Homemade Automatic Horse Waterer

Automatic horse water systems replenish the level in the tank as the water is consumed or evaporates. This guarantees adequate water supplies for horses or other livestock under any condition. Commercial automatic horse water tanks are available; however, a do-it-yourself enthusiast can utilize float valves to accomplish the same thing with their existing water tank.

Things You'll Need

• Float valve
• Garden hose
• Livestock water tank

Instructions

1. Attach the float valve to the side of the water tank. The valve usually has brackets, allowing it to hang on the side of the tank with the mechanism on the inside of the tank.

2. Attach a garden hose to the float valve. For permanent installations, fit an adapter to the 3/4-inch hose thread to fit a 1/2-inch pipe. Connect the other end of the hose or pipe to an existing water system.

3. Adjust the float valve to the desired level. Most float-valve systems allow adjustment within a range of a few inches.

4. Turn on the water and monitor the system for a day or two to make sure the valve is operating.

Tips & Warnings

• Float valves fill the water tank after water levels go down a few inches. This is ideal in hot weather, when evaporation removes water from the tank while the horses will consume more water to stay hydrated.

• Float valves range from $7 to $15. Coupled with existing tanks and hoses, this project allows for a low cost, do-it-yourself, horse water tank.

• Drain and clean the tank about once a week or as needed if the amounts of algae and dirt in the tank become objectionable.

References

• Jeffers Livestock: Automatic Float Valves