How to Use A Common Siphon
By Ben Chappell
Copyright 2007

1.    Begin by placing the open end of the vacuum facing up, with the end of the hose in a bucket.  

2.    With the open end of the vacuum facing up, lower the siphon into the water, allowing it to fill all the way up.

3.    Keeping the open end facing up, raise the siphon higher than the water level in the tank.  This will get the water flowing, and your bucket should begin to fill with water.  

4.    This is the most important step.  Keep the open end facing up, and quickly dip the open end back into the water, allowing the siphon to fill again.  This starts the siphon, and you are ready to start vacuuming.

Most people screw up step 4.  They make the mistake of trying to turn the siphon upside down to start vacuuming.  All this does is pour out the water in the siphon, which stops the flow and ends the siphon.  

Keep the open end facing up the entire time, and you won't stop the siphon.  As long as the siphon is facing up, the only thing that can go wrong is if you go too slow and allow the vacuum tube to empty.  

You can correct this by dipping it in the water again, allowing the tube to fill, and trying it again a little bit quicker.  You can also suck on the end of the siphon to get it started, but this is gross and unnecessary, especially when you can do it so easily without sucking in tank water.