Is your hamsters’ water bottle continuously dripping, and you do not know why? Water bottles will occasionally leak when a pet drinks and as the temperature changes in the area where the water bottle is kept. The solution to this problem depends upon the point of leaking on the bottle. If the bottle is leaking from the edges, you can use Teflon tape to cover the leak. If there is a problem with the connection between the top and bottom of the bottle then use an “O Ring”.
You can’t take this problem lightly because the health of your hamster is at stake. They can easily contract pneumonia if they stay wet for long. Moreover, if the water bottle gets empty, thirst can significantly affect the health of your hamster.
The water bottle of your hamster’s cage could leak from anywhere. Best solutions for every kind of leak are discussed below.
Why Is Your Hamster’s Water Bottle Leaking?
There could be multiple reasons behind the leak in your beloved pet’s water bottle. Change in temperature can deteriorate the shape of the bottle especially if it is made up of plastic.
Moreover, your hamster’s habit of chewing on the water bottle could also be a reason behind the inconvenience you are facing right now.
Worry not because you can easily fix it yourself without spending money to buy a new one. Follow the simple steps mentioned below to fix the leak of your hamster’s water bottle:
What Do You Need?
Following is the list of materials that you will need to fix the water bottle of your hamster:
- Teflon tape
- Towel or cloth
- Rubber O ring
- Plastic glue
- Slanted nozzle
Examining The Leak
First things first. Examining the leak is very crucial to do the fix it efficiently. To begin, take the bottle out of the cage. Examine the bottle to see any obvious signs that it is leaking. Look at the source of the water. Tap or shake the container gently to replicate the action of the hamster in its cage and see if any water comes out.
You’ll be able to address the problem and mend the bottle more efficiently once and for all if you specifically target the section of the bottle that leaks.
Fixing The Leak
Once you have gathered all the material required you will be ready to fix the water bottle.
Depending upon the type of the leak, follow these simple methods to address the leak:
Leaking From Edges
The threads that run down the edges of a hamster water bottle are the most typical location for a leak. Wrap some Teflon tape around the bottle if water is leaking from this section of the bottle.
Before you begin, wipe any water from the bottle using a towel or cloth to ensure that the tape adheres. Continue until the edges of the bottle are entirely coated or until the leak stops.
Leaking Connection
If the leak is from a point where the top of the bottle connects to the base of the bottle, make sure the top screws on firmly. If it does, take off the top, dry it with a cloth, and then attach a rubber O ring to the inside of the top.
The ring should be tiny enough to fit snugly on the finger. Reattach the top to the bottle’s base and inspect for leaks.
If Any Random Part Of Bottle Is Leaking
If there is a leak originating from another portion of the bottle, properly dry it out before closing it with plastic glue. Allow the glue to cure completely before filling the bottle with water and giving it to your pet.
Is That a Normal Drip?
It is the first water discharger from your water bottle when it builds a new vacuum seal. The air gap and water volume must equalize before a vacuum may form within the sealed water container.
This little water flow is a natural byproduct of pressure equalization when the pressure stabilizes.
If you see a single droplet at the end of the sipping tube that doesn’t mean the water bottle is leaking. If you first fill and attach the water bottle, tap the ball bearing several times with your fingers to help the vacuum seal. This allows for the discharge of modest volumes of water and accelerates the vacuum pressure equalization process.
Is It Dripping Or Emptying Constantly?
If your water bottle appears to be constantly dripping or emptying, here are simple steps that can help you to resolve the issue:
- A rubber gasket is present inside the cap of the bottle. If the gasket is missing or broken, your bottle will drip indefinitely. The gasket will be a varied color depending on the kind of bottle. Take the water bottle to the nearest pet store and get a new gasket installed in it.
- Fill the water bottle to the top with room temperature water. A bottle half-full or full of cold water will take longer to establish a vacuum and therefore drip more.
- After filling the bottle completely, seal the top, tap the ball bearing a few times in the sink, hang it, and tap the bearing a few more times. Within some time, the water bottle will stop leaking. The dripping will stop quicker if the bottle is small in size.
- Grasp the bottle so that the tube is in an upright position, squeeze it until a tiny bit of water comes out, turn it over, and hang it on the cage/crate. (Think of it as a doctor clearing a syringe of air before giving you an injection.)
Additional Information
If the water bottle is attached to a box and you own a big size hamster, the bottle may shake a few drips out when your pet moves. To capture these drips, some individuals place a little “drip” cup beneath the tube tip. You can also try one.
Furthermore, most ball-bearing bottles will drip if placed in a moving box. It is advised that you get a valve bottle instead of ball-bearing bottles.
The bottle will continue to drip as you hold it because your hand exerts little pressure on the bottle. It usually does not stop pouring until you hang it on a cage or carrier.
All water bottles will drop from time to time when a pet drinks and as the temperature changes where the water bottle is kept. Place the water bottle away from the sunlight and heat it for optimal effects.
Pet water bottles with a metal drinking tube and more metal ball bearings inside may hold the water because a vacuum is produced in the sealed container. Due to the metal ball, there exists a film of water between the metal ball and the drinking tube’s open end.
Because the exposed ball-bearing movement breaks this seal and releases the vacuum within the water bottle, the moving ball works as an opening and closing valve.
If the pet licks or nudges the ball, he will be able to access the water that is flowing down the tube, keeping the ball moving and the valve “open.”
The water film recovers, and the valve “closes” when the pet moves away from the water bottle, and the ball comes back into position at the end of the drinking tube.
FAQ’S
Here are some questions that are commonly asked by hamster owners:
Fill the bottle with water and screw the lid tightly to repair a leaking ball-bearing water bottle. Then, gently tap the metal tube containing the ball bearing against the sink a few times before hanging it in the cage and tapping a few more times.
The bottle may dribble at first, but it should eventually cease.
Check that the screw ring on the bottle is appropriately fastened without being overtightened. When hanging the bottle, use the cap to ensure it is correctly positioned. Moreover, refrain from filling the bottle completely.
The bottle’s surface comes into touch with the moisture in the air, which converts from gas to liquid and settles on the bottle’s walls. This may cause any stainless steel, glass, or plastic water container to leak, drenching everything in its path.
Everything About Leaking Hamster’s Water Bottle – Final Verdict
Hamster water bottle dripping is a general problem that every pet owner faces. But some solutions can prove significant in fixing this issue. Prevent the hamster water bottle from dripping by taking valuable preventive measures. If the problem can not be prevented, take the steps mentioned above to fix it.
