self powered pump/filter

[cruxaustralis]

During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of the
pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model using a
20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a week.
I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum and
initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a metre
head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as it
got pumping and voila!.
A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something similar..so
now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my new
found enthusiasm.
As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when scaled
up.
Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the real
thing is needed?

[how]

"cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
...
> During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
> sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of the
> pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model using
a
> 20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a
week.
> I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum
and
> initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a
metre
> head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as it
> got pumping and voila!.
> A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something similar..so
> now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my new
> found enthusiasm.
> As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when
scaled
> up.
> Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the
real
> thing is needed?
>
>
Hi,
If you are suggesting that the water from the drum is continually
circulating to the tub and back to the drum without the aid of a pump, you
have accomplished one of two things. One, proved perpetual motion or Two,
spent too much time in the Queensland sun ;-) There is another possibility,
that the water is not circulating but is static. Prove this by adding
color/dye to the drum and it will immediately color the tub if it is
flowing. There is such a thing as a ram pump (google it) but it is also a
one way device and I don't think it would work in your situation.
L8R -_- how
no NEWS is good

[cruxaustralis]

hi,
I hear you about the sun...I was thinking the same thing myself...I lifted
the hose from the drum outlet side and it's running alright fills a coffee
cup in about 4 seconds..but I'll try the dye idea...although it has to be
going back into the drum or the top tank would simply overflow....anyhow
thanks for the reply....by your comments I am thinking it wouldn't stand the
test of a larger set up. I don't think it's perpetual motion ..if air gets
back into the pipes it stops dead and has to be sucked to get it going
again.
anyway thanks
"how" > wrote in message
...
> "cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
> ...
> > During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
> > sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of the
> > pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model
using
> a
> > 20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a
> week.
> > I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum
> and
> > initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a
> metre
> > head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as
it
> > got pumping and voila!.
> > A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something
similar..so
> > now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my new
> > found enthusiasm.
> > As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when
> scaled
> > up.
> > Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the
> real
> > thing is needed?
> >
> >
> Hi,
> If you are suggesting that the water from the drum is continually
> circulating to the tub and back to the drum without the aid of a pump, you
> have accomplished one of two things. One, proved perpetual motion or Two,
> spent too much time in the Queensland sun ;-) There is another
possibility,
> that the water is not circulating but is static. Prove this by adding
> color/dye to the drum and it will immediately color the tub if it is
> flowing. There is such a thing as a ram pump (google it) but it is also a
> one way device and I don't think it would work in your situation.
> L8R -_- how
> no NEWS is good
>
>

[Lane]

"cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
...
> During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
> sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of the
> pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model using
a
> 20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a
week.
> I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum
and
> initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a
metre
> head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as it
> got pumping and voila!.
> A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something similar..so
> now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my new
> found enthusiasm.
> As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when
scaled
> up.
> Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the
real
> thing is needed?
>
>

Not possible, defies the laws of physics.

[George]

"cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
...
> hi,
> I hear you about the sun...I was thinking the same thing myself...I lifted
> the hose from the drum outlet side and it's running alright fills a coffee
> cup in about 4 seconds..but I'll try the dye idea...although it has to be
> going back into the drum or the top tank would simply overflow....anyhow
> thanks for the reply....by your comments I am thinking it wouldn't stand the
> test of a larger set up. I don't think it's perpetual motion ..if air gets
> back into the pipes it stops dead and has to be sucked to get it going
> again.
> anyway thanks

Perhaps you could supply us with a simple diagram of your contraption so that we
aren't confused as to how you have it set up.

> "how" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
>> > sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of the
>> > pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model
> using
>> a
>> > 20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a
>> week.
>> > I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum
>> and
>> > initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a
>> metre
>> > head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as
> it
>> > got pumping and voila!.
>> > A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something
> similar..so
>> > now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my new
>> > found enthusiasm.
>> > As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when
>> scaled
>> > up.
>> > Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the
>> real
>> > thing is needed?
>> >
>> >
>> Hi,
>> If you are suggesting that the water from the drum is continually
>> circulating to the tub and back to the drum without the aid of a pump, you
>> have accomplished one of two things. One, proved perpetual motion or Two,
>> spent too much time in the Queensland sun ;-) There is another
> possibility,
>> that the water is not circulating but is static. Prove this by adding
>> color/dye to the drum and it will immediately color the tub if it is
>> flowing. There is such a thing as a ram pump (google it) but it is also a
>> one way device and I don't think it would work in your situation.
>> L8R -_- how
>> no NEWS is good
>>
>>
>
>

[Lostin1999]

"Lane" <lane_nospam@copperaccents_dot_com> wrote in message
...
>
> "cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
> ...
> > During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
> > sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of the
> > pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model
using
> a
> > 20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a
> week.
> > I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum
> and
> > initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a
> metre
> > head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as
it
> > got pumping and voila!.
> > A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something
similar..so
> > now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my new
> > found enthusiasm.
> > As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when
> scaled
> > up.
> > Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the
> real
> > thing is needed?
> >
> >
>
> Not possible, defies the laws of physics.
>
so do bumble bees....

however I do agree this sounds odd, but hope to see some (however crude)
diagrams of this..

Lost

[Matthew Durkin]

"Lostin1999" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Lane" <lane_nospam@copperaccents_dot_com> wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "cruxaustralis" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > During a break from digging my pond, and basking in the warm Queensland
>> > sunshine it occured to me that I could use the hydraulic pressure of
>> > the
>> > pond to pump/siphon water into my veggie filter. So i built a model
> using
>> a
>> > 20 liter drum and it's been pumping/siphoning away like a beauty for a
>> week.
>> > I used a network of 12mm poly irrigation pipe in the bottom of the drum
>> and
>> > initially primed/siphoned the outlet line into a plastic tub, about a
>> metre
>> > head..with an overflow outlet back to the drum...topped up the level as
> it
>> > got pumping and voila!.
>> > A search of the web has rewarded me with no links to something
> similar..so
>> > now I'm beginning to worry that I am missing something obvious in my
>> > new
>> > found enthusiasm.
>> > As a result I now have a niggling doubt that this will all fail when
>> scaled
>> > up.
>> > Anyone have a clue that might save me from a fundamental error when the
>> real
>> > thing is needed?
>> >
>> >
>>
>> Not possible, defies the laws of physics.
>>
> so do bumble bees....
>
> however I do agree this sounds odd, but hope to see some (however crude)
> diagrams of this..
>
> Lost
>
>

Perhaps heat is causing convection currents in the setup and the rising
heated water is causing a flow.
As there's no other obvious source of energy, I can't think of any other way
you could have circulation.
You did mention it's hot. Could this be it? Is the flow of water back warm?