Will it work?

[MikeC]

Trying to figure a way to cut down on some unecessary watering trough floats. (Leaking, overflowing, etc.)

Gonna take those troughs that are opposite and next to each other but separated by a fence and put a galvanized pipe in each drain, tie them together with a union.

Then put one float for both troughs.

All I have to do to drain them is to take the union loose.

More trouble than it's worth?

 

[Outrigger2]

building the first one may be a pain, but if you have more than one to build the process should be a little faster once you make improvements. good luck

 

[MikeC]

building the first one may be a pain, but if you have more than one to build the process should be a little faster once you make improvements. good luck

Thanks, I feel the main thing to get right is the levelness (a word?) of the ground where the two troughs sit.

I hope anyway..................................

Floats ain't worth crap now!

 

[backhoeboogie]

Just a basic law of physics "water seeks its own level" that you are going to get working in your favor. Both tanks are open to atmosphere and they don't have to be the same size, or depth. They only have to be equal in height. You are on the right track.

 

[alabama]

If you have one tank a little lower that the other, make sure you put the float in the lower tank. The free surface of both tanks shoule stay at the same elevation.

 

[millstreaminn]

Mike-

We do a similar thing in the carwash. It will work fine but make sure you use big enough connecting pipe to keep crud from constantly plugging it up.

 

[MikeC]

Mike-

We do a similar thing in the carwash. It will work fine but make sure you use big enough connecting pipe to keep crud from constantly plugging it up.

The Rubbermaid tubs I have use an 1 1/4" drain plug.

Hope that will be big enough?

 

[backhoeboogie]

Mike-

We do a similar thing in the carwash. It will work fine but make sure you use big enough connecting pipe to keep crud from constantly plugging it up.

The Rubbermaid tubs I have use an 1 1/4" drain plug.

Hope that will be big enough?

If not, take the union you were talking about lose, and rod out the connections and interconnecting pipe with a piece of rebar. You are on the right track with everything you discussed.

 

[Herefords.US]

Trying to figure a way to cut down on some unecessary watering trough floats. (Leaking, overflowing, etc.)

Gonna take those troughs that are opposite and next to each other but separated by a fence and put a galvanized pipe in each drain, tie them together with a union.

Then put one float for both troughs.

All I have to do to drain them is to take the union loose.

More trouble than it's worth?

Mike, I have two pairs of the Rubbermaid troughs assembled together in exactly this manner. It will work without any problem in pairs.

I have mine set up on a windmill where the water flows into the first tank, goes into the second tank through the bottom drain, then I put an overflow outlet near the top in that tank and it feeds into a second pair of tanks down the hill from those. Then I have a overflow from those two tanks into a farm pond. I leave the windmill running 24/7 unless there is danger of a hard freeze.

The only problem that I had with this set-up was that I had to move the second set of tanks further down the hill than I originally figured, so that the natural head on the drain would lift itself up the 2-3 feet to drain into the second set. They are probably 12 feet vertically lower than the first set. But it works great as long as I periodically keep the algae growth cleared in the drains.

George

Edited to add: I didn't use galvanized pipe with fittings - only PVC fittings with 1 1/4 inch black plastic pipe with screw clamps. They don't leak, but it's easier to just cut the black pipe to take them apart then replace it and they don't have to be so exact in height like they would need to be with galvanized unions.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Interesting...

If the float is in the tank that gets less usage (being on one side of the fence with different animals I'm assuming) then the trough on the other side of the fence will be low...

...but if the float is in the tank that gets the most usage (big drinker side of the fence) then the other trough would overflow...

...if the troughs were side by side, same issues

...let me know how it goes, I hate our float valves so we have experiments of Hudson valves, Big Giant tank valves, etc. to see which work best...

Please keep us posted on how your experiment goes...

 

[KenB]

Interesting...

If the float is in the tank that gets less usage (being on one side of the fence with different animals I'm assuming) then the trough on the other side of the fence will be low...

...but if the float is in the tank that gets the most usage (big drinker side of the fence) then the other trough would overflow...

...if the troughs were side by side, same issues

...let me know how it goes, I hate our float valves so we have experiments of Hudson valves, Big Giant tank valves, etc. to see which work best...

Please keep us posted on how your experiment goes...

:roll: :roll: :roll:

Just a basic law of physics "water seeks its own level" that you are going to get working in your favor. Both tanks are open to atmosphere and they don't have to be the same size, or depth. They only have to be equal in height. You are on the right track.

 

[bgm]

The only thing that might be worth thinking about is using rubber hose between them instead of rigid pipe. Don't know anything about how you have them set up, but if they aren't on a concrete pad they could settle. The hose would allow for misalignment in installation or settling. It would also keep stresses off the tanks and help prevent cracking.

 

[Bama]

insted of just a union put in a hand valve on a tee also. That union will be a pita if you have to loosen it between two full tanks of water. With a hand valve you can drain em easy.

 

[Jogeephus]

It will work just like a hose level. Little worried about the union. If it breaks, you got two empty tanks instead of just one.

 

[millstreaminn]

Mike-

We do a similar thing in the carwash. It will work fine but make sure you use big enough connecting pipe to keep crud from constantly plugging it up.

The Rubbermaid tubs I have use an 1 1/4" drain plug.

Hope that will be big enough?

It will Mike. We use 1". I would use the flexible soft plastic hose with the braided nylon to connect the tanks. Also in the middle of the common line put a tee and a valve. If you open the valve it will have enough flow to flush the whole line assuming you don't put stand pipes to regulate depth on either tank.

 

[Jim62]

Sounds like a good idea. Now, my cows would have that connection between the 2 troughs broke in about 2 hours or so.

Good luck with the float valve tests. So far, Hudson valves are the only ones I have ruled out. $30 is way too much to pay for a float valve that will work for only a few months, if at all.

 

[dun]

Good luck with the float valve tests. So far, Hudson valves are the only ones I have ruled out. $30 is way too much to pay for a float valve that will work for only a few months, if at all.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that think they're junk

 

[hurleyjd]

Interesting...

If the float is in the tank that gets less usage (being on one side of the fence with different animals I'm assuming) then the trough on the other side of the fence will be low...

...but if the float is in the tank that gets the most usage (big drinker side of the fence) then the other trough would overflow...

...if the troughs were side by side, same issues

...let me know how it goes, I hate our float valves so we have experiments of Hudson valves, Big Giant tank valves, etc. to see which work best...

Please keep us posted on how your experiment goes...

Buy the floats made by gallagher. Last year when the ponds were dry I had to put out five tanks. Gallagher floats in them all no problem what so ever. I think they were $35 each.

 

[DavisBeefmasters]

Thanks hurleyjd --> I'll give those a try

KenB --> my bad I failed to let it sink in that he was connecting the tanks together at the drain... I had a heck of a week...