I just set up my watering system on my mice rack and one of the valves must be leaking because I even took the mice out of that tub and sure enough the bedding was drenched again. Any ideas

I just set up my watering system on my mice rack and one of the valves must be leaking because I even took the mice out of that tub and sure enough the bedding was drenched again. Any ideas

Check the valves and check your lines, if you have a mouse out or wild mice can get access to the rodent room, they can chew holes in lines, but it sounds like a leak to me....

Try a new valve maybe?

Check the valves and check your lines, if you have a mouse out or wild mice can get access to the rodent room, they can chew holes in lines, but it sounds like a leak to me....
Its definably not the lines because the water is actually leaking into the tub.

I had a mouse somehow wedge some beddin into the valve... check that.

The last time I ordered valves I got a couple that leaked. I had to take them apart and put back together. :yessir:

Here is the hard truth about water valves, regards mice. Mice do better on bottles and sipper tubes. Specifically, weanling mice do better on straight sipper tubes.

Unless you spend big $ and buy laboratory grade bedding-proof valves at $25bucks a pop and spend the money or effort to present at optimum location in the enclosure along with strict attention to water properties. This generally requires laboratory enclosures to complete the equation. All this is still not as optimum for raising mice to weaned as a straight sipper tube.

In the typical automatic watering system, the weanling's drinking opportunities end up having to piggy-back the adults, which will work, but it is not optimum.

Regarding leaks, the ( I assume you're using Edstrom valves) valves are succeptable to leaks caused by entrance of matter either from the water supply or the drinking side such as bedding particles. It is a bit of a misrepresentation for Edstrom to portray the system as being so simple that a gravity bucket and strainer will suffice. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won't. The act of opening the gravity bucket to refill it brings in airborne particles, as does aspiration of same through venting as the water level drops. These then allow for bacteria to grow; thus begins the water quality concerns and the fixes, such as adding bleach to control bacteria. There is also the issue of dissolved solids in the water supply,(which the bleach itself increases) whether through gravity or pressure regulated tap.

Given your system is new, you probably have a water quality problem in the supply. I can't go beyond this as I'd need more information about the water supply. Take that leaking valve apart and try rinsing the parts.

I had a mouse somehow wedge some beddin into the valve... check that.

I was thinking the same thing:yessir:

I had a mouse somehow wedge some beddin into the valve... check that.

same here...........just check really good and make sure that there isn't any pine or other debris

Try taking the valves apart and soak in White vinegar. Rinse then reasemble.

I had mice doing the same thing with bedding...Soaking the tubs all the time...I finally went back to water bottles...I only have a 6 tub rack so it's no big deal for me.

The last time I ordered valves I got a couple that leaked. I had to take them apart and put back together. :yessir:

Same here. The last time ordered 40 valves, 1/3 of them leaked. When I checked the valves, those that leaked weren't even tightly assembled and had to be tightened up.