A Cheap and Simple Method to Siphon Your Pool.
To my normal readers – this is the most non-VFX post I’ve ever made. But like most of the world, I work from home a lot more, so little issues creep in every now and then and take over your time. I also am a VFX pipeline tool creator, so let’s humorously consider this a fluid dynamics solution. My job is to solve problems, so let’s solve this one.
Besides, there are no good tutorials on this. Until now.
The Problem
The issue at hand was draining rain water from my pool with out a mechanical pump – and no lower drain. There are a LOT of tips online, and even a simple hand held pool pump to start a siphon of the water, but the pump is a LOT of work, and the standard method of attaching two hoses underwater, starting the house water, and then detaching it from the hose is a pain – and if you are draining very cold water it can be uncomfortable. Sure you can pinch the end of the hose, run to the pool, and throw it in after you shut the water off, but that is an exercise in hope.
Want to do it easy? No muss? No fuss? Read on!
A Simple solution.
Tools:
A Y-split hose bibb whith a quarter-turn ball valve, and three hoses are all you need.
Setup:
SOURCE HOSE. The first hose comes from the standpipe (most of the time on a building), and attaches to the main coupling of the hose bibb. It is the source of the water.
EXIT HOSE. The second hose would be stretched down to an elevation lower than the water you want to drain — this is a gravity siphon, after all, so the lower exit will always win due to the weight of the water.
FEED HOSE. The third hose feeds from the hose bibb to the water you want to remove.
Procedure:
1. Once the hoses are attached, turn the ball valve to the Feed Hose to the off position, then start the water at the standpipe for the Source Hose.
Water will flow out, and down the hill to the Exit Hose. Wait until you see or hear water coming out that end, then turn on the valve to the Feed Hose.
2. Once water is running out of the Feed Hose, shut off the water at the Source Hose.
3. The flow of water will then move in the direction of the Exit Hose, and the submerged head of the Feed Hose will extract new water from the pool.
You should hear the water running through the Y-split hose bibb.
Simple. No mess. No wet hands.
Have fun, and get back to VFX work!
AG