Siphons - WordPress.com

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Siphons

The Missing Manual

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Siphons

What is a siphon?

Whatisasiphon?Whyusesiphons?HowtomakeasiphonHowtostartasiphonHowtomakeapondriverAddingwatertoapondriverUsingwaterfromapondriverWhatisaWateryArtery?HowtomaintainasiphonSpecialUseTipsMaterials&ReferencesLinks

Asiphonisanupside-downU-shapedtubefilledwithliquid,witheachendsubmergedinadifferentcontainerofliquid.Ifthelevelishigherinonecontainerthantheother,liquidwillflowfromthecontainerwiththehigherlevelupthroughthesiphonandthendownintothelowerlevel.Thisflowwillcontinueuntilthelevelsofbothcontainersareequal.Flowstopswhenthetwopondslevelsareequal.Thesiphon'sflowisaresultoftheforceofgravity.Thestoredgravitationalpotentialenergyinthehigherliquidlevelpushestheliquidthroughthesiphonintotheoutputtube.

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Siphonsareagoodwaytomovewaterbetweentwopondswithoutmakingapermanentholeinthesideoftheponds.Siphonsallowthewatergoovertherimofapondinsteadofthroughtheside.Siphonsareeasiertoconstructthanapermanenttubethatisattachedandsealedintothesideofeachpond.Siphonsaremovableandarenotconnectedtotheponds.Siphonscanbeeasilyremovedtodisconnectponds.Thepondscanbemovedandrearrangedindependently.Severalsiphonscanbeusedtogethertoallowmoreflowwithoutneedingtomakeadditionalpermanentconnections.Iftwopondsareconnectedbyasiphonatthetop,aleakinonepondwilldrainthatponddowntotheleveloftheleak,butthewaterintheotherpondwillonlydraindowntothelevelofthebottomofthesiphontube.Butiftwopondsareconnectedbyatubesatthesidesnearthebottom,aleakinonepondwilldrainbothponds(sometimesresultinginafishdyinginbothponds).

Why use siphons?


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Makingasiphonusingflexiblerubberfittings.materials:--PVCclearplastictubing2inchesinsidediameter.--flexiblerubberfittingswithclamps--brassbarbedhosenipplefitting(for1/8inchdiameterflexibletubing)--clearsiliconesealant--flexiblesiliconeairlinetubing(standard13/16inchesdiameter)--bamboochopstick

howto:a)cutpiecesofPVCclearplastictubing(two12"piecesandtwo4"pieces)b)connectthepiecesoftubingwithflexiblerubberfittingsthatclampontothetubingtomakewater-tight,air-tightconnections.MakeaU-shapewithastraightfittingbetweentwoshorttubesthetop.c)drillaholeinthetopcenterrubberfitting,slightlysmallerthanthefitting.Insertthesmallbrassfittingpointingup.Applyclearsiliconesealantaroundthefitting.d)connecta3'pieceofairlineonthebrassfitting,andinsertachopstickintheendoftheairline.

How to make a siphon


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Notes:1)Cleartubingshowswhetherthesiphonisfullofwaterinside,whetherthewaterismoving,andwhichwaythewaterismoving.2)Thebrassfittingisusedtoremoveairfromsiphon.3)ThefittingsconnectthetubingtomaketheU-shape.Thecornerfittingscanbeangledat60or90degrees.The90degreeshapeisbest.Itismorestable,canextenddeeperintothepondandinterfereslesswithfloatingplantsandaquaponicstrays.

howto:a)cutpiecesofPVCclearplastictubing(three12"pieces)b)connectthetubingwithrigidPVCfittings;permanentlysealtogetherwithPVCsolvent.c)drillaholeinthetoptube,slightlysmallerthanthefitting.Insertthesmallbrassfittingpointingup.Applyclearsiliconesealantaroundthefitting.d)connecta3'pieceofairlineonthebrassfitting,andinsertachopstickintheendoftheairline.

MakingasiphonusingpermanentlygluedPVCfittingsmaterials:--PVCclearplastictubing2inchesinsidediameter.--flexiblerubberfittingswithclamps--brassbarbedhosenipplefitting(for1/8inchdiameterflexibletubing)--clearsiliconesealant--flexiblesiliconeairlinetubing(standard13/16inchesdiameter)--bamboochopstick

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Thetopofthesiphonisinitiallyfilledwithair.Theairlinetubingisforremovingthisair.

Whenairissuckedoutfromthetopoftheairline,waterwillriseupfromthepondsintothetubesandfillthesiphoncompletelywithwater.Aircanbesuckedout:-withyourmouth,likesuckingthroughastraw.or-byattachingasmallhand-squeezeairpump,whichcanbecarriedfromonepondtoanother.Stopwhenthewaterstartstoentertheairline.

How to start a siphon

airout

waterin


Insertachopstickintheendoftheairline.Whenthesiphonisfull,ittransferswaterfromonepondtoanother.

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Aseriesofpondscanbeconnectedwithsiphonsformingapondriver.Whenwaterisaddedtotheriver,itwillmovefrompondtopond.Allpondswillfilluntiloneormorepondsoverflowoverthetoprim,oruntilwatergoesoutofapondforirrigation.

Howtomakeapondriver


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rainwaterin

faucetwaterin

waterin

siphon-dripperwaterout

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Watercanbeaddedbyseveralmethodsatanypointinthepondriverby:1)withawaterfauceta)directlyb)controlledbyatimerthataddswaterperiodicallyc)controlledbyafloat-valvethataddswaterwhenthelevelgoesdown,tokeepthepondfilledtoachosenlevel

Addingwatertoapondriver


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2)rainwaterfromaroof

3)waterstoredaboveandreleasedbyatimer

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Ariverofpondsconnectedbysiphonscanmovewateralongdistancetoirrigateindoororoutdoorgardens.Watercanleaveapondriverbyfivedifferentways:1)byasiphondripper2)byasiphonconnectedtoatimeronanirrigationline3)byasiphonandhoseregulatedbyaperson4)byaccidentaloverflowing,ifasiphonintheriverfails5)byaccidentaldrainingfromaleakinapond

asiphondripperisasiphongoingintoasmallcontainerhangingontheoutsiderimofapond.Whenwaterrisesinapond,itflowsthroughthesiphonintothesmallcontainer,whichoverflowsintoahoseorirrigationtube.

Usingwaterfromapondriver


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drainedfromapondbysiphonandtimer

timertimer

siphonandhose

timer

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Awateryarteryisanetworkofpondrivers.Pondriverscanbeconnectedtomergetogetherordivideandflowindifferentdirections.Anetworkofpondriverscanacceptnewwateratanypointanddeliverittoanyotherlocationinthenetwork.

waterin

WateryArteries


irrigateindoorgarden

irrigateoutdoorgarden

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<irrigateoutdoorgarden

Asiphoncompletelyfullofwaterandnoairwilloperatebest.Asiphonpartiallyfilledwithairwillcontinuetowork,butlesswaterwillflow.Asiphonwiththeentirehorizontaltubefullofairwillstopworking.Whenairissuckedoutfromthetopoftheairline,waterwillriseupfromthepondsintothetubesandfillthesiphoncompletelywithwater.Aircanbesuckedout:-withyourmouth,likesuckingthroughastraw.or-byattachingasmallhand-squeezeairpump,whichcanbecarriedfromonepondtoanother.Stopwhenthewaterstartstoentertheairline.Insertachopstickintheendoftheairline.Whenthesiphonisfull,ittransferswaterfromonepondtoanother.

Howtomaintainasiphon

waterin

airout

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Note:Therearefourwaysaircangetaccidentlyintoasiphon:1.Aircomingoutofthewaterinthesiphon.Wateralwayshassomeairdissolvedinit.ThataircancomeoutofsolutionasabubbleduetolowpressureintheupperpartofsiphonAirleakswherethefittingsmeetthetubes.2.Bubblesaccidentlycausedbystirringorsplashingthewaterinthepond,orfrombubblesfromanaerationbubblerinthepond.3.Theconnectionsbetweenthefittingsandtubesmustbecompletelywater-tightandair-tight.Ifthereisevenasmallaleakorcrack,airwillaccumulateinthetopofthesiphon.Rubberfittingswithclampscantightened.PVCjointscanbesealedwithsiliconesealant.4.Thewaterlevelinapondcangobelowthebottomendofonelegofthesiphon.Thiscanbeaccidentalifthepondhasafastleak,oriftoomuchwaterisdrainedoutforirrigationThenairwillgoupintothesiphonandfillthetop,anditwillstopworking.

dissolvedairveryslowlycomesoutofwater

bubblesfromaerationriseupintothesiphon

waterlevelfallsbelowthesiphon

crackorleakinfittings

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Alongsiphoncanbeusedtopassoveroneormorepondsinaseries,separatingitfromtheflowofwater.Theskippedpond(orponds)tobeemptiedforcleaningorharvestingfishWatercontinuestoflowthroughtherestoftheponds.

Specialuses


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Aburiedsiphoncanbeusedtopassundergroundbetweentwoponds.

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Fishcanswimthroughsiphonsfromonepondtoanother.Attachascreenatthebottomofoneorbothofthesiphontubes.

Tips

screen


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Materialsponds-madeofKalwallfiberglassbySolarComponentsDivisionofKalwallCorporation.www.solar-components.com siphonfittings–plumbingsupplycompaniesReferencesGreenCenterwebsite–www.newalchemists.net

Materials&References/Links

LinksLinkstoGreenwayvideos:--"FollowtheWater"--"WatchtheNutrientsCycle"--"WatchtheEnergyFlow"--"TransportLinkstoGreenwayTopicsExplanations

Contact:EarleBarnhartcapecodalchemists@gmail.comTheGreenCenterwww.newalchemists.net


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Siphons - WordPress.com