Ritchie Omni 5 Insulated Replacement Frame 18343
Ritchie Omni 5 Insulated Replacement Frame 18343 is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
All products will ship according to shipping option selected at checkout. Standard USPS and UPS average shipping times are 2-7 and freight up to 2 weeks. Allow extra time during peak season and the holidays. For more information see our Shipping Policy.
Ritchie Omni 5 Insulated Replacement Frame 18343
Ritchie Omni 5 Insulated Replacement Frame 18343 is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Description
Description
Ritchie Omni 5 insulated frame, part 18343
The insulated poly casing for the Omni 5. It is the body of the waterer, the piece that stands on the pad, carries the trough and shields the valve and float chamber from the weather. Order this one when the casing itself is cracked, crushed or has taken on water and the rest of the unit is still sound.
Frame only — read this before ordering
This is the bare frame. It does not include the hardware, the drain plug, the valve chamber cover or any accessories. If you need the frame and the cover together, the 18344 package pairs this frame with the Omni 5 valve chamber cover 18426. It prices out the same as buying the two on their own, so it is a convenience rather than a saving: one part number, matched parts, one shipment.
Fully insulated, which is the whole point of the casing
Ritchie describes the Omni 5 as having "a fully insulated design to deliver frost-free service, even on winter’s coldest days," and the OmniFount line as combining "the strength of stainless steel with the efficiency of insulated poly construction." Their own feature list for the line reads "Full insulation for superior energy efficiency" and "Durable insulated casing boosts energy efficiency." Ritchie adds that their waterers "are so well insulated that we have been recognized by electric companies and government agencies for energy efficiency."
That insulation is not a coating on the outside of the frame, it is the frame. A cracked, crushed or waterlogged casing is a waterer that costs more to run every day it stays on the pad, because the heating element is fighting the weather instead of the water.
The water seal groove, and the drain that makes it easy to clean
The Ritchie frame and the trough meet at a water seal groove. The groove is filled with water, and that water is what blocks cold air from working its way up between the casing and the trough. It is a simple idea and it is a large part of why these units hold temperature the way they do. Keeping the groove topped up is standard Ritchie winter maintenance, right alongside checking the heater and caulking the seal at the base of the unit.
The groove has its own drain, separate from the trough drain, so the groove can be emptied and flushed when you clean the waterer rather than being left to collect sediment. Pull the groove plug, let it drain, wash it out and refill. Two different openings on the same machine do two different jobs, and the groove plug is not the trough drain plug.
Specifications
- Part number: 18343
- Fits: Ritchie OmniFount 5
- Insulated poly casing
- Shipping weight 15 lb.
- Supplied as the frame alone
About the Omni 5
Ritchie rates the OmniFount 5 for 150 beef cattle, 75 dairy cows or 150 horses. It is a double sided unit, 40 in. long by 23.5 in. wide by 33 in. high, with a 26 in. drink height and a 548 watt heating element drawing 4.6 amps at 120 volts. The trough is 304 stainless steel and the heat sits directly underneath it. Ritchie warrants stainless troughs and frames for ten years at full value, and poly units for five years full plus five prorated.
Not sure which part you need?
Send us the model and the part number off your waterer through the contact form and we will confirm the fit before you order.
