Ritchie Thrifty King Closure - Ideal level
The Ritchie Thrifty King series is one of the most popular series of units in the Ritchie line. They are incredibly insulated and give the opportunity for end users to utilize them in areas without electricity or if additional heat is added, the units are incredibly efficient to heat.
But do you know the best placement for the white closures? Many think that they should be sitting flush or tight with the red top. While this placement is fine when freezing isn't an issue, the most ideal location for those white closures is to have then sit at least a 1/2" to an 1" below the rim.
Leaving this gap seems counterintuitive. Why would you leave a gap that would allow wind and cold to access the inside of the trough? Wouldn't the water freeze?
Ritchie Thrifty King series units are designed to have the closures sit below the rim. This will allow water to wash off the side and not pool along the edge, which could freeze them in place. If not in use, the water in the trough area will lose about 1 degree per hour with the closures in their proper placement.
Adjusting the water level is easy, simply lower the float in the valve chamber and once your herd drinks, the water level will maintain its lower level.
