How to choose auto water for dogs? See before buying!
Okay, so I got tired of constantly checking and refilling the dogs' water bowl. Sometimes I'd forget, or they'd drink it all down faster than I expected, especially on hot days. Plus, the bowl would get kinda grimy quick. I figured there had to be a better way, something automatic.

Getting Started - The Idea
I looked at those store-bought gravity waterers, but honestly, they just seemed like bigger bowls that would get slimy too. I wanted something that added fresh water when needed. My first thought was hooking it up to the main water line, but that felt like asking for trouble, leaks and stuff. So, I decided to go with a big reservoir and a small pump.
Hunting for Parts
Right, so I needed a few things to make this work. Here’s what I rounded up:
- A big plastic tub. Had to be food-safe, obviously. Found a decent one, maybe 5 gallons or so.
- A little water pump. Like the kind you see in small fountains. Grabbed a 12-volt one online, seemed safer around water and pets.
- Some clear tubing. Again, made sure it was food-grade.
- The dogs' actual water bowl. Just used their regular stainless steel one.
- A brain for the operation – how to know when to turn the pump on? A float switch! Like the thing in a toilet tank, but smaller. Got a simple vertical one.
- A power supply. Just a 12v wall adapter for the pump.
- Wires and stuff to connect it all.
Putting It All Together - Attempt One
First off, I washed that big tub really well. Then, carefully drilled a hole near the bottom side. Put in a little fitting, a bulkhead thingy, so the tube could attach without leaking. Dropped the pump inside the tub, connected the tube to it, and ran the tube and the pump's power wire out the top.
Next, I ran the other end of the tube over to where the dog bowl usually sits. The tricky part was the float switch. I tried just clipping it to the side of the bowl. Then I wired it up pretty simply: power adapter positive wire -> float switch -> pump positive wire. Pump negative wire -> power adapter negative wire. Basically, the float switch just cuts the power to the pump when the water's high enough.
Filled the big tub with water. Plugged it in. Held my breath.
Did it Work? Well... Sort Of.
It actually worked! When the water level in the bowl was low, the switch turned on the pump, water flowed in. When the bowl filled up to the switch level, it clicked off. Success! But...
The float switch clipped to the side wasn't stable. My dogs would bump it, nudge it, and then it wouldn't read the level right. Sometimes it wouldn't turn off, sometimes not on. Also, the pump filled the bowl pretty fast, splashed a little. And the bowl itself could still get knocked around.
Making it Better - Attempt Two
Okay, needed some improvements. I decided to build a little stand for the bowl. Just some scrap wood, made a simple boxy frame with a hole cut in the top for the bowl to sit down in securely. That stopped it getting knocked over.

For the float switch, instead of clipping it to the bowl, I drilled a small hole in the side of the wooden stand, right at the height I wanted the water level. Mounted the switch through that hole, so it stuck into the bowl area. Much more stable. Ran the wires neatly out the back.
I also positioned the end of the water tube better so it flowed into the bowl gently without splashing. Used a couple of zip ties to keep the tube and wires tidy.
The Final Result
After these changes, it worked much better. The bowl was stable, the switch was reliable. I tested it for a few days, watching the dogs make sure they were cool with it (they didn't care, they just wanted water).
Now, I just top up the big reservoir every few days. Way easier. Of course, I still clean the actual bowl pretty often, because, you know, dog slobber. And the big tank and pump need a rinse now and then to keep things fresh. Maybe a splash of vinegar helps.
So yeah, that was my little project. Took a bit of tinkering, but totally worth it. Dogs always have fresh water now, and it's one less thing for me to worry about constantly.