[JJT]

When and how do you clean mains fed water troughs?

Interested to hear the variations in how and when people do this. Particularly with those that are mains fed and difficult to drain.

[Buttermilk]

Tie up ball cock and bail out with a bucket.  A scrub with a brush when the water is low.  Empty as much as you can, let some water in and bail that out.  Anything left is usualy lost once the trough is fully filled again.

[JJT]

Great - thats helpful.
How often do you do it?

[Bywaters]

depends on how mucky it is ?

Might get ducks or geese dabbling, might get algae, they might even crap in it !

[stufe35]

As per buttermilks suggestion but also to bail out the last bit in the bottom an old fashioned dust pan works really well...similar to this though the one i have is plastic:-

 https://www.amazon.co.uk/ISH00003-Cleaning-Dustpan-Suitable-Household/dp/B00A21RIRA/ref=asc_df_B00A21RIRA/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=272031820973&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16969954545969588790&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006958&hvtargid=pla-457558102520&psc=1

Gets rid of all the sloppy muck in the bottom a treat.

[Kiran]

Siphon the water out. You just need a length of old pipe. I use a washing machine hose and just scrub it with the water that is in there before starting the water siphoning out.