DIY: Two Bell Siphon

Creating the Bell Siphon

• 1

  Turn on your electronic drill and attach a hole cutting drill bit wide enough to cut a 1 inch in diameter hole into your grow bed.

• 2

  Press in your Uniseal fitting. The Uniseal fitting should have 1/2 inch in diameter hole in the middle for the pipe.

• 3

  Push the 1/2 inch in diameter PVC standpipe into the Uniseal fitting. Use a ruler to measure the standpipe from the bottom of your grow bed to the top of the water. Cut the PVC pipe to be flush with the water.

• 4

  Construct your bell pipe. Cut your 1 inch in diameter PVC pipe to be the same height as the standpipe.

• 5

  Spread PVC primer and glue around the top perimeter of the bell pipe. Spread PVC primer and glue around the inside of the belt cap.

• 6

  Push to bell cap onto the bell pipe and twist it to ensure no air bubbles form in the PVC primer or glue. Allow the two pieces to dry for up to an hour.

• 7

  Turn the bell pipe over and cut a 1/2-inch slit across the open end of the pipe 1/4 inch from the center of the opening. Cut a second slit parallel to the first cut. The finished result should display two slits on either side of the center of the opening.

• 8

  Turn the pipe 180 degrees and make the same cuts, which will result in eight cuts.

• 9

  Create four teeth at the bottom of the bell pipe. Make a lateral cut at the apex of each set of slits and pull back the pieces. Remove the pieces using a small saw.

• 10

  Drill a hole into the side of the bell cap using a drill bill the same diameter as your snorkel tube. Push the tube 1/4 inch into the hole.

• 11

  Use a bead of silicone seal to seal the gap between the surrounding tubing and the bell entrance. Allow the silicon to dry before proceeding.

• 12

  Train the tube alongside the PVC bell pipe and secure it in place with a cable tie. Cut the tube to end where the teeth begin.

• 13

  Repeat all of the previous steps to create a second standpipe and bell pipe.

Creating the Gravel Guard

• 14

  Cut a 4 inch in diameter PVC pipe to the same height as the standpipe.

• 15

  Drill four rows of holes starting from the top going down the 4-inch in diameter PVC pipe using the same drill bit used to create the tube hole. The rows and holes should be very close together, but not close enough for any of the holes to overlap. Repeat this process on the other side of the PVC pipe.

• 16

  Place the bell pipe over the standpipe in the grow bed.

• 17

  Place the 4-inch PVC pipe over the bell pipe.

• 18

  Repeat steps 1 through 4 for the second siphon.

• 19

  Place your gravel around the base of the both bell siphons before adding the remaining gravel in your grow bed.

Drain Assembly

• 20

  Attach a 90-degree PVC elbow piece to the bottom of your standpipe from under the grow bed using PVC primer and glue.

• 21

  Glue a PVC pipe the length of your growbed or tank to the inside of the elbow piece. The pipe overhangs the side of the growbed.

• 22

  Glue a 90-degree PVC elbow piece to the end of this pipe facing downward. Glue 5-inch PVC pipe to the inside of the open part of the elbow.

• 23

  Repeat these steps for the second siphon to complete your dual bell siphon system.