Diy Python Water Changer

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Akasha72

Warning - Mad Cory Woman
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Hey guys. I've got some questions about making my own python water changer. This is something I've been putting off for a long time but my water change this week left me in agony with my poorly back for days and so I can't put it off any longer.
 
Okay, so my tank is roughly 6 metre's from my kitchen sink but I have a problem with my taps. Firstly it's a seperate hot and cold but they are also old and the really thin style from the 1970's. I know from experience that the tap connectors that you can buy from the DIY store just fall off. 
Last year I spotted one of the old fashioned push on tap shower hoses in a shop. It was only about £3 so I risked buying it. When I got home I tried it on my kitchen taps and it's a nice tight fit. I've already cut the shower end off leaving me with just the tap connectors, the 'Y' shape hose and a short length of pipe coming from the end of that. My plan was to buy some clear hose from B & Q and just push that on to the end. I got a new washing machine recently and it came with the plastic hose holder thingy that wasn't needed and I know now that that will sit on the tank edge securely. I'm hoping I have the process of returning water to the tank sorted ... it's very makeshift and I'd prefer it to be more sophisticated but until I can get the landlord to update my kitchen it will have to do.
 
Now ... removing water from the tank .... that's the problem. This is where my questions come in and I'm hoping someone might be able to advise. 
 
I have a Biorb syphon and I love it. It's quick and easy to start. I wondered about adding the hose that I'm going to buy to the end of the syphon, putting the end in the sink and setting the syphon going but I don't know if there will be enough force/pressure/what-ever to do that? 
 
Can anyone help/suggest a better option? I can do without spending money on a water pump unless I really have to. Money is tight right now
 
If you need photo's to aid my explainations please just let me know and that can be done :)
 
Is your tank higher than your sink? If it is you can drain it directly or by using your biorb, or maybe you could drain it into your washing machine? I'm just guessing but there's probably something to prevent your machine filling up if the doors open. (this is probably a stupid idea)
 
Akasha72 said:
Hey guys. I've got some questions about making my own python water changer. This is something I've been putting off for a long time but my water change this week left me in agony with my poorly back for days and so I can't put it off any longer.
 
Okay, so my tank is roughly 6 metre's from my kitchen sink but I have a problem with my taps. Firstly it's a seperate hot and cold but they are also old and the really thin style from the 1970's. I know from experience that the tap connectors that you can buy from the DIY store just fall off. 
Last year I spotted one of the old fashioned push on tap shower hoses in a shop. It was only about £3 so I risked buying it. When I got home I tried it on my kitchen taps and it's a nice tight fit. I've already cut the shower end off leaving me with just the tap connectors, the 'Y' shape hose and a short length of pipe coming from the end of that. My plan was to buy some clear hose from B & Q and just push that on to the end. I got a new washing machine recently and it came with the plastic hose holder thingy that wasn't needed and I know now that that will sit on the tank edge securely. I'm hoping I have the process of returning water to the tank sorted ... it's very makeshift and I'd prefer it to be more sophisticated but until I can get the landlord to update my kitchen it will have to do.
 
Now ... removing water from the tank .... that's the problem. This is where my questions come in and I'm hoping someone might be able to advise. 
 
I have a Biorb syphon and I love it. It's quick and easy to start. I wondered about adding the hose that I'm going to buy to the end of the syphon, putting the end in the sink and setting the syphon going but I don't know if there will be enough force/pressure/what-ever to do that? 
 
Can anyone help/suggest a better option? I can do without spending money on a water pump unless I really have to. Money is tight right now
 
If you need photo's to aid my explainations please just let me know and that can be done :)
I will assume that your sink in the kitchen is lower than your tank, in which case the answer is simple. Turn on the water to fill the tank as you would. Let that run until the air is out of the hose. Then, with the end submerged in the tank, shut off the water and disconnect from the tap. This will cause the water to flow out of the tank and into the sink. Clamp it down somehow in the sink (Aheavy pot should work nicely) and voila.
 
As eagles mentions, this method actually works, just a case of filling up the hose with water from tap and ensure end of hose is in the tank, stop water from tap, disconnect and gravity should let the water run from the tank to your sink.
 
The diameter size of hose, height of tank to sink etc will determine how fast the water will drain from the tank, usualy is quite slow but you will get used to it.
 
A bit of practice will do the trick ;)
 
Failing that, you can get a universal pump but on a tight budget this may not be viable for you, second hand ehiem universal pump start at around £25 - £35.
 
My bath (i use the bath as its lower than the sink as well as having thermostatic shower taps which helps in temperature matching water to tank) and is about 10 meters away from the tank and I use a Eheim 1048 600lph, not fast but does the job.
 
Yip.I do the same.long clear hose.attatch it at both ends and sook a bit of air out at the sink end.
 
yes the sink is slightly lower than the tank - probably about 8 inches going by eye. So you guys think gravity will do the job? I don't want to go out and buy 6 metre's of tubing, which will cost around £20 and will be non-returnable, to find it doesn't work. 
 
This is why it keeps getting put off - I rarely have £20 spare to potentially waste but I just can't carry on with buckets with a prolapsed disc :(
 
Akasha72 said:
yes the sink is slightly lower than the tank - probably about 8 inches going by eye. So you guys think gravity will do the job? I don't want to go out and buy 6 metre's of tubing, which will cost around £20 and will be non-returnable, to find it doesn't work. 
 
This is why it keeps getting put off - I rarely have £20 spare to potentially waste but I just can't carry on with buckets with a prolapsed disc
sad.png
 
I know it will work.  Simple physics really.  (not to mention that I have a 25 foot (~8m) hose that I use to do this exact thing!)
 
 
If you are interested in the physics of how and why it works, let me know and I'd be happy to put together something to illustrate it.   
 
B&Q are kind of an expensive place to buy DIY stuff from, you may find it cheaper to buy clear hose online if that helps.
 
I bought 10m of flexible clear hose, 12/15mm online for about £11 with free postage from eBay, this was a couple years ago though, price may have risen a little bit but reckon not by much tbh.
 
EDIT - just remembered, you will also need connectors to attach anything to the hose, like pipe, or to make it easier to interchange suction hose part with ouput rose or anything like that.
 
Wilkinsons are doing a good deal on these, only £1 each, I bought 4 and they have other hose bits and pieces you may want :)
 
http://www.wilko.com/search?q=hose+connector
 
So you CAN get a complete python hose system together for less than 20 quid ;)
 
I just want to back up what the guys are saying; it will work. Basically, you start off by filling the hose with water, to get all the air out; then when you disconnect the tap end, you'll start a siphon
good.gif


I do my big tanks the same way; into the bath for the upstairs tank and out the back door for downstairs (I know you live in a flat, so you won't be able to do that!).
 
fluttermoth said:
I just want to back up what the guys are saying; it will work. Basically, you start off by filling the hose with water, to get all the air out; then when you disconnect the tap end, you'll start a siphon
good.gif


I do my big tanks the same way; into the bath for the upstairs tank and out the back door for downstairs (I know you live in a flat, so you won't be able to do that!).
 
My vote is for straight out the window 
yes.gif
 
Far_King said:
 
I just want to back up what the guys are saying; it will work. Basically, you start off by filling the hose with water, to get all the air out; then when you disconnect the tap end, you'll start a siphon
good.gif


I do my big tanks the same way; into the bath for the upstairs tank and out the back door for downstairs (I know you live in a flat, so you won't be able to do that!).
 
My vote is for straight out the window 
yes.gif

 
 
I did used to do my upstairs tank out of the window! But it was into my own garden :) Akasha's neighbours might not be so accommodating, and you would need access to the bottom end of the pipe, really.
 
hahaha the bloke in the flat below me is a jerk ... I'd dearly love to annoy him with dirty tank water pouring down his windows ... that  would make my day! 
 
Thanks for all the help. I'd not thought of ebay. I'll go and have a look
smile.png
 

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