HooKooDooKu
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I brought up some questions regarding the use of the Python "No Spill" for during PWC over in this thread: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/pwc-question-112877-3.html
As I do not own a Python at this time, I can not attempt to verify my suspicions, and I'd like to see if some Python owners can help determine just how much water a Python uses.
First, a couple of phrases copied from Python's web site:
"Environmentally Responsible! Due to our powerful 7 to 1 suction ratio, cleaning your tank uses about the same amount of water as flushing your toilet"
No Spill Clean & Fill Python Productss
"We recommend only a 5 to 10% water change every other week."
pythonwebpage
So I started running some numbers.
The wikipedia article on flush toilets indicates the following:
"The conventional flush-toilet or gravity-fed toilet uses 13 litres (3.4 US gallons or 2.8 imperial gallons) or more per flush."
Flush toilet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Next, I make an assumption:
Python does not specify what size tank or how much of a PWC is being done when they claim it uses less water than a toilet flush. Obviously they are not going to base the claim on a large water change of a huge tank. And hopefully, they have enough scruples to not base a claim on some rediculously small tank (like a 2.5 gallon tank).
Based on the price of typical glass fish tanks, it appears that the 10 gallon is THE STANDARD when it comes to fish tanks. After all, a 5 gallon tank cost as much as a 10 gallon, and even the jump to 15 gallon can more than double the price of a 10 gallon. So I believe that Python is going to make their claim based on a standard 10 gallon tank.
I also assume, that since they want the claim to look as good as it can, that they are going to base it on the smallest PWC that they recomend.
The Numbers:
So that suggests that the claim is based on a 5% water change in a 10 gallon tank. That means we are going to use about 3.4 gallons of tap water to change out 0.5 gallons of tank water. Now look at those numbers. If we round the 3.4 gallons for the toilet up to 3.5, there is your magic 7-to-1 number.
So if I am right, then a Python uses 7 gallons of water to empty 1 gallon from your tank.
Now I'll admit I MIGHT be totally off base. I've never used a Python myself, and the claims do not specify tank size, or even the type of toilet being used (after all, there are low-flow toilet standards that call for much closer to 1 gallon per flush).
Well over in that other thread, a couple of Python owners claim I have this 7-to-1 ratio backwards, that it's 1 gallon of tap water for 7 gallons of tank water. I've already pointed out the potential flaw in the thinking of when of these claims on the other page, so I'd like to see a Python owner do a direct measurement and see exactly how the Python fairs.
First, the setup. For the test to be valid, we need a fish tank that is about the same height as the sink being used to run the Python. After all, think typical tank stand height verses typical sink height. So if you have a tank mounted in an unusually high spot, an unusually low spot, or if you are using an outdoor hose bibb or a sink located on a different level of your house as the tank, those don't qualify as a vaild test.
Next, use your Python to empty some of the water from your tank. But don't let the water (tap or tank) go down the drain. If you can, place a 5 gallon bucket under your faucet to catch the water. If you don't, then just plug up the sink and run the Python until the sink almost fills up. The test is likely going to require two people, so that you can already have the Python in the tank ready to start sucking up tank water the momen the faucet is turned on. When the sink is ALMOST full, stop the water. To make the test fair, quickly pull the Python out of the tank (don't want water to siphon back into the tank) and empty all the water out of the Python hose into the sink. Next, measure the amount of water in your sink. An estimate would be fine. One way to do so would be to empty the sink using a quart jar, or a gallon tea pitcher, anything to allow you to measure the amount of water in the sink. Next, use a similar quart jar or gallon pitcher to refill the tank back to the exact level it was before you started.
Finally, report how much water was in the sink verses how much water was replaced in the tank. If I am right, then given the sink had tap water and tank water, there should be an 8-to-1 ratio of sink water to tank refill water.
I will be greatly suprised if someone finds that they used less than one quart of tap water to empty 1 gallon of tank water.
As I do not own a Python at this time, I can not attempt to verify my suspicions, and I'd like to see if some Python owners can help determine just how much water a Python uses.
First, a couple of phrases copied from Python's web site:
"Environmentally Responsible! Due to our powerful 7 to 1 suction ratio, cleaning your tank uses about the same amount of water as flushing your toilet"
No Spill Clean & Fill Python Productss
"We recommend only a 5 to 10% water change every other week."
pythonwebpage
So I started running some numbers.
The wikipedia article on flush toilets indicates the following:
"The conventional flush-toilet or gravity-fed toilet uses 13 litres (3.4 US gallons or 2.8 imperial gallons) or more per flush."
Flush toilet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Next, I make an assumption:
Python does not specify what size tank or how much of a PWC is being done when they claim it uses less water than a toilet flush. Obviously they are not going to base the claim on a large water change of a huge tank. And hopefully, they have enough scruples to not base a claim on some rediculously small tank (like a 2.5 gallon tank).
Based on the price of typical glass fish tanks, it appears that the 10 gallon is THE STANDARD when it comes to fish tanks. After all, a 5 gallon tank cost as much as a 10 gallon, and even the jump to 15 gallon can more than double the price of a 10 gallon. So I believe that Python is going to make their claim based on a standard 10 gallon tank.
I also assume, that since they want the claim to look as good as it can, that they are going to base it on the smallest PWC that they recomend.
The Numbers:
So that suggests that the claim is based on a 5% water change in a 10 gallon tank. That means we are going to use about 3.4 gallons of tap water to change out 0.5 gallons of tank water. Now look at those numbers. If we round the 3.4 gallons for the toilet up to 3.5, there is your magic 7-to-1 number.
So if I am right, then a Python uses 7 gallons of water to empty 1 gallon from your tank.
Now I'll admit I MIGHT be totally off base. I've never used a Python myself, and the claims do not specify tank size, or even the type of toilet being used (after all, there are low-flow toilet standards that call for much closer to 1 gallon per flush).
Well over in that other thread, a couple of Python owners claim I have this 7-to-1 ratio backwards, that it's 1 gallon of tap water for 7 gallons of tank water. I've already pointed out the potential flaw in the thinking of when of these claims on the other page, so I'd like to see a Python owner do a direct measurement and see exactly how the Python fairs.
First, the setup. For the test to be valid, we need a fish tank that is about the same height as the sink being used to run the Python. After all, think typical tank stand height verses typical sink height. So if you have a tank mounted in an unusually high spot, an unusually low spot, or if you are using an outdoor hose bibb or a sink located on a different level of your house as the tank, those don't qualify as a vaild test.
Next, use your Python to empty some of the water from your tank. But don't let the water (tap or tank) go down the drain. If you can, place a 5 gallon bucket under your faucet to catch the water. If you don't, then just plug up the sink and run the Python until the sink almost fills up. The test is likely going to require two people, so that you can already have the Python in the tank ready to start sucking up tank water the momen the faucet is turned on. When the sink is ALMOST full, stop the water. To make the test fair, quickly pull the Python out of the tank (don't want water to siphon back into the tank) and empty all the water out of the Python hose into the sink. Next, measure the amount of water in your sink. An estimate would be fine. One way to do so would be to empty the sink using a quart jar, or a gallon tea pitcher, anything to allow you to measure the amount of water in the sink. Next, use a similar quart jar or gallon pitcher to refill the tank back to the exact level it was before you started.
Finally, report how much water was in the sink verses how much water was replaced in the tank. If I am right, then given the sink had tap water and tank water, there should be an 8-to-1 ratio of sink water to tank refill water.
I will be greatly suprised if someone finds that they used less than one quart of tap water to empty 1 gallon of tank water.