I have a rain barrel under a down-spout, which has a garden hose wrapped 1 time around the circumference at the bottom floor of the barrel. From there it climbs vertically about 40", makes a loop, and then goes down on the ground, sloping a little, for about 15’. The other end goes into a mole hole.
We are having a good rain-storm right now, so I went out to start the siphon, and low and behold, the barrel was already siphoning on its own. This happens about 1/2 of the time. What enables the hose to self start? I’ve asked many people, but no one has an answer.
I have a 125 gallon tank partly buried under my deck. I have a hose going in at ground level and down to the bottom of the tank. Water seeks its own level. Once the water level inside reaches ground level, I can open the valve in the hose and water will flow until gone or it reaches the height of the far end of the hose. since th eground slopes away from the deck, I can water things lower than the bottom of the tank.
When you start the siphon the hose fill up withwater as it empties the barrel. when the water levelis down near the top of the hoes air enters the hose and breaking the siphon. But is some areas of the hose some water has stayed back. As it rains the barrel fills up. As the barrel fills the air in the hose in the barrel is pushed down the hose. If there was enough water left in the hose and the barrel is filling fast enough the the siphon can be reestablished.
But normally this does not work if the hose is comming over the top of the barrel.
Pond 400 feet up in the pasture.
Line to large tank with a horse automatic water level device. Think toilet bowl filler device
Water level in tank is 6" lower than the top of the water well 100 feet away.
Run line from bottom of tank to the same level as the pump pickup in the well.
Run filtration and chemicals in tank in non-stop arrangement. ( Maintenance every other day or so )
As water is used from the well the siphon will auto fill the well back to full & keep me from running well dry unless excessive use is done. Tank is more gallons than static well reserve, pond is huge, filters and purification process is inline. No combination of house use & lawn watering could defeat the well. Before this it was good for two quick showers. It was undrinkable black sulphur water. Worked for years until rural water was available.
The only way to run the well dry was to use water faster than the well could normally refill on its own, + the full on 3/4" siphon line feed that would take emptying a 1/4 acre pond which fed the tank with a 3/4 line.
To start the siphon all that was needed was to momentarily attach one of my submersible pumps to push the line from the tank to well full of water.
The siphon effect is a great thing & very useful with a willingness to think outside the box…