Home made pond siphon
- Fundamental Foundation
- Jun 24
- 2 min read
This image is a four-step diagram illustrating how to create and operate a "Home-made Pond Siphon" system, which is used to drain water from a pond without needing a pump at the pond level.
Let's break down each step:
Step 1: Setup and Components
* The diagram shows an inverted U-shaped pipe system laid over a raised bank, connecting a body of water (pond) on the right to a lower drain outlet on the left.
* Components:
* One-way valve: Located at the submerged end of the pipe in the pond. This valve allows water to enter the pipe but prevents air from entering when the pipe is being filled.
* PVC clean out plug: Situated at the highest point of the pipe system. This is where water will be introduced to prime the siphon.
* Flexible coupling or PVC joints: Indicated at the bends in the pipe, suggesting how the system is assembled.
* Drain outlet with valve: The lower end of the pipe, where water will exit. It has a valve to control the flow.
* The water level in the pond is higher than the drain outlet, which is a fundamental requirement for a siphon to work.
Step 2: Filling the Pipe (Priming the Siphon)
* The drain outlet valve is CLOSED.
* The PVC clean out plug is OPEN.
* Water is being poured into the clean out plug opening from a bucket (or could be pumped with a water pump).
* The objective here is to completely fill the entire pipe system with water, expelling all the air. The one-way valve at the pond end prevents water from simply flowing out that end while filling.
Step 3: Sealing the System
* The drain outlet valve is still CLOSED.
* The PVC clean out plug is CLOSED.
* At this stage, the entire pipe system is completely filled with water and all openings are sealed. This creates a continuous column of water, which is essential for the siphon to function. The "Vacuum" is created inside the pipe that will pull the water over.
Step 4: Activating the Siphon
* The valve at the drain outlet is now OPEN.
* Water (indicated by the yellow flow) is shown actively draining from the pond, flowing up and over the bank, and exiting at the drain outlet.
* The siphon is now successfully established, relying on the pressure difference created by the height difference between the pond's water level and the drain outlet. Water flows from the higher elevation (pond) to the lower elevation (drain outlet) due to gravity and the continuous column of water within the primed pipe.
In summary, this diagram clearly illustrates the steps for constructing and priming a simple gravity-fed siphon system for draining a pond, highlighting the key components and the importance of filling the pipe with water to initiate the siphoning action.
