Python has no suction

[fishychick]

Hi guys,
I started using a Python recently and I don't seem to be having much luck with suction. The first time I used it, the suction was very weak, enough to slowly change and fill the water, but not strong enough to pick anything up from the substrate. The last time I used it, it pretty much had no suction at all. I could use it to fill the tank back up, but even that was pretty slow. This isn't a DIY, it's an actual Python I got as a gift. My husband even totally replaced our faucet to one that was compatible. I've tried the obvious, checking tightness of connections, etc. What in the world am I doing wrong? Thanks for your help.

 

[jimi242]

You probably need to turn the faucet up more.
If it has little suction and fills slowly, that is likely the cause.

 

[erla]

You say you checked the connections, but did you check the tube itself to see if the connection is tight with the hose? I recently got a replacement tube that was faulty - air was getting sucked in through gaps in the tube.

 

[Caliban07]

Other things that will effect the suction levels are distance between tank and sink, height of sink in comparison to tank and the water supply pressure (shared supply etc)

Hope this helps.


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[fishychick]

You probably need to turn the faucet up more.
If it has little suction and fills slowly, that is likely the cause.

That's the first thing I thought of too. I tried that but it didn't help at all. Unless my water pressure just isn't strong enough overall? But I had the faucet turned up as hard as it would go.

 

[fishychick]

You say you checked the connections, but did you check the tube itself to see if the connection is tight with the hose? I recently got a replacement tube that was faulty - air was getting sucked in through gaps in the tube.

I'll go back and check the hose, maybe when we initially put it together we did something wrong. Thanks.

 

[fishychick]

Other things that will effect the suction levels are distance between tank and sink, height of sink in comparison to tank and the water supply pressure (shared supply etc)

Hope this helps.


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The sink and tank are actually pretty close to each other, would it help if I cut the hose to shorten it? Height of sink is about the same as the tank. My water pressure isn't super strong out of that sink, but fine everywhere else throughout the house. Maybe the new faucet we put in doesn't allow for pressure strong enough to promote suction? If we have to get another new faucet my husband may refuse, lol.

 

[Arthur75]

What is "Python"? I have been hydraulic engineer. Is it an injector pump?
Water flowing past the throat and sucks another water with?
Please, explain to me the concept!

 

[fishychick]

What is "Python"? I have been hydraulic engineer. Is it an injector pump?
Water flowing past the throat and sucks another water with?
Please, explain to me the concept!

This video can probably explain in better than I can;

Python Products Inc. Videos

 

[Arthur75]

Yeah, I got it. There is an injector. Thank You.
How well they sucks, depends on the speed of the flow and by the constriction at the venturi tube.
Is not it a loss about the many water flowing past?

 

[fishychick]

Is not it a loss about the many water flowing past?

You mean does it waste water? Yes, to a certain extent.

 

[erla]

I'll go back and check the hose, maybe when we initially put it together we did something wrong. Thanks.

What I was saying is that you may actually have a faulty tube or other part, not that you put it together wrong (although it doesn't hurt to check that too). In my case, the hose was fine, but the tube was letting air through, independent of the hose.

 

[fishychick]

What I was saying is that you may actually have a faulty tube or other part, not that you put it together wrong (although it doesn't hurt to check that too). In my case, the hose was fine, but the tube was letting air through, independent of the hose.

Ahh, ok. I'll go back and check for both things, a faulty part and/or something we may have done wrong initially. Thanks.

 

[acewiza]

A simple gravity siphon will give great suction with no wasted water at all if you can get more than a few feet drop to the drain or outside. You can take a long-enough garden hose just about anywhere.

 

[erla]

A simple gravity siphon will give great suction with no wasted water at all if you can get more than a few feet drop to the drain or outside. You can take a long-enough garden hose just about anywhere.

True. I just turn the water on long enough to get the flow going in the Python, and then turn off the water, and let gravity do the work.

 

[fishychick]

A simple gravity siphon will give great suction with no wasted water at all if you can get more than a few feet drop to the drain or outside. You can take a long-enough garden hose just about anywhere.

Yeah, I've been using one of those for the last few years. You're right, the suction is great, I was just hoping to do away with buckets and streamline my water changes and maintanence routine to save time so can possibly set up another tank. Or use the extra free time to spend with my family.....but mostly to set up another tank.

 

[fishychick]

"A simple gravity siphon will give great suction with no wasted water at all if you can get more than a few feet drop to the drain or outside. You can take a long-enough garden hose just about anywhere."

I just realized I think I misunderstood what you were saying. You mean using the Python but connecting the hose in such a way as to drain it outside, lower than the sink so gravity creates the suction instead of the faucet?

 

[acewiza]

I just realized I think I misunderstood what you were saying. You mean using the Python but connecting the hose in such a way as to drain it outside, lower than the sink so gravity creates the suction instead of the faucet?

No, I would just use the python for re-filing, now that you have it. There's lots of ways to connect a hose to a faucet, python being one of the more expensive options. I've never used a bucket, except to carry fish back and forth. Apparently the python is pretty useless as a cleaning device, at least in your case.

 

[Watsonja4]

Have you tried running a piece of wire down the T shaped part that connects to the sink? It could be a plug left inside from when the part was molded. I have the 50ft version and my sink is level with my tank and mine works great with water on halfway.

 

[fishychick]

Have you tried running a piece of wire down the T shaped part that connects to the sink? It could be a plug left inside from when the part was molded. I have the 50ft version and my sink is level with my tank and mine works great with water on halfway.

I will definitely check that out. Thanks! I've heard so many people rave about the Python, I can't imagine its current state is how it's supposed to be working.


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