Summary:
[[Image:Siphon1.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Homebrewed beer being siphoned into a carboy bottle. Photo by Sean Mason/[http://www.flickr.com/photos/smason/275154898/ Flickr]/CC]]
Siphoning fluids -- gas out of a car, water out of a fishtank, or homebrewed beer into a carboy -- is a simple exercise in physics.
Contrary to what many assume, a siphon does not rely on atmospheric pressure (it works just fine a vacuum, should you ever need to siphon gas from your spaceship), but rather gravity (a potential problem for the spaceship scenario) and the cohesive forces at work in columns of liquid.
The mechanics of it aren't difficult to understand, and once you've started a siphon, all you have to do is cut it off once the desired volume exchange is achieved.
''This article is part of '''a wiki anyone can edit.''' If you have advice to add about siphoning, please log in and contribute.''
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===How to proceed===
[[Image:Siphon2.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Photo via [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Siphoning.JPG Wikimedia Commons].]]
At the most basic level, you need three things for a siphon: a source of liquid, a place for the liquid to go, and a hose. Ideally the hose would be clear you can see what's going on, but that's not absolutely necessary.
In order for a siphon to work, the source liquid must always be higher than whatever container you're trying to transfer it to. Remember, gravity is doing the work here.
Start by feeding the hose into the source tank and putting your secondary container on the ground.
Now you need to suck the fluid out of the source tank and get rid of any air in the tube. You can do this with your mouth, but if you're siphoning gas, you'd have to be slightly crazy to use your mouth. We've all seen it done in the movies, but unless you're in dire straits, it's far safer to buy a siphon pump. A siphon pump does a better job than your mouth, and it eliminates any chance of you swallowing something toxic and ending up in the hospital. The simple plastic device costs less than $10.
<blockquote style="margin-left:20px; padding:10px 0;�border-bottom:5px solid #333; border-top:5px solid #333; display:block; float:right; width:200px; font-size:12px; color:#666;">You can "prime" the hose by filling it with water first. This eliminates the need to use a pump or suction to get the siphon going. Don't do this with gasoline, though -- putting water in a gas tank causes problems.</blockquote>
Once the air is out of the tube and the liquid has reached the end of the hose, maintain suction on the hose and carefully crimp the hose or use your thumb as a stopper. In either case, the goal is to prevent any air from entering the hose.
Now just drop the the hose into your secondary container and release the crimp. Viola, siphon complete.
If you ''must'' use your mouth, a clear hose is a must. Hold the hose between your thumb and forefinger, ready to squeeze, gripping it as close to the end as you can. Once the fluid starts making its way down the hose, it comes quick, so watch out. When the fluid column is four or five inches from your mouth, '''squeeze hard''' and pull the hose from your mouth in one motion.
When you need to stop the siphon, lift your secondary container and the hose together to a level higher than your source container. Then, remove the hose and let the excess fluid in the hose drain back into the source.
If you're draining a jacuzzi, a fish tank, or beer, just lift the hose out of the source.
===Tips===
* The trick to avoiding air bubbles in your siphon line is hold the hose straight up and down so you're sucking the liquid up, rather than sideways or down.
* Be sure to keep an eye on your source liquid and make sure the hose stays fully submerged, otherwise you'll end up with bubbles.
* It's illegal to siphon gas out of a car that's not your own, without permission.
* Yes you can siphon with your mouth. That's fine if you're draining the jacuzzi or the fish tank, but it's a '''really''' bad idea with deadly, toxic liquids like gasoline.
* You don't have to suck on the hose, unless you're siphoning beer, in which case sucking on the hose is desirable and rewarding. Here's how to avoid it: Just submerge the entire hose in the source tank, then place your thumb firmly over the delivery end of the hose. Holding the end of the hose closed, move it to the receiving vessel. Remove your thumb. If you've done it right, the siphon will flow. If it doesn't flow, then you've got a bubble in the hose. Do the whole thing over, and this time get all the air out of the hose.
* If the hose is thick or the end is too rough to get a good seal, use vise-grip pliers to pinch it off.
* Another possibility when siphoning water out of a pool is to use a garden hose hooked up to a faucet, especially if the faucet is below the pool water level. In this case, simply hook up the hose, and turn the faucet on until water flows into the pool with no bubbles coming out of the hose. Unscrew the faucet from the tap, and presto, instant siphon. If the tap is located above the pool level, use two lengths of garden hose, with the hose joint at the point you want to siphon to. Simply run the water into the pool until any bubbles disappear. Then unscrew the hoses and the one going into the pool will begin to siphon water automagically.
[[Category:DIY]]
Siphoning fluids -- gas out of a car, water out of a fishtank, or homebrewed beer into a carboy -- is a simple exercise in physics.
Contrary to what many assume, a siphon does not rely on atmospheric pressure (it works just fine a vacuum, should you ever need to siphon gas from your spaceship), but rather gravity (a potential problem for the spaceship scenario) and the cohesive forces at work in columns of liquid.
The mechanics of it aren't difficult to understand, and once you've started a siphon, all you have to do is cut it off once the desired volume exchange is achieved.
''This article is part of '''a wiki anyone can edit.''' If you have advice to add about siphoning, please log in and contribute.''
<br clear="all" />
===How to proceed===
[[Image:Siphon2.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Photo via [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Siphoning.JPG Wikimedia Commons].]]
At the most basic level, you need three things for a siphon: a source of liquid, a place for the liquid to go, and a hose. Ideally the hose would be clear you can see what's going on, but that's not absolutely necessary.
In order for a siphon to work, the source liquid must always be higher than whatever container you're trying to transfer it to. Remember, gravity is doing the work here.
Start by feeding the hose into the source tank and putting your secondary container on the ground.
Now you need to suck the fluid out of the source tank and get rid of any air in the tube. You can do this with your mouth, but if you're siphoning gas, you'd have to be slightly crazy to use your mouth. We've all seen it done in the movies, but unless you're in dire straits, it's far safer to buy a siphon pump. A siphon pump does a better job than your mouth, and it eliminates any chance of you swallowing something toxic and ending up in the hospital. The simple plastic device costs less than $10.
<blockquote style="margin-left:20px; padding:10px 0;�border-bottom:5px solid #333; border-top:5px solid #333; display:block; float:right; width:200px; font-size:12px; color:#666;">You can "prime" the hose by filling it with water first. This eliminates the need to use a pump or suction to get the siphon going. Don't do this with gasoline, though -- putting water in a gas tank causes problems.</blockquote>
Once the air is out of the tube and the liquid has reached the end of the hose, maintain suction on the hose and carefully crimp the hose or use your thumb as a stopper. In either case, the goal is to prevent any air from entering the hose.
Now just drop the the hose into your secondary container and release the crimp. Viola, siphon complete.
If you ''must'' use your mouth, a clear hose is a must. Hold the hose between your thumb and forefinger, ready to squeeze, gripping it as close to the end as you can. Once the fluid starts making its way down the hose, it comes quick, so watch out. When the fluid column is four or five inches from your mouth, '''squeeze hard''' and pull the hose from your mouth in one motion.
When you need to stop the siphon, lift your secondary container and the hose together to a level higher than your source container. Then, remove the hose and let the excess fluid in the hose drain back into the source.
If you're draining a jacuzzi, a fish tank, or beer, just lift the hose out of the source.
===Tips===
* The trick to avoiding air bubbles in your siphon line is hold the hose straight up and down so you're sucking the liquid up, rather than sideways or down.
* Be sure to keep an eye on your source liquid and make sure the hose stays fully submerged, otherwise you'll end up with bubbles.
* It's illegal to siphon gas out of a car that's not your own, without permission.
* Yes you can siphon with your mouth. That's fine if you're draining the jacuzzi or the fish tank, but it's a '''really''' bad idea with deadly, toxic liquids like gasoline.
* You don't have to suck on the hose, unless you're siphoning beer, in which case sucking on the hose is desirable and rewarding. Here's how to avoid it: Just submerge the entire hose in the source tank, then place your thumb firmly over the delivery end of the hose. Holding the end of the hose closed, move it to the receiving vessel. Remove your thumb. If you've done it right, the siphon will flow. If it doesn't flow, then you've got a bubble in the hose. Do the whole thing over, and this time get all the air out of the hose.
* If the hose is thick or the end is too rough to get a good seal, use vise-grip pliers to pinch it off.
* Another possibility when siphoning water out of a pool is to use a garden hose hooked up to a faucet, especially if the faucet is below the pool water level. In this case, simply hook up the hose, and turn the faucet on until water flows into the pool with no bubbles coming out of the hose. Unscrew the faucet from the tap, and presto, instant siphon. If the tap is located above the pool level, use two lengths of garden hose, with the hose joint at the point you want to siphon to. Simply run the water into the pool until any bubbles disappear. Then unscrew the hoses and the one going into the pool will begin to siphon water automagically.
[[Category:DIY]]
Source: http://feeds.wired.com/~r/howtowiki/~3/Es_DxE_atG0/Siphon
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