If you look to the side, on the inside, there is a place where you can push the ball down and place a 5/16 bolt in the side of the waterer, thereby holding the ball underwater and out of the way, that way the cattle can drink and get used to drinking out of it. Then after they know what it is for, remove the bolt and the ball will float back up to seal, but remember, the balls need to be almost touching the top, leaving just a little room for water to flow back in the tank after they drink and move there heads up. This allows any water that falls from their nose to run back inside and not freeze on top of the balls. There should have been a sticker on the drinker or on the balls, that says: "Leave me loose, too tight is not right". It is refering to the balls.