Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations WOW! So that's how the siphon is supposed to work

As you have probably seen me mention before, I have yet to see my siphons actually...well...siphon. Even when the water was well over the vent tubes, there just didn't seem to be near as much water coming through as I thought there should be. So after reading some of the other siphon threads and calling Keith at PondDamPiping, I was convinced that I needed an elbow at the end of the pipe to trap air, allowing the siphon to start. So I took the cap off the vent, and put a 22 1/2 degree elbow on. Here is the amount of water that had been coming through at about the time the siphon should have been kicking in:



Then I put the cap back on the vent. HOLY SIPHON, BATMAN!!! Here is what happened within 2 minutes:





Once the siphon got started, I could not unscrew the vent cap. Even after I got it completely unscrewed, I could not pull the cap off the top of the pipe.



I used the wrench to pry the cap off. The suction was one of the most dangerously awesome things I have ever seen. If you were to hold your hand over it, I have no doubt it would have sucked your whole arm off. No kidding.

So now I officially have a siphon.

Jersey - great post and pics. You are right that siphons/suction can be very dangerous. I have been warning people that you should always keep away from the business end of a working siphon (or its release mech - vent tube).

So where was the 22 1/2 elbow added????

I know a trout farmer that sent his son down inside a tank that received his 300 gpm of artesian flow to do something, I honestly don't remember what for. Anyway, he almost lost his son as he got sucked partially into the outflow pipe of the tank!

I'll bet that left a mark! Same one that I know?

I know a guy who knew a guy who had a friend with a siphon on a pond that was actually owned by a trout farmer.... maybe its the same guy?

I know a of guy that knows a trout farmer and another guy that knows a guy that knows a guy that had a siphon on a pond owned by a trout farmer that think it's the same guy I'm thinking of but it's not!

Trout farmer is in Ohio. Knowing him he might be peeved if I mention his name. Scot, I think you're thinking of our friend in Michigan? Not sure who Nate is talking about.

sounds fishy to me....probably a pisces working for scale

Cecil, no need to name names. I was thinking of Michigan.

Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly is this siphon and what are they used for? My understanding of how siphons work is to transfer fluid from a higher body of water to a lower one. Wouldn't a pipe with a valve do the same thing?

Thanks

You're right they typically use elevation (gravity) as the force to move water from one place to another.

Basically a pipe is placed with the inlet end below the surface of the higher pool to be drained, and the outlet end at a lower elevation. The pipe is capped on the outlet end and filled with water. Once the outlet end cap is opened a flow is initiated, and hopefully the flow will continue until the user wants it to terminate.

The best ones I have seen can not only be thread capped on the outlet end, but have a check valve on inlet end so water can come in, but not go back out the inlet to allow complete filling of the pipe and eliminate any air pockets.

In between these two is a 't' riser that is used to fill the pipe, and once the pipe is full, the riser pipe is threaded shut. It's imperative that no air get into the pipe via the riser pipe! Even a slight amount of air can over time create an air bubble that will sabatoge the siphon and eventually shut it down.

Here's video that was posted by one of our members. It should make everything clear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&v=8lXl7tdJ7iY


I use a 'u-tube" siphon with my indoor Recirculating Aquaculture System that does not have to have the outlet end lower than the inlet end to function continuously. That is, it pulls water out of the main tank into a 55 gallon drum. Mine works because a pump is pulling water out of the top of the drum which keeps water flowing in via the siphon that terminates at the bottom of the drum. If the pump stops the water simply stays at the same level as the main tank.

As is evidenced by the pics a siphon will move a lot more water than a plain pipe in non-siphon mode.

I repeat again , seriously , don't get near the business end of a siphon. Anywhere there is suction there is danger.

Absolutely!