# Automatic watering system



## Merve (Sep 6, 2008)

I’m toying with the idea of setting up an automatic watering system for my rats, I’ll tell you what’s running through my head at the moment and if any one has any input on the best way to do any of the practical side or can offer a better or alternate way all the better.









The bottles are drop fed from a container of water that is filled up using a ball cock attached to the mains. A stop cock is present to restrict the flow of water to a minimum (as it will only be emptied small amounts at a time only a small amount of pressure would be needed to refill it and would be a good thing in case it goes tits up and floods as only a small amount of water would leak out).


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## Shrew (Jan 31, 2007)

that looks like a good system to me, since you wouldnt have to worry of owning the rodents with mains water.

If your looking for a fully automatic system i think that would be good. But if you were just getting annoyed at the act of refilling bottles by hand, maybe you could hook up bottle individually or in groups onto separate taps? then you could just open up the tap until the bottles were full. The filling of the bottles would only take a couple of seconds and then there would literally be no worries of flooding the tubs...just an idea


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## Merve (Sep 6, 2008)

i see what your saying about using taps to fill the bottles and yes that would be a good idea as a time saver but i would prefer fully automatic so i wouldn't have to worry about it at all for example if i was away for a few days i know they wouldn't run dry.


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## Macquail (Feb 7, 2009)

Merve, i breed quail on a commercial basis and we have automatic drinkers. All it is a 45 gallon plastic drum with a 10mm outlet tap. A 10mm pipe runs to drinkers, its gravity feed so no pressure. It is only feed when it is needed. The system can be scaled down or up depending on your setup.

Regards Mac.


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## Pythonman14 (Jan 7, 2009)

this is my rat rack which has a automatic watering system which can be modify to many diffrent needs 









i use brass tips such as these The Edstrom Flexible Tube System - Rabbit Cages, Rabbit Hutches


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## Merve (Sep 6, 2008)

Macquail said:


> Merve, i breed quail on a commercial basis and we have automatic drinkers. All it is a 45 gallon plastic drum with a 10mm outlet tap. A 10mm pipe runs to drinkers, its gravity feed so no pressure. It is only feed when it is needed. The system can be scaled down or up depending on your setup.


 
that sounds similar to what I’m trying to achieve as what i come up with was just a drop feed system anyway, the only pressure would be to the ball cock as I would like to take it one step further and have it refill its self. A hose connected to a pre existing tap would certainly solve one problem. :2thumb:





Pythonman14 said:


> i use brass tips such as these The Edstrom Flexible Tube System - Rabbit Cages, Rabbit Hutches


 
Nice rack, i also like what you have done I like those valve ends as they will eliminate the need for the bottles. Nice one! :no1:


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## Merve (Sep 6, 2008)

i'm having touble finding drinking nozzles, can anyone help? preferably uk based


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## saxon (Feb 26, 2007)

www.johnhopewell.co.uk


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## Merve (Sep 6, 2008)

saxon said:


> www.johnhopewell.co.uk


cheers nice one :no1:


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