OT: Replacement cattle water suggestions

I need to replace a automatic water-fountion. It will be on high pressure rural water, meaning it needs to have a non-syphon shut-off. A 100% energy free waterer would be good, but we do have access to electricity if needed for supplement heat. It runs up to 70 head of cattle at any givin time. I am located in northern Missouri. Currently the location of the waterer does not have a riser around the water pipe, is there a waterer that will work well enough that we do not have to tear up the concrete around the pipe to install a riser? If a riser is needed, how big in diameter should it be? and how deep? thanks for any suggestions, David

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COBBET COMPAY
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They build these watering systems about 2 miles from where I live and I can tell you, you will not find a system.and yes they do ship any where.
JR.FRYE

They are on the web too, try the obvious address or search them.

I put one in 7-6 years ago in Minnesota, best improvement I ever made on the farm. Works as advertised, good product. Nice family-run business if you give them a call or email, nice folk.

--->Paul

Only ever had one (had ponds for most of the cattle) afore I retarred; I typically fed/backgrounded a couple of hunred head of feeders each Winter; had a MiraFount; it worked gooooooooooooooood.

You should look at the Behlen it may be overkill for Missouri but since it has no water exposed to the air between sips it can go a long period in cold weather without freeze ups if nobody comes along for a drink.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by not having a riser around the pipe. I take it to mean that there is just a pipe nipple above the concrete. Regardless, it doesnt change my suggestion. My bias is toward the Ritchie energy free waterers when connected to a municipal water system. If you need a hole to get the tube below grade then a few minutes with a rental jackhammer would get you the hole.

I've used Mirafount, Universal Co-op, Ritchie, and a host of concrete versions. For me, the Ritchies have been the easiest to install and the most trouble free to operate. I've got 6 at one farm and just signed up for EQIP for 7 more at the other farm, plus 3 concrete tanks for continuous flow off a spring.

I use a piece of 12 inch plastic culvert pipe instead of their 60 dollar earth tube and then their flex pipe comes up to the valve. My line according the water company is 30 inches deep and Id never admit that I would ever only run one 24 inches. Culvert pipe is cut flush to the top of the slab. I've had one Ritchie freeze in 10 years, it was right in the very top of the valve and it had sat with no livestock on it for 20 days of below freezing temps. Took 5 minutes to thaw the valve. The UC tanks I've got freeze there at least once a week in the valve. Thats why I moved them to a lot I dont typically use in winter.

I am partial to the Ritchie, work great at -30 and parts are cheap and easy to get. I use a 10 inch corugated culvert for a housing around the water tube and never have a problem except for an occasional heater element burning out. In January in Nw Wisconsin they cost about 10 bucks a month to heat.

I use one of those energy free Freedom Fountains. Never had it freeze here in Michigan. I have to kick the balls loose in real cold weather,but the valve has never frozen.
I have the store bought tube around mine. It's two inch thick styrofoam,20 inch O.D.,16 inch I.D.. It goes all the way down to the horizontal pipe underground,then I have a foam cover on the 3/4 inch pipe coming up to it as well.

You have any idea what a concrete tank costs now? I have a spring I was thinking of running into a tank. The pipiing designs I have seen use the typical french drain to bring the pipe into the bottom of the tank then using a overflow to take the extra water away. I assume you need a lot of fall to get the water to rise enough to fill the tank...

Thanks for the ideas. I just wanted to know what works in real life not a salesman's pitch. I still have one ritchie and it will freeze. One mirafount it may get enough ice that you need to break it with your foot, maybe half a dozen times a year. one concrete and one tire water tanks,never a problem but of course they are below ponds and one stock tank that I break and pitch the ice out of. I will dig down and put in a plastic culvert pipe around vertical water line before I install the new waterer. I am also going to check on the Cobbet water, I like family operations, and the behlen water, I also like over kill.

If you have a Richie that freezes up, something is wrong. No electric water fountian will freeze regardless of brand and outside location if installed correctly and no power outage, and no rats and mice involved.

I do not sell or profit from any brand, but always end up fixing other folks problems. 99% are installed wrong when they were put in new. Alot of farmers dump hot water on them etc. There is a problem if they have to do that.

Almost every brand name is made by midgets with very small hands, and without regards to someone having to stick their hands in there to work on them.

I know several farmers that water their cattle with a hog waterer--with the lids on. Their energy costs are far less.

Do not rule out SS, and a professional instalation. No on wants to service the darn things when it is 20 below, and alot of manure around them.

On the Ritchie Water I only plug it in when it freezes up,maybe 25 degrees or below. I dont run the heater if I dont have to. I also have a Pride of the Farm, open top I turn the heat on when it gets 27 degrees or less.Its also electric. It doesn't take very many electric heaters to run up the electric bill.

Peterson makes a real good fountain for the money. Out of Denison, IA.

Run electric to it, regardless. Pretty hard to run juice to it in the middle of winter when it freezes up.

Never seen a 'energy free' one stay open without lots of cattle on it, and only seems like they last a few years anyway.

I got a peterson fountain here that is 50+ years old. Still working fine.

Bought a new one last year, real nice.