System Stuck....need to know why?

[foodchain]

Okay.
I am stuck.
Based on advice here, when I chose to downsize my system I gutted everything out and went with (6) 3/4" constant flow siphons, one to each 1/2 barrel. They fill from an elevated 275 gallon IBC via gravity 3/4" lines with 1/4 turn ball valves to adjust flow as needed. They fill very slowly. The siphon engages but doesn't release. So instead of ebb and flow I have trickle in and trickle out constantly.
What gives?

[foodchain]

IF a pic will help I can get one, but can't figure out how to upload. IF someone will post it here I can email it. Thanks in advance.
I have spent a small fortune building this, and I am more than put out that it's not cycling.
***update***
Just went out and fiddled with it some more. I can get the siphon to start and stop now. BUT not at the same time it's trying to fill. I have to trickle it till full then the siphon engages and drains. It's supposed to stop about 2 inches from bottom, and instead stops at about 4 inches. I was able to get pics of exactly what is happening. IF I open the ball valve, it fills fine when siphon is "OFF", but the match each other on flow rate seemingly when "ON".
Also, when all (6) half barrels are "on" with the ball valves, each barrel fills at a different rate, and not in sequential order like you would expect from the closest filling first. Instead it's a more random rate which makes no sense. Adjusting the ball valve helps to minimize this, but then creates problems with the siphon side.

I REALLY need help with this. Constant flow siphons seem to be good on paper but am starting to think crap in application.

[jvision]

Dose the return (where it enters the sump/FT) stay submerged? In my system, the siphon won't release until enough water has left the FT, back into the other GBs - they have to be out of the water in my system. Could that be the case?

For posting pics, I upload them to Photobucket.com, them paste the [IMG] tag here - no resizing or anything.

[foodchain]

I have disengaged it completely from the sump. The 3/4 inch discharge dumps into 2" line, which temporarily flows into a gutter and into the yard. Garden hose fills the IBC for now. So there's plenty of air to break the siphon where it dumps into the 2" line. The purpose of the air gap here is to function as a gas exchanger.

What is Photobucket?

A pic to show how each barrel works, from the flow in, to the flow out. Each one of the 6 is identical.



This pic shows the water level when the siphon stops. It's not supposed to stop for at least another 1-2 inches lower. EVERY barrel half stops at this point.



Picture of all 6 beds with 3/4" fill lines and ball valves. Volume tank and sump barrel are behind me when I took the picture.



This shows the general concept of how it all works.

[jvision]

Photobucket is a site to upload your pics to - it's got a huge amount of space for FREE!! I'm pretty sure they own your content once you load it, so I only load stuff that's meant for online use. Once you upload your pic, click the pic, then on the right side of the screen, it gives you 4 options for sharing - use the one that starts with [IMG] for this site.

[jvision]

I wouldn't worry about what order your barrels fill and drain in... I gave up on my system. Even with fiddling every day for a week, I couldn't get my system to be consistent. Some of my GBs fill in 8 minutes, some in 15... I just try to adjust what grows in each bed - stuff that doesn't like being wet goes in the beds that take longer to fill.
If you can figure out how to post pics of your system, it might help.

[foodchain]

Look, I don't care so much what order...so long as they cycle properly. Photo bucket isn't working. This new version of this site is killing me too.
It's starting to look like the drains aren't big enough.

[JCO]

As for the filling rate, you can control that with the separate shutoffs on each outlet.

Now as to your siphons, if I am seeing them correctly, they seem to be a "T" elbowed toward the bottom of the tank with two open ends at the bottom. Too much open end causes loss of suction too quick. Do away with the "T" and make it an inverted "U" with the open end of the drain a distance from the bottom of the tank of about 1/2 inch, no more.

This new version of this site is killing me too.

Sorry about what the new owner has done. I had purchased this software a number of years ago thinking I would update but decided against it as it didn't seem to have the personal community feel to it as the what I had been using since day one. Sorry.

Hope my suggestion helped.

JCO

[foodchain]

JCO: Currently the drain is a capital M with the drain coming out the middle leg of the M and the two longer legs nearly touching the bottom. It's not possible to make it a U and connect to the discharge line. In the pictures you should be able to see that each barrel has it's own ball valve. I have kicked this around in my head all day.
***update***Okay JCO, I reread what you wrote and this makes better sense now. I will build ONE barrel your way, and see if it works. Then copy to the rest if it does. Too expense to build them all without testing...LOL.

And there's only two ways to fix this if I am right. 1) reduce the valves down to reduce flow to barrels. Each one will have to be adjusted manually and will be different. This will prolong the cycle of each barrel to nearly 15-20 minutes or more per barrel.

Or 2) Enlarge the discharge lines to 1" and a 3" graded line to carry to sump. This is going to SUCK as I just bought all the damn PVC and lines which was over $100 in 3/4" and 2". I don't even want to know what it will cost in 1" and 3" and fittings.

IF I am right, with either of the above solutions I will let you all know.

IF the cycle times end up being further apart, than I just have to adjust what I grow I guess.

[foodchain]

Okay. So I just got another piece of information that is pretty important. The flood cycle is supposed to be 1:3 ratio to the drain cycle.

IF that rule of thumb is accurate, then simply reducing each of the 1/4 turn valves, and leaving the drain line plumbing intact where it is should work just fine. Then once it's at least cycling properly then I can increase/decrease the valves as needed following the above rule of thumb.

And further research in other forums, seems to support JCO's comment above. Tomorrow is going to be interesting as I exercise some trial and error.