cattle waterers

[cowman]

I only have one cattle waterer for my yearlings. My cows water at free flowing springs. This waterer is a Richie and has a thermostat that can be set from low to high. Years ago I had a waterer that had a thermostat that only came on when the water temp. fell below 37 degrees F. This Richie waterer is always too hot or too cold and it seems to be awful expensive on power. Is there a waterer that has a thermostat like I mentioned? I think this was a Hearst waterer.

[gopher]

I had the same problem a few years ago. I solved it by placing a 100 watt light bulb inside the waterer. I used some chaulking and weather stripping to make sure the unit was air tight. Also I filled the bottom of the waterer with fire proof insulation so there was approx. 6" - 8" of space to the bottom of the pan. Place the light bulb on a piece of tin to reflect the heat up.
The heat from the bulb keeps the waterer from freezing however the water always feels cool. When it gets very cold outside ( -20 ) and the bulb is not enough to keep it from freezing the thermostat will kick in. I use construction grade light bulbs ( 6000 hrs ).

[gopher]

Replace the themostate because it should alow you to set it to just come on at freezing or where ever you set it.

[cowman]

I made a mistake: This is an Edwards waterer, sold by U.F.A. Is there a replacement thermostat that doesn't have this Hi-lo setting but an actual temp. thermostat? With the funny weather we've been having it's very hard to get the temp. right.

[Muttley]

I have a Edwards water bowl as well. It is always freezing up on me. It has the worst thermastat of all my bowls. I finally started putting in a heat bulb. My biggest problem is if the valve in the bowl freezes up it shuts off when there is no water in it and then there is no heat to the lines. My Ritchie is over 25 years old and I replaced the thermastat in it for the first time this fall. It very rarely freezes up.

[Muttley]

Use the Edwards for a boat anchour and buy a Richie Energy Free waterer. I hate buying shares in the power company's. I'f you have enough cattle drinking from the energy free Richie the they are just that. They advise a thermostat controled submersable but if there is enough cattle drinking then it rarely goes on, even in cold weather.

[Muttley]

Use the Edwards for a boat anchour and buy a Richie Energy Free waterer. I hate buying shares in the power company's. I'f you have enough cattle drinking from the energy free Richie the they are just that. They advise a thermostat controled submersable but if there is enough cattle drinking then it rarely goes on, even in cold weather.

[Muttley]

Use the Edwards for a boat anchour and buy a Richie Energy Free waterer. I hate buying shares in the power company's. I'f you have enough cattle drinking from the energy free Richie the they are just that. They advise a thermostat controled submersable but if there is enough cattle drinking then it rarely goes on, even in cold weather.

[cowman]

You have sold me Rick! I know I had a good look at AgriTrade at a Richie energy free waterer. Is there anything more frustrating than a froze up waterer?

[cowman]

Sorry for being so dogmatic to reply 3 times - I didn't mean to do that - just learning how to navigate around this thing.

[rusty1]

Boy am I sold!! Last week we saw t nights at -35 after about 2 weeks of -12 to -25 on a regular basis. I opened up one of those Richie CT6 water troughs to see how much ice had built up in side. The recommend that you "must" keep cattle drinking enough water a day to keep them working. My neighbour had emptied one pen of cattle completely and didn't have enough in the other pen either. And there was a little 250W heater laying in the bottom of the trough. Well apon examination the heater had not turned itself on and the trough had no visable ice either. I guess if I had a love for the power company and wanted to see them rich i'd get me some concret watering bowls. But Richie proved their point to me!!