Starting a big siphon
 

Over the past few years I have collected a nice collection of mulm and kitty
litter on the bottom of my pond. I have since learned that if you don't
plant the lilies all the way to the top of the pot, the Koi can't
redistribute the kitty litter all over. Anyway, I want to remove it and
think a siphon using a large 1 1/2" tube would work without clogging too
much. The problem is, and no joking here - you know who you are, that I
can't suck hard enough to get it started.

Any of you mechanical minds have a way I can somehow prime it with a pump?

San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

Starting a big siphon
 

San Diego Joe wrote:
Over the past few years I have collected a nice collection of mulm and kitty
litter on the bottom of my pond. I have since learned that if you don't
plant the lilies all the way to the top of the pot, the Koi can't
redistribute the kitty litter all over. Anyway, I want to remove it and
think a siphon using a large 1 1/2" tube would work without clogging too
much. The problem is, and no joking here - you know who you are, that I
can't suck hard enough to get it started.

Any of you mechanical minds have a way I can somehow prime it with a pump?

San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.



Hi,

Run a hose from an outside faucet to the bottom of your pond, turn your
faucet on and let it start running water in your pond, the turn off the
faucet, take the hose off the faucet and place the faucet end of the
hose lower than the pond and the siphon is primed and will start draining.

Sheila

Starting a big siphon
 

San Diego Joe wrote:
Over the past few years I have collected a nice collection of mulm and kitty
litter on the bottom of my pond. I have since learned that if you don't
plant the lilies all the way to the top of the pot, the Koi can't
redistribute the kitty litter all over. Anyway, I want to remove it and
think a siphon using a large 1 1/2" tube would work without clogging too
much. The problem is, and no joking here - you know who you are, that I
can't suck hard enough to get it started.

Any of you mechanical minds have a way I can somehow prime it with a pump?

Hi,
Assuming you have a low spot to drain it to and tube to reach it is easy.
One way is to put the entire tube in the pond and fill it. Then cap or
somehow block one end and leave the other in the pond, take the blocked
end to your drainage point and unblock it. The block has to be tight and
the drain point low enough but this works.
It can be done with a pump also. The pump can be used at either end of
the tube but must be able to "fill" the tube. When the tube fills pull
the pump off.
A piece of garden hose long enough to reach the pond and the drainage
area can be used for a siphon and will pass a lot of material. Take your
garden hose and hold it to the end of the siphon hose in the pond fill
it and remove.
HTH -_- how

--
no NEWS is good

Starting a big siphon
 

On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:14:55 EDT, San Diego Joe
wrote:

Over the past few years I have collected a nice collection of mulm and kitty
litter on the bottom of my pond. I have since learned that if you don't
plant the lilies all the way to the top of the pot, the Koi can't
redistribute the kitty litter all over. Anyway, I want to remove it and
think a siphon using a large 1 1/2" tube would work without clogging too
much. The problem is, and no joking here - you know who you are, that I
can't suck hard enough to get it started.

Any of you mechanical minds have a way I can somehow prime it with a pump?

Use a shop vac to prime the siphon hose.

To prevent re-occurrence, use plenty of stones large enough the koi
can't move them from the top of the lily pot. Just be sure not to
cover the lily leaf shoots coming out of the larger root.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb