High Water Pressure and your Automatic Waterer

If you use automatic waterers to take care of your animals hydration needs, you know what the convenience means to your time and overall health of your animals. However if the waterers aren't functioning properly, they can be a headache to deal with and troubleshoot.

Today we want to discuss high pressure and an automatic waterer. If you are from Kentucky or Tennessee, you may have noticed that your water pressure has increased over the last 5-10 years. This region is notorious for having high pressure which potentially results in a leaking valve and more and more regions are starting to experience the same.

How do you identify a high pressure situation? The best way to identify high pressure is to use a pressure meter at the waterer several times a day. Water usage varies throughout the day which will result in a variance in pressure. Monitoring the waterer throughout the day will help to ensure you have an accurate reading.

Other tell-tale signs are:

1. Your valve will not shut off even if you adjust the float (this can be caused by several other reasons but will fall under the high pressure category.)

2. You notice an indentation in the valve rubber causing it to look like a cone.

3. Your float torques to one side.

Most automatic waterer valves can handle a water pressure up to 80 psi or companies offer a variety of valves that will accommodate a variety of pressures. High pressure can cause unnecessary wear and tear on the valve which would result in you having to replace it on a regular basis.

So what is the best solution? If you have a Ritchie automatic waterer, we carry a pressure regulator that easily installs in the waterline and will maintain a constant and consistent water pressure. Factory preset at 45 PSI, the regulator allows you to adjust the water pressure between 10-70 PSI. No more leaking valves due to pressure!

If you are interested in more information on the Pressure Regulator, visit our ONLINE STORE.