I made this in about 15mins. (Not Counting the 2hrs in HomeDepot) :angry:

First you buy 2 female,and 1 male garden hose ends.
The kind you use to replace a worn out end.

I then cut off about 10 inches off a $5.00 hose and added 1 of the female
ends to it, ending up with a very short hose with two female ends.



I had also bought a three-way garden valve ($3.95),
20 feet of non-toxic vinyl hose ($4.97).
Fit right up to Gravel Vac head. To this I put a male end.
hook it all together and there you go.



I am going to add a 1/4 turn valve just below the Gravel Vac head, to make it
truly a one person start.

To Use all you have to do is turn valve to water supply on
and the drain valve off.
Water fills the clear hose to the gravel vac until its almost full.
Shut off supply valve. Kink clear hose right below gravel vac (thus the need
for another valve.)
Stick Vac in tank and fill with water.
Open drain valve, and siphon starts automatically. :D
To fill tank shut off drain valve and open supply valve with Vac head
still attached as it softens the pressure from the supply to almost nothing.

Works great, and best of all...
NO TANK WATER IN THE MOUTH!!!!!! :D


If you have any questions, Just ask.

:?: Is this for an outdoor pond? Or an indoor tank that is on a bottom shelf display? or both? It looks like a good idea, and I will show it to the hubby and see what he thinks. We have a shop vac for the pond. But it would be easier this way it seems.

Hi jdizine,
My wife and I suffer from MTS. (Multiple Tank Syndrome)
They are spread throughout the house, and water changes
have been a pain. With one exception they are all quite a
distance away from water supply and/or drainage. I built
this to eleviate the need of turning your lungs inside out
trying to syphon from 30 feet of hose, and then ending up
drinking a pint of tank water. This way all you do is switch
a couple of valves and it starts by itself. :D
I think it should work on pond or tank. As long as you have
enough drop. Make sure you have him put a valve by the
gravel vac, as this really makes it a one person job.

Thanks.

So it sounds like it is just for a long distance type of water change then. Rather than a ground level pond? I was thinking of changing the electric bill into a much cheaper water bill. Sorry it took me so long to reply back. :rolleyes:

Hi ya jdizine,

Yeah, this only works for above ground tanks.
Unless you have a low spot you could drain to?
Even if you have to add a few feet to the hose,
it would make life easier, and the length of hose
would only improve the siphon.

Lets say you have a pond in the back yard, and
a gutter a couple of feet lower in the front of the
house. you could add enough hose to make it to
the front, use the valve to fill the gravel vac hose
switch off the valve, stick vac in pond, open drain
valve and you're draining. :D

That is IF you have a low spot to drain to.

Let me know if you don't and I'll think up something
for your situation. (It might involve nuclear fuel, or
a used military aircraft engine, But I'll come up
with something.) :lol: