Siphon Water
Siphoning is a useful way to empty a large amount of water from a container. You can clean a fish tank by siphoning the water out of the tank. All of the parts necessary to siphon water are available at a home improvement or hardware store. Use these tips to siphon water.
Contents
Steps
Siphon Water With Your Mouth
- Position the bucket. Place a bucket on a surface lower than the container from which you want to siphon the water.
- Position the tube.
- Place one end of a plastic tube at the bottom of the container from which you will siphon the water.
- Place the other end of the plastic tube in the bucket.
- Start the water flowing. Suck lightly on the end of the plastic tube that you placed in the bucket. Ensure that the end of the tube is lower than the container from which you are siphoning water.
- Allow the water to run.
- Stop sucking the lower end of the plastic tube when the water in the container above you has reached the lip of the container.
- Place the lower end of the plastic tube into the bucket.
- Let the water run out into the bucket.
Siphon Water By Submersion
- Immerse the tube. Place the plastic tube completely under the water in the container from which you will siphon the water. Submerge the tube slowly under the water to allow air to escape from the tube.
- Stop the tube. Put a finger over one end of the plastic tube. Ensure that your finger covers the entire opening at the end of the tube.
- Position the siphon.
- Remove the plugged end of the plastic tube from the water.
- Place the plugged end of the plastic tube into a container that is lower than the container from which you will siphon the water.
- Keep your finger over the plugged end of the tube until you have set that end into the lower container.
- Ensure that the immersed end of the tube does not come out of the water in the higher container.
- Unplug the tube. Remove your finger from the plugged end of the plastic tube. Water will flow through the tube into the lower container.
Siphon Water With A Garden Hose
- Position the garden hose.
- Place one end of the garden hose in the bottom of the container from which you will siphon the water.
- Anchor the garden hose with an object heavy enough to keep it in place, but light enough to keep from blocking the water flow through the hose.
- Place the other end of the garden hose where you would like the siphoned water to flow.
- Attach the shut-off valve. Attach a shut-off valve to the end of the garden hose lying outside of the container of water to be siphoned. Leave the valve open.
- Attach a second hose. Attach a second garden hose to the shut-off valve on the end of the garden hose acting as a siphon.
- Secure the other end of the second hose to a water valve.
- Fill the siphon hose.
- Turn on the water valve connected to the second hose.
- Allow the garden hose acting as a siphon to fill with water.
- Close the shut-off valve connecting the two hoses.
- Detach the second hose. Remove the second garden hose from the hose acting as a siphon.
- Open the shut-off valve. Water will flow from the container out of the garden hose.
Things You'll Need
- Container of water
- Plastic tube
- 2 garden hoses
- Shut-off valve
- Bucket
- Object to anchor the garden hose
