Can a Auto siphon break

Steven4est · 12-29-2009, 02:05 AM

My auto siphon wont get my beer to flow?

Could it be broken??

Wasnt sure if it was even possible for them to break without any visual evidence

I have to use my mouth to siphon it with the auto siphon and then dip the end in the sanitizer right befoore the beer comes out, is this okay?

Doc Robinson · 12-29-2009, 02:15 AM

Have you ever used an auto siphon before? If you are using it properly and it isn't working, the seal between the outer tube and the inner tube that creates the suction might be compromised. How many times are you pumping it? Sometimes you need to give it a good 4 or 5 pumps to get it flowing.

**Revvy** · 12-29-2009, 02:15 AM

Well usually if the break they break at the bend, but that's NOT what you are talking about...

I've found that people who are having issue with their A/S are usually using too large a size of plastic tubing on the end....try using a plastic hose clamp like this, over the hose somewhere along the length before the bend.

Other people have found that the gasket on the bottom end of the racking tube (that fits inside the big tube) may be bad, or dried, some have added some keglube/foodgrade silicone grease around it to make a better seal, others just put some water on top of the gasket (like with a turkey baster) inside the tube, and that makes for an air tight seal.

Hit or miss Autosiphons are hit or miss usually because of a bad seal in one of the two afore mentioned spots.

JDennis · 12-29-2009, 03:56 AM

My first one broke. There is a small plastic tab at the bottom that stops liquid from pushing back out thru the bottom. Acts kinda like the counter-pressure setup on a bottling wand. Mine fell out and disappeared at some point. If it's pulling beer up then pushing it back out the bottom rather than thru the hose, that's probably what it is.

PhillyBeerGuy · 12-29-2009, 06:02 PM

I second what JDennis said.

If you can take the racking tube (smaller tube) completely out and then pour water in the larger tube and it all runs right out (really fast not gradually pouring out around the little plastic tab), you are missing the little plastic piece that makes it an autosiphon. It that piece is missing all you have is an awkward 2 piece siphon and you can just use the inner racking tube alone to do what you were describing with sucking and sanitizing.

There are also better ways to start a siphon than sucking, some searching on here should lead you to those, but I would suggest getting a new autosiphon.

IceFisherChris · 12-29-2009, 10:51 PM

The check valve is the bottom is most likely broken. I'm doing this by memory/guess but take out the inside tube. Then put your mouth on the top of the tube and try to blow air through. there should be a good amount of resistance or no air should go through.

The way the auto siphon works: the racking tube is pulled upward creating a vacuum. This will pull liquid up through the valve on the bottom and into the main tube. When you push down on the racking tube, there will be positive pressure and this will CLOSE the check valve (so your beer cannot go back into the carboy.) The beer will be forced up through the racking tube. Once the beer in the tube has a lower altitude that the top of the beer in the carboy, a siphon is created.

If the valve is broken, you might be able to create a siphon by pumping the tube faster.

crammer · 12-30-2009, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDennis

My first one broke. There is a small plastic tab at the bottom that stops liquid from pushing back out thru the bottom. Acts kinda like the counter-pressure setup on a bottling wand. Mine fell out and disappeared at some point. If it's pulling beer up then pushing it back out the bottom rather than thru the hose, that's probably what it is.

I'm on my second one now because of this same issue. However, I popped the tab out by accident while I was cleaning it.

**tom777** · 12-30-2009, 02:34 AM

My first one broke. Rather, I should say I broke it. Couldn't get the hose off and snapped the racking tube part off at the bend.

jcobbs · 12-30-2009, 02:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

Well usually if the break they break at the bend, but that's NOT what you are talking about...

I've found that people who are having issue with their A/S are usually using too large a size of plastic tubing on the end....try using a plastic hose clamp like this, over the hose somewhere along the length before the bend.

I couldn't get one of these clamps at my LHBS but I found that if I push my tubing all the way up to the bend at the top of the autosiphon, I get a good seal.

...and if Revvy doesn't do something about that avatar I'm gonna go blind

**coryforsenate** · 01-04-2010, 05:30 PM

Never buy autosiphons unless you've found one that's not made of plastic.

They break far too easily and often for no reason other than they're so cheaply made that earth's gravity causes it to get hairline fractions all throughout the tube.