Clean Chicken Water for Winter & Summer

You need:

-A plastic barell (50L), not to high,chicken height.

-Wrapping bubble plastic

-A plastic containers for food (medium size)

- 1m of 7mm silicon hose

- Some plastic raffia (bags) to protect the bubble plastic from chicken.
- Thick rope

- 2 bolts and nuts(3mm x 20mm)

-1 Atmega8

-1 2n2222 transistor

-1 1n4000 diode

-1 1000uF 16v capacitor

-1 10uF 16v capacitor

-2 10k resistors

-1 power pupply 5v / 750mA...1A (ex: old cellplone usb charger)

-1 prototype board 50mm by 70mm

-1 Micro Submersible Water Pump (1.20$ on ebay)

Step 1:

Make the board.

Using a drill make 2 holes in the plastic food container and the upper part of the barell to fix them together with 2 nuts&bolts. make them in the upper part of the plastic food container because this will give you the water level in the container.

Using 1m long wires, connect the A1 & A2 to the 2 nuts&bolts that hold the food container with barell.

Using 1.5m long wires, connect the water pump to the +5V and 2n2222 transistor.

Make a 6mm hole near screws (upper if you can) for the hose. It must be hard to fit the 7mm hose in 6mm hole to prevent it to drop. The hose end must be over the watter level, or the water will go back in the barell after the pump stops!

Put the hose between pump and plastic container and drop the pump in the barell.

Note. before soldering the wires, make another hole in the upper part of the barell to get out the wires out of the barell.

Protect your board in a plastic case, away from chicken. Use a stick close/besides the barell and tape the wires on it or chicken will eat the wires :D.

Connect your power supply.

Wrap the barell with bubble plastic for thermal protection!

Wrap the barell with plastic raffia (bags) to protect the bubble plastic from chicken.

Wrap well with thick rope!

I hope this will help. I'm using it for 2 years(2 winters at -25c) and never let me down. I have 40 chickens and they have fresh water for 2 days.

NOTE. the screws will give you the water level, because arduino will measure the current that flows thru water between them! if the water drops under the screws the pump will start and refill until the water is over them. the arduino will measure the value(analog read) until the value will not increase, and stop the pump. The measure will take every 60 seconds, for a few mills. do not make continuous read because electrolysis will occur, especially when you put vitamins in the water.

During winter put hot water in the barrel. It will be warm in upper plastic container, this will increase egg production!

This is my first "instructable" and sorry if something is unclear :).

Step 2: Finish

This is mine....It's not so clean outside because some snow just melted...and it's not new, have 2 years, but the inside water it's always clean and warm.