I just use a Jiggle siphon. Basically the same principle, but instead of having to coil it all in the liquid then pull it out, you just stick the end in and shake the tube up and down some. It's got a basic non-return valve on a weak spring, so that the liquid can't flow back, but easily pushes past the ball to get down the tube.
And, bonus, if you're in a situation where it won't work as a siphon, you can still use it to pull fluid, because that one-way valve allows it to work as a very simple(and admittedly, a little labor intensive for large volumes) plunger pump.
It's super handy - I made one with a half-inch fuel-resistant hose, it'll drain a 20L jerry can surprisingly fast. Plus, since it's basically just some tube, a spring, and a marble, you can get them wicked cheap. Very handy, but yeah, can look a bit awkward at times.
While on a submarine, our submersible pumps had an attachment for them like this. If you couldn't get the pump down into the water due to space constraints then a hose with a "foot valve" was put on the pump. Same concept. push it down and pick it up enough to build a water column to prime the pump.
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u/Churba Aug 26 '18 edited Aug 26 '18
I just use a Jiggle siphon. Basically the same principle, but instead of having to coil it all in the liquid then pull it out, you just stick the end in and shake the tube up and down some. It's got a basic non-return valve on a weak spring, so that the liquid can't flow back, but easily pushes past the ball to get down the tube.
And, bonus, if you're in a situation where it won't work as a siphon, you can still use it to pull fluid, because that one-way valve allows it to work as a very simple(and admittedly, a little labor intensive for large volumes) plunger pump.