[Tfug] *Way* OT... :>

[Bexley Hall]

Hi, Phil,

--- On Mon, 7/7/08, euvitudo <euvitudo at gmail.com> wrote:

> Well, you can, but you would have to 'configure'
> your hose
> in a sideways-S shape.  It all depends on the height of the
> water, as well as the height of top of the bend outside the
> barrel.
> 
> Here's an example (ascii-art):
>      hhhhhhhh
> /-----h----\ h
> |     h    | h
> |     h    | h
> |     h    | h     hhhhh <----
> |wwwwwhwwww| h     h   h
> |     h    | h     h   h
> |     h    | hhhhhhh   h
> \----------/           hhhhhhhh
> 

OK, that imagery fits my memory, but...
 
> In this diagram (it looks horribly ugly in ff; copy/paste
> into vi or emacs), 'w' is the water level,
> 'h' is the hose.
> 
> You want the part of the hose (the arrow) at the desired
> water height..  Thence, if the water level goes above
> that, it will drain.  If the water is lower (shown), it
> will
> stop.  I think this is what you were looking for.

(sigh)  Forgive me for trying to *think* this through
(instead of just TRYING IT!)  :-(

But, doesn't the water have to get *above* the "first peak"
for it to start flowing?  Or, is there some other trick??

I.e., if I took an *empty* barrel and fabricated some
tubing in the shape indicated and let it sit in the rain,
would it prime itself *before* the barrel overflowed?
Or, does it rely on that to get it started?

> The idea is that the hose won't drain when the weight
> of the water can't push past the lower loop (i.e., when
> the water level is below that lower loop.
> 
> So, in the end, you could simply use a common
> garden hose for this.
> 
> Hope that makes sense.

<frown>  Sorry, I'm still missing something.

Crap.  Who's got a time machine when you really *need* one??
--don