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Debunking Automatic Waterer Myths

Posted in Articles
August 18th, 2011 by Ruth Peterson

Being in business for 90 years has allowed us to hear and understand what customers and other watering companies are saying about automatic waterers.  Below is a collection of the most popular automatic waterer myths and truths of 2011.

Myth – Electric heated waterers are unsafe and can cause your animal harm.

Truth – Electricity and automatic waterers have been combined much longer than any unheated unit has been on the market.  With modern regulations, each waterer put on the market that is CE, UL, CSA rated must meet a very high standard of safety.  Installing the waterer to the manufactures recommendations, including installing a ground rod under the unit, will help increase the safety of the unit and eliminate the chances of stray voltage carrying over to the unit.  Electric heated waterers have been and continue to be the most popular choice among automatic waterer owners especially in areas that have severe winters.    Thousands of these waterers are sold every year with no incidents.

Myth – Electrically heated units are expensive to run during the winter

Truth – With modern day technology, insulated automatic waterers can run throughout the winter for pennies a day.  They are fully insulated and efficient at the same time giving you the peace of mind that your waterers are open on the coldest days.  The newest combination plastic/steel trough waterers will run in the most severe climates for under $20 for the entire season

Myth – If a large animal, cattle or horse for instance, kicks an automatic waterer that features a float and valve system, the valve will stick causing it to stay open and flood the area around it.

Truth – This is completely false.  The float and valve system is the most popular among automatic waterers.  This system is safely housed inside the automatic waterer protecting it from the impact that kicking and rubbing may cause.  The float and valve system was developed and patented in 1921 which set the standard of waterering from that point on.  This system could not have sustained 90 years of top market performance if it failed each time an animal kicked the unit. 

Myth – Paddle type, energy free automatic waterers do not freeze.

Truth -The design of these units allows water to drain as and after the animals drink. However, if any debris/feed etc gets into the bowl, it will plug the hole where the water drains out.  This will cause it to freeze and/or over run. 

When doing research for an automatic waterer be sure to consider what will work best for you and what has proven to have continued reliability.  Ritchie Industries has been providing reliable and durable automatic waterers for 90 years.  For more information on Ritchie Waterers, please visit http://www.RitchieFount.com.

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$30 Rebate on select automatic waterers

Posted in Energy Usage Press Releases Rebates Special Offers Thrifty King units Ways to save
May 2nd, 2011 by Ruth Peterson

receive $30 on select Ritchie automatic waterers until May 31st, 2011Very rarely do we ever offer a rebate on our automatic waterers.  For the month of May 2011 however, three of our waterer families are eligible for a $30 rebate.  Purchase an EcoFount, OmniFount or Thrifty King unit by the end of May, complete the rebate form located here.

For additional savings some of the units included in our rebate special qualify under rebate programs of select energy providers.  Please visit our Ways to Save page to see if your company is listed. 

Again this is a rare opportunity to receive a discount.  Take advantage of this offer while you can.  As always if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us anytime.

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Tip from the Field – Blow out your waterlines

Posted in Installation Tips from the Field Valves
April 21st, 2011 by Ruth Peterson

Thanks to our distributor Ferguson Enterprises, we have a tip that will help you with your installation.

At times we have concerns from customers who notice a drip in their valve with their new installation. The majority of the time, this is caused by a small piece of debris that lodged itself in the valve, causing it to stay open. The Ritchie valves can handle a reasonable amount of debris, however small pebbles such as the one shown in the image below, are often the culprit in the malfunctioning valve. The small pebbles, which are too large for the valve orifice,  fall in the water line during installation and once the waterer is installed, lodge themselves in the valve. a sample of a piece of debris lodged in a Ritchie valve

A simple way to remedy this issue is to blow out the waterlines before you connect the waterer to the main line as shown in the image below. This simple step can ensure that all debris in the line is removed prior to your complete installation and save you a headache later on.

blowing out the lines of a Ritchie automatic waterer installation.

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Full line brochure cover artist

Posted in Brochure Cover Artists
March 25th, 2011 by Ruth Peterson

Brenda Campbell, artist, Ritchie full line cover

We have the pleasure are proud to present our 2011 Full Line brochure featuring cover artist Brenda Campbell of Irricana, Alberta, Canada. 

Brenda’s desire to be an artist began as a young girl. She pursued her dream and graduated from the Alberta College of Art in 1982. Although born and raised in the city, Brenda’s heart has always been in the country where she chose to make her home. It is there that she draws much of her energy and inspiration, transforming them into paintings or sketches filled with love, laughter and memories of days long since past. While her paintings invite us to relive these fond memories, we can also imagine ourselves in the midst of the heartwarming or humorous situations captured in her watercolours (where we may even get a glimpse of one of the notorious mice that are usually found hiding in her work). Brenda has also created numerous pencil drawings reproduced as limited edition prints. These drawings give hints of the country life of which she has grown so fond. Brenda’s original works and limited editions can be found in collections throughout Canada, the United States and overseas.

Brenda Campbell’s work can be found on her website http://brendajeancampbell.blogspot.com/ or for more information, email Brenda at bcampbell@efirehose.net.

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Great Testimonial ad for Ritchie horse waterers

Posted in Energy Usage Press Releases Testimonials
February 17th, 2011 by Ruth Peterson

We always enjoy hearing feedback from our customers. Our distributor Ferguson Enterprises included a great testimonial in their latest advertisement seen below.
horse waterer testimonial

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The Importance of Water for Horses

Posted in Articles Videos
February 10th, 2011 by Ruth Peterson

Rick Lamb of The Horse Show speaks with a veterinarian the importance of water in horses and how Ritchie automatic waterers can help prevent water related issues in horses. For more information about Ritchie automatic waterers please visit http://www.ritchieequine.com

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Photo Contest, end of week one

Posted in Photo Contest
August 6th, 2010 by Ruth Peterson

This has been a fun week of voting on our photo contest entries. With the conclusion of this week, it appears that the winners will not be announced until the week of the 19-23. I can imagine the anticipation makes waiting difficult but thanks to all of those who entered, we have quite the selection to choose from.  

As in my previous post, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight some of the great photos that we received that unfortunately did not make it to the semifinal round.  

WaterMatic 150S, Ritchie automatic waterer

A number of animals enjoy fresh clean water from the WaterMatic 150S. Entered by Lisa of Kentucky

Ritchie Omnifount automatic waterer, premium winter protected unit

The Ritchie waterer can be used for a variety of animals...including dogs. Entered by Mike of Kansas

Energy efficient Ritchie Thrifty King CT2-2000
This shot of our energy efficient Ritchie Thrifty King CT2-2000 was entered by Matthew of PA.

Thanks again to everyone that entered and most of all to our photo contest sponsors for your help in making this a fantastic contest.  

 
 eZall, Jeffers Equine, Justin Boots, Rick Lamb, Clinton Anderson, Ken McNabb, STI, Cinch Jeans and even a brand new Ritchie Waterer.
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Ritchie Thermal Tubes for automatic waterers

Posted in Thermal Tubes
December 15th, 2009 by Ruth Peterson

Throughout our website, brochures and instruction manuals, you will find mention of our optional thermal tubes.  We are often asked if these are needed, if something other than our tubes can be used, and what is the actual purpose of the tubes.

To answer this I must start at the beginning.  No matter what unit you are installing, with the exception of the Stall Founts in warm climates, you will need some sort of riser tube.  By riser tube, I mean a tube to center your water line in below the unit to at least 1 foot below frost line.  The overall intention is to prevent frost from carrying over to the waterline which will result in a frozen line.

(more…)

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Ritchie Industries Announces Partnership with Ken McNabb

Posted in Press Releases
December 7th, 2009 by Ruth Peterson

Originally released February 2009

Ritchie Industries, North America’s largest manufacturer and distributor of animal and livestock watering equipment, recently joined forces with nationally respected trainer and equine clinician Ken McNabb. (more…)

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