Siphons are pipes used to transfer liquids from one tank to another, capable of lifting water past barriers. They have been used for thousands of years and are still useful in various applications. Siphons are typically U-shaped and require priming to work, which can be done manually or with a pump. They are used in gas siphoning, manufacturing, and home plumbing. Siphons work as long as the end of the hose is lower than the tank and the siphon is primed.
A siphon is a pipe that can be used to move water from one tank to another point. Siphons are capable of lifting water past a barrier, which is what makes them distinctive and interesting, as well as very useful. People have worked with siphons for thousands of years, with evidence suggesting that several ancient cultures were familiar with the siphon’s basic principle, and siphons continue to be quite useful for a wide variety of applications.
In classic usage, a siphon is a flexible pipe bent into a U shape, although rigid pipe can also be used. One end of the siphon is placed into a tank and the other end is placed into a container to collect the liquid, or left suspended, depending on what you are trying to achieve with the use of a siphon. Once the siphon has been started with a priming pump, it will continue to draw liquid from the tank until removed or until the tank is drained.
Priming consists of filling the siphon with fluid so that hydrostatic pressure comes into play. One of the easiest ways to prime a siphon is to suck it up like a straw until liquid fills the tube, starting the siphoning process. Manual or electric pumps can also be used, which may be preferable for large siphons or siphoning procedures involving toxic fluids. A siphon will work until it starts sucking in air.
One of the more infamous applications of the siphon is in gas siphoning, where people insert a hose into a gas tank and use the hose to steal gas. Many cars have siphon measures designed to prevent this activity. Transfer is also used in a wide variety of manufacturing processes, ranging from brewing beer to moving various fluids along a factory line. Variations on the siphon design are also used in home plumbing.
Many people are so familiar with the concept of siphons that they don’t really think about how siphons work. The process actually requires a great deal of math, with siphons being able to lift liquids in a gravity-defying act that’s quite remarkable, when you think about it. As long as the end of the hose is lower than the tank and the siphon is primed, it will work quite well.
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