slow python

hows your water pressure? take it out and put your hand over the tube mine was so strong i couldnt pull my hands off but we had a pipe break and now our water pressure isnt so great. you can try just turning off the water completly once you get the siphon started and just let gravity work.

The higher up you turn the faucet the faster it will siphon. Just be careful not to over flow your sink. The python will pull water out really fast if the faucet is turned way up. A kitchen sink drain is typically larger than a bath sink drain and will drain water more quickly. If you can get your python hooked up to your kitchen faucet you should really move some water.

I can drain half of my 150 in about 5 minutes just on gravity. I run the bath faucet down stairs just enough to get the siphon started then shut the faucet off so as not to over flow the sink. With the faucet on it siphons like a wild man. Likewise, I can fill that 50% in about 5 minutes.

try reversing the flow into your sink/tub whenever it goes slow. Have you checked the part that connects to the facuet to see if there's anything in there? Sometimes you have to bang it onto something to get the stuff out

If you are trying to syphon with just gravity, think about the physics of it. Your tank is probably about the same level of the sink into which you are trying to drain it into. If you run the tapwater while it is draining it will pull the water out faster. Also check to see if any of the stuff you picked up while vacuming is clogging the mechanisim that is attached to the sink. I've had to use the valve and shut off the syphon so as no to loose the prime, and disconnect everything and clean out the mechanism while vaccuming and doing a water change.

Turn the thing to suction mode. Place your hand over the vac end. What does it do?

Did you have the valve on the tank end of the hose all the way open? That might cause the drain/fill to be slow.

I bought the 25ft too, just to find out my sink is about 30ft from the tank. :duh: So I use gravity siphon right out the front door to the yard. It's about a 6' drop from the top of the tank, so it works great. Also, here's a trick to start a python to siphon. First roll out the hose with the fauscet end as low in elevation as possible, and take off the little siphon/fill device. Next open the valve on the tank end and submerge the gravel tube in the tank all the way until the water in the tubing reaches the valve. Then shut the valve off and turn the gravel tube open end up and rasie it out of the water. (Like scooping out a cup of water) Hold the gravel tube up out of the water and then turn on the valve to drain what water it's holding. As soon as the water drains out of the gravel tube turn the valve back off and put the gravel tube back under water upside down. This lets the air out and water in. Once it's full of water, turn the valve back on and the siphon should start. Occasionaly I've had to do this twice, but most of the time it works right off.

I still do the bucket brigade for filling the tank back up though. I actually like it better so I can get the declorinator mixed and the temp right vs. guessing as the python fills back up.

My2Cents

It sounds to me like you either got stuck with a faulty valve that needs to be replaced or that the airator or something is stuck in the faucet, preventing it from flowing properly. I know if I turn my faucet on full blast the python will just about suck my skin off if I put the tube to my arm.