# Connecting a siphon to water hose



## RisingSun (Jan 5, 2014)

Can someone with more physics tell me if it's possible to connect a siphon to a coiled water hose using a garden hose / barbed fitting, and have it still siphon water? I'm trying to siphon my water out the door to my yard. The tank is elevated 4 feet above the ground (yard is 0 feet). The coiled water hose has slightly less ID than the siphon. Will I still be able to create a siphon, or will I need a pump? Thanks!


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## azazan (Aug 17, 2014)

you can syphon, it won't be a very strong one though..


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## Nlewis (Dec 1, 2015)

RisingSun said:


> Can someone with more physics tell me if it's possible to connect a siphon to a coiled water hose using a garden hose / barbed fitting, and have it still siphon water? I'm trying to siphon my water out the door to my yard. The tank is elevated 4 feet above the ground (yard is 0 feet). The coiled water hose has slightly less ID than the siphon. Will I still be able to create a siphon, or will I need a pump? Thanks!


It should still siphon but what are you trying to accomplish? Do you just need the hose to be longer?


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Siphon will be fine but if you are able to run the outlet end of the hose lower, the flow will be faster. Only very little friction/drag in the hose length so not really a factor. It can even run up higher than the tank without major effect as long as the outlet is low.
One way to jump start the siphon without sucking on the hose is to fill the hose at a faucet, clamp both ends shut and then connect it to the siphon. When that water runs out it pulls more in from the tank.


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## Kathyy (Feb 22, 2010)

It siphons fine. Sure it takes twice as long to drain as to fill but I'm using a python with smaller diameter hose than most garden hoses. It's faster than using the venturi that comes with the python, that's for sure! I'm waiting for the python hose to give up the ghost to see if larger diameter really will make a difference. That hose is good quality for sure. 15 years of getting stuck under doors and stomped on and coiled and smashed in the bin and still in fine shape.


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## whenjenn (Jan 12, 2016)

This is what I use to connect my Python to and it works fine since I have sand as my substrate. I moved my tank upstairs with no faucets that would connect only issue is I need to add buckets of hot water since the water from outside faucet is cold water only. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

I use an old style hose, not one of those coiled things. 
Lay out the hose so the outlet is down hill from the tank. A 4' drop is helpful, more is better. Coils and up-hill runs are bad news. Kinks are a disaster waiting to happen. Technically the siphon ought to go when the outlet is lower than the inlet, even if it is going over hill and over dale, but if it stalls I end up with tank water on the floor. Much safer to keep the garden hose layed out in a straighter run, and plenty of fall. Best of all are my tanks that are right next to a window, where the garden is way down there, just a few feet from the window. Shorter run of hose, and a big drop. 

The right size tubing from the gravel vac will fit snuggly into the female end of the garden hose. It is not screwed in, just jammed into the hose beyond the fitting. Even if it is jammed on like this it may still leak, if the water backs up for any reason. Test fit. Not all tubing will do this; it takes the right size. 

Here is how I do it:
Lay out the garden hose. Clip the hose to the garbage can that I keep new water in. The female end of the garden hose is about at the same level as the bottom of the tank. Have a towel on the floor.
Start siphon in the gravel vac. Start it into a bucket. 
Quickly jam the end of the siphon into the garden hose. I push the tubing in at least 6". Make sure it will stay. If the tubing from the siphon is very small it could slip right out of the hose, and often does while I am busy and not watching that end of the siphon. (If the tank is so small I am using my smallest gravel vac it is safer to siphon into a bucket).

Alternate method: (Probably takes 2 people)
Get a barbed fitting with hose threads (does not matter which- male or female hose is fine).
Connect the siphon to the garden hose with this fitting. 
Fill the hose with water, and keep the siphon under water in the tank. 
Lay out the hose, holding your finger over the end. 
When both ends of the hose-siphon are released the water ought to flow.
Start cleaning the tank, never lifting the siphon out of the water until you are done. 
Variation: Connect, lay out hose, start siphon by shaking the vac up and down, or other method (pump).


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## RisingSun (Jan 5, 2014)

Unfortunately I couldn't get it to siphon without a pump. Perhaps because the connector between the garden hose and siphon isn't air tight, or something.

Next question: Is there a pump that can safely handle small bits of gravel? I'm worried I might accidentally suck up some gravel and damage the impeller.


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Most pumps have a grid with a sponge inside, or you can add a sponge over the intake if you want. A pump that will actually pump a piece of gravel through is a much larger item, large pond sort of equipment.


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## loach guy (Jun 2, 2014)

I used to do it this way at my old house. I had a hose with a larger ID than the siphon hose OD. I would fill up a bucket or 2 to clean off filter media, then just slide the siphon hose into the garden hose. I would get a little bit of spill from the insertion, but I would just have a towel down before hand.


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## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Python threads are standard hose threads. I used to be able to find hose ends for multi-sized hoses so I could connect the vinyl tubing. Last time, I ended up in the plumbing section of Lowes looking at brass barbed hose ends.


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