“Those small bowl automatic waterers just have too many drawbacks if the management slips the least bit, not enough water supply, easy to skip cleaning them, if electric may shock horse and he will colic before noticing, etc.
May be ok for you and those that may help you, may not be worth a chance something goes wrong with them”
“I’m leaning towards the Bar Bar A as well, to avoid electrical issues”
Electric “issues” more like paranoia seems to be a acquiring theme. Be it with heated auto waterers or tank heaters.
Which in my opinion and experience doesn’t hold any water. When installed correctly there absolutely no reason have any worries. I would think the majority of people don’t give a second thought about plugging in a hair dryer, toaster, etc. Both of which work on the same principle as waterer heaters. But usually at much higher watts.
The heaters used in waterers are very simple in design and function and use a fraction of electricity that tank heaters use. The heater element for waterers are usually 200± watts. Large tank heaters, 1500 watts. All the “wires” in auto-water are “hidden”, tank heaters are not. That’s not to say tank heaters are unsafe. They need to be checked for wear and tear and most should be replaced after a couple of years of use as a matter of course.
Checking for stray voltage, bad ground is not difficult using a simple digital multi-tester. There are plenty of Utube vids that show how to go about it. IMO and experience unless one has deep pockets to call service people for every issue that comes up on their farm. They should take the time to learn basic “electric”. It is pretty simple stuff and hardly dangerous. There internet provides fabulous information and tutorials. Farms regardless of size can be very expensive to maintain and or make simple upgrades if the owners don’t have some basic DIY, R&M skills.
We have Nelson paddock waterers that have been in use for over 30 years. There have NEVER been any issues with them. They are simple in design and function, extremely well made, simple to clean which is rare because the water rarely if ever sits in the bowl for any length of time, gets warm, stagnate etc.
We lost power for almost 2 weeks during the coldest part of our winter. The whole time the temps were in the single digits or below. When the power came back on so did the waterer. No frozen supply line nor leaks. Because it was installed correctly. Nelson has a heater but it also uses “passive thermal ground heat” when installed correctly.
The Bar Bar A works the same way but does not have a “back up” electric heat supply. It is CRITICAL to install the Bar A correctly. Unless the owner has the digging equipment needed to get down 5-6 feet the cost of installation could easily exceed the cost of waterer. As can be seen in this video. The depth is dictated by by the regional frost line. In my area the “hole” would have to be 5-6 feet. That’s a LOT of digging, lol.
If one has to deal with freezing weather, real winter weather. Depending on the number of horses, but be it 2 or 30+ water can be the number one time consuming and hassle. Stalls can go un-mucked if needed,and other stuff of like. But no water is an absolute. Especially in winter as much so if not more so than in summer.
Dealing with frozen hoses, water lines, waterers etc is a nightmare. Very time consuming. I would not install ANY waterer with out a back up “heater” that includes Bar Bar A waterers. Unless of course running electric is not doable. I would rap the riser supply line/valve with heat tape just in case. Quality heat tape has a built in thermostat.
I’ve never used a Bar A. I hear good things about them. But I’ve been told by some that some horses have issues dealing with, “working” the paddle. They also said to keep back up paddles on hand because they can and do get broken. I have also read and been told by some (mid-atlantic) that they have been known to freeze up. I would suspect they weren’t installed correctly.
Personally I would only go with Nelson, tried and true simple design. The “heated” paddock waterer is not that much more expensive than a Bar A. Plus the expense of wire.
We also have a Equi-Spring waterer. I really like the design and it was very simple to install. No moving parts. Simple off the shelf control valve. Replacements can be had for $15-20 so I keep a couple of back ups in my shop. Simple to change if needed even with frozen hands. I made a couple of other modifications, added heat tape, etc. Of all the waterers on the market this is very simple for the average DIY owner to install. Even in for winter climates.
