# pig nipple waterer to bucket



## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

Ok, I'm really challenged when it comes to assembling things...
I bought a 1/2" pig nipple waterer and I would like to attach it to a 5 gallon bucket and have the bucket on one side of the fence with the nipple sticking through to the pigs.
What do I need to do to attach it to the bucket (besides drill a hole). Do I just need a bolt and gasket in 1/2" size?
Thanks!
Cara


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

First of all, you need to make sure the nipple is designed for low/no pressure. Most are meant to be attached to a pressurized pipe.
Secondly, attaching a nipple directly to a round bucket will be problematic. A "flat backed" bucket would make things much easier.
I would mount the nipple to a sturdy board or piece of plywood, and use a hose to connect to the bucket. I doubt a direct connection would hold up to the pigs licking the nipple for very long.
To attach a hose to the bucket, I would use a "thru hull" boat fitting and lots of silicone sealer around it. Put the threaded part to the outside of the container, and slide your hose over it. That would isolate the bucket from the nipple so the pigs wouldnt be putting any stress on it. 
Something similar to this would work well.
http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...milyName=TH+Marine+Straight+Thru-Hull+Fitting


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## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

I see what you're saying and it makes sense to me. Glad I posted before trying to attach it right to the bucket. Thanks a bunch.
Cara


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## ChrisG (Mar 3, 2008)

I did the 4" PVC pipe and added a nipple to it. Got the nipple at TSC ($5) and didn't take out the high pressure plastic at first. After figuring that out and using Plumbers Epoxy, which you just mix with your fingers and apply to both the nipple and PVC - it bonds in 30 minutes and is very, very solid!!! No leaks and really no where for the pig to get at to destroy!

So far so good, saves me so much time and cost about $30 total.

Pig figured out how to use it about in 5 minutes when we applied peanut butter to the nipple.


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## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

I got mine at TSC too. It is the Monoflo Model 3511-was that the one you bought do you know? I can't figure out if it is low pressure or not and it doesn't say on their website. If something needs to be removed I guess I'll ask my husband to do it but I'm glad it can be converted if necessary.
Thanks for the tip about the peanut butter!


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## ChrisG (Mar 3, 2008)

Here is a link to the one I got:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_48652_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1

To make this adaptable to low pressure. Take out the 1st red plastic piece on the back end of the nipple. When it open up you will see a spring and then another red plastic piece. Remove and dispose the 2nd red plastic piece then re-install the spring and the other 1st plastic piece.

Install and your back in business


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## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

That looks just like mine.
Thanks!


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## caberjim (Feb 19, 2004)

I'd also be a little concerned about large pigs busting up the bucket or banging it hard enough to loosen the nipple away from the bucket. Also, our nipples always end up getting gunk in them and we disassemble and clean them once a week. Hard to do when they are attached to a bucket. We have the nipple screwed to a pipe that runs thru a 4x4 post in the ground. Then tubing connects the pipe to a raised 50 gal. barrel outside the pig area. This way it's easy to fill w/o entering the pig pasture. If the nipple clogs, I either pinch the tube and clean the nipple or swap it with another nipple (yes, I carry a spare in my pocket for morning chores) and clean it at my leisure.


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## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

More good tips! Thanks!


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## TripleTreeHogs (Jun 25, 2007)

I used a rubber falt back bucket with a 1/2 bulk head through it. Being as the bucket is rubber it will compress between the bulk head and make a seal. I used this all winter with a 440lb sow. I did build a steel frame for the bucket to sit in. She would just buck it with her head and then not have any water. I could send you pictures of my set up. For some reason I am not allowed to post photos. Oh as for the nipple drinker, all you have to do is take it apart. And just drill bigger holes in it. I did that worked fine. I can also send pjotos of that too.


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## mtman (Sep 2, 2004)

we used a 35 gallon plastic barrel drill the hole in the barrel push the nipple through put an o ring on the end then a flat washer then screw a brass fitting on will never leak get the brass fitting and o ring at the auto parts store very cheap


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## longhorngal (Aug 4, 2005)

It looks like there's more than one way to water a pig! 
*TTH*- if you happen to have pictures handy I would appreciate them. My email is [email protected] . I'm going to be in Pennsylvania next week-hope the weather is nice!
*mtman*-I like your idea too. I've decided to turn this over to my husband so he can decide which method to try!


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## ET1 SS (Oct 22, 2005)

I got ours from TSC too.

I have four of them setup and all four drip. From maybe a cup an hour to maybe a gallon an hour. Any ideas how to get them to stop dripping ?


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## raezza (May 16, 2016)

All of mine dripped as well, I probably could have lived with the leaks, I mean it's a pig waterer and the pigs don't care about the leaks, but I guess I have obsessive compulsive thing about leaks even if small... anyways here is what I had to do to fix it. 

Unscrewed the red piece with screen from the back, it is spring loaded so be careful. The spring on mine needed to go back the same way so pay attention to that. Set the spring and screen aside. 

Remove the inner metal piece there should also be a rubber o-ring that serves as the seal between the center part and the outer part. ALL of my pig nipples had undesirable 'junk' either on the o-ring or on the metal pieces. All 3 pieces need to be smooth, free of any junk. 

Some of the o-rings were obviously very poorly made and I had to rub off excess rubber which was left from the manufacturing process of the o-ring. Also there were metal shavings which were not completely removed during machining. If the o-ring is gouged or damaged, not completely smooth,... you will need to replace the o-ring. Look for what may have caused the damage, maybe a piece of metal shaving not completely removed during machining.

Once all junk is removed, I rubbed the o-rings with a little petroleum jelly/plain vaseline (a trick I remembered when I worked on water injected jet engines when I was in the Air Force). Then put it all back together.

As for my setup... In the flat bottom of a 35 gal open top blue barrel I used a 59/64 inch drill bit and used a 3/4 inch NPT pipe tap to create the threads (only because I had it...). Then I screwed a 3/4 hose barb into the hole... on the inside I placed an o-ring and then screwed on a 3/4 female elbow or m-f adapter, stuff I had in my junk bucket (also probably over kill). I then used garden hose to get where I needed to go. The 1/2 inch pig nipple fit perfectly inside the hose. I dipped the end of the hose in a cup of boiling water before I pushed the barb and screwed the nipple in to make it easy, I also used a small hose clamp on the nipple just in case. 

Yeah I am a bit of an over engineer but no leaks...


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