I was wondering if anyone out there knows of a good resource to buy handheld pump syphons. An 8x10 try can easily be picked up for dumping the chemicals into a funneled jug, but I'm having some difficulty with trays for 11x14 and 16x20. I think I remember seeing handheld syphon pumps for use with old kerosene heaters, but I can't remember who sells them. Ideally, I'd like to stick one hose in the chemical tray, one hose in the jug, and pump away. I imagine if someone manufactures these 'labeled' for darkroom purposes, the price would be inflated about 50%. I greatly appreciate any leads or ideas.

Thanks, Paul

-- Paul Klingaman (pklingaman@hotmail.com), October 28, 1999

Answers

Paul,

I just picked on up at Home Depot. Look for the kerosene heater supplies.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), October 28, 1999.

Try a wine-making stockist.

-- Alan Gibson (Alan.Gibson@technologist.com), October 29, 1999.

You might also try an auto parts supply store. While I haven't used one in years, they used to sell them for siphoning gas. Some people even used them to siphon gas legally. RN

-- Richard Newman (rnewman@snip.net), October 29, 1999.

Paul, if you don't mind a lot of suction sequences, you could pick up a "turkey baster" for about $2 US.

If you don't mind a little bit of water dilution in your solutions, or if they're being discarded, why not just siphon it out with about 3 ft of vinyl tubing, say <" or 5/16" (inside diameter)? If you don't already know the siphon technique, below, it's a useful little technique to know. PS, it's a lot easier than it sounds.

The way you siphon with tubing (hose) is to "prime" it first with water. Do it like so: hold both ends of the tube together in one hand, open ends pointing up. Let the rest of the tube hang down. Using a cup, etc, pour water into ONE side of the tube, so that the entire thing fills up with water. (You need to make sure all the big bubbles, if any, come out.) Next, put a finger over each end and get close to where you want to siphon. Keeping your finger tight on the end, hold one end down close to your drain bucket (it must be LOWER than the tray). Then, for the end going into the processing tray, get close, then quickly remove your finger and plunge the hose beneath the surface. Finally, to initiate the siphon, remove the finger at the drain bucket. The solution will magically flow until the siphon "breaks" by sucking in air at the processing tray. You might want to practice outside with a pan of water; once you understand the process it's a piece of cake.

Note: don't try this with incompatible liquids (like siphoning gas out of your car, etc), because if you screw up, you may end up dumping the "priming solution" back into the original container.

-- Bill C (bcarriel@cpicorp.com), October 29, 1999.

I have good results just bailing solutions out of larger trays with a flexible graduate or the like. Just put a pair of print tongs or something of similar height under one end to make a deep end near you and scoop away. When the fluid level is low enough, you can pick up the whole tray and pour. Cheaper and probably faster than a siphon! Regards, ;^D)

-- Doremus Scudder (ScudderLandreth@compuserve.com), October 30, 1999.

Bill,

There is a slight modification to the technique that makes it easier.

Once you get your tubing primed (and if you don't want any dilution, prime with what you are syphoning) and to the location. Keep your finger on the the output end, and put the other end into the container you are syphoning from. With your finger over the other end, the liquid will not move.

Then lower the other end to your catch container, then remove your finger.

I do this all the time in beer making.

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), November 01, 1999.