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Russ In Idaho

Posted 1/9/2025 06:46 (#11047917)
Subject: Rusbett water troughs and Missouri concrete

So, the latest on my water troughs we built out of scrap parts. We had an old spiral culvert pipe built with inlet pipe welded into pipe and a Roberts float valve plumbed on it. However, the spiral leaked so family just put an old military surplus metal cylinder and poured cement in the void. That trough worked for 40+ years, never had ice on it to stop ball float if we kept some cattle on it. Usually always had 10-20 head on it. I only remember tapping ball down a few times in all those years of me using it. Pipe finally rusted out, so we built a new one with 18" PVC and put 30" ADS around it. It only has 7 head of bulls on it in freezing weather, temps were 20 degrees when picture was taken. It has been colder. The level of the ball should be dropped some, but figured would wait for a warmer day.

The last trough was a steel pipe that had been in ground we used to water bulls in winter. Water level was quite a ways above ground level, some maybe 30 to 40 days out of most winters we had to check it to make sure ball was broke loose. We just kept shovel on fence there to break and scoop ice out in the mornings. So, we put a piece of the that ADS pipe and poured cement in it as well. It could use some more fill around the trough. The biggest problem was we put a few saddle horses in that pasture last week. Well, I've got a couple of mares that are a pain in the butt. One can open chain latch gates and panels, always grabbing hoses and trying to run off with them. When my horseshoer is working on her he will grab his rasp by the handle and fling it. She delights in messing with float balls in troughs. So, she has pushed on this one and overflows it. Then it freezes over, you can see the ice it made. Then she goes and thumps on the ball to break it loose when she wants a drink. She's dented the ball all up, maybe could build a guard over float. We mainly keep bulls in this pasture, only have horses there right now because we need to rebuild horse pen.

These pipes are 10' in the ground, seems to bring enough heat to them. The more concrete around the better for insulation, even though concrete is poor insulation. We have the Roberts float valve plumbed into a pitless well adapter through side of pipe. That way we can turn water off and lift valve out to work on it or adjust level. Makes it pretty easy for us to service these with our plumbing parts on hand as most all our summer troughs use Robert's float valves.

I smile when you Missouri guys talk of mud freezing and turning to poor man's concrete. Thought I take a few pics of hard ground, you can see no snow here. We've had close to 32" on snow come since November, but it warms and melts.