Pet Drinking Bowl With Soda Bottle Reservoir

I looked around the web to find something simple that I can print out and use for my cats so I don't have to refill twice a day.

Sadly there was only one design that looked half decent but the thread used on it was a bit too tight to get a bottle in :(
Time to create my own...

I used a size that can still be printed in one piece on a big printer and for various reasons I decided to print in Nylon.

My cats love to fight over everything that is why the entire bowl is round, more room for everyone.

How to print:

The big bowl is 20cm wide, so you need a printer that can support this size!
Use a plastic that does not release any harmful chemicals into the water!
Once printed soak the thing for a day in soapy water to remove any chemical residue from the printing.
Most produced and harmful chemicals will be gone after this, plus you will see right away if the plastic has problems with water.
Some colored ABS variations don't like water at all, my yellow for example looses the color over time - no good for drinking!
No support needed, all is designed with no cleaning up in mind.


Technical stuff... ;)
The thread is based on the PCO 1810 standard (also known as PCO 028, which is still widely used.
If it will be replaced widely by the PCO 1881 standard I might make a new model but I tried my best to get the thread that should work for both types.

The design is in such a way that the thread does not need to be fully air tight, the seal is done by pressure using the "neck" under the bottle thread that holds the locking ring - so please remove this useless plastic ring.
Some bottles don't use this ring but shrink warp instead, they might not work.

How to get water in without making a big mess...
This is the bowl:

This is the bottle, see the little ring still on there? Remove it!

Fill the bottle all the way and place on a flat surface.

Put the bowl on top of the bottle and screw them together until the pressure seal is sitting tight.
(I included the regulator here)

Turn around and let the littles ones have a drink.
You can replace with a full bottle once it is empty and if you are quick.
I fill the bootle and close it with my thumb or finger.
Put over the thread and quickly get it flush to screw it in, with a few practice runs this can be done without spilling any water.

Additionally you can use the regulator to adjust the water level.
Basically, the higher the opening in the slot the higher the water level.
To work the regulator needs to be glued in place otherwise there won't be an airtight seal and the bowl fills to the max anyway.

And for all those with little pets here is a smaller one:

For added stabilty there are two legs on the back, I could just push them in, you might need a bit of glue.
Makes a great addition for those long dog walks too.
As the reservoir is relatively small I did not include anything to adjust the water level.

This part is quite big, maybe even the biggest you printed so far...
Make sure your printer is well calibrated - if you have only messy prints so far then don't bother trying this.
No matter what material you use, include a brim as otherwise the thing might start lifting off before the bottom is finnished.
Once the bottom is finnished no curling up should happen anymore, so if you see the signs of lifting at this stage either use tape on the brim or start from scratch.
If you are like me and only use a cold bed you might want to try some clear craft glues for adhesion properties.
I use a 2$ one from Aldi that even holds nylon in place on a cold glass plate.

The thread is designed to be a tight fit, the bottles needs a little force for the first few times - this is intenional!
If you can't get the bottle in at all it might have a different thread.
This model is based on the older PCO1881 thread which is still widely used here in Ausralia.
The major coke producers also still use this thread.
So if your bottle has a very loose fit, goes only in a little bit or not at all then try a bottle with a different thread first.

This is the round, big bowl:

Pet water bowl round by Downunder35m on Sketchfab

The limiter in case you want to adjust the water level for the big bowl:

Pet Water Bowl Limiter by Downunder35m on Sketchfab

Here is the smaller one and the supports:

Pet Water Bowl small by Downunder35m on Sketchfab

The support stand for the little bowl - you need two:

Pet Water Bowl Small Support Stands by Downunder35m on Sketchfab