Two barrels, linked at bottom by a hose, with different water heights?



It's too long since I took physics but I thought that the height would
be equal. One is an actual rainbarrel, with faucet already installed:

http://www.rainbarrelstorage.com/good-ideas-rain-wizard-gallon-rain-barrel-green-rw40-p-7851.html

I paid a lot less than that but still more than a barrel should cost
even though it comes with a faucet already installed. It filled up so
fast that I figured I'd add another barrel to double the capacity. I
took an old Rubbermaid plastic garbage can, installed a faucet near
the bottom, used a Y adapter on each faucet, and a female-female hose
to link the two barrels, leaving one tap available on each one for a
hose. Both barrels are raised on cinderblocks to the same height.

Once I turned on the connecting hose, the water did flow from the
original one to the Rubbermaid, but stopped before the water heights
equalized. I checked the connection but there was no blockage. I
walked away puzzled.

It rained some yesterday, and both barrels are much fuller, but again,
the water heights are not identical.

So I guess the height of water in two dissimilar barrels, connected by
a hose, will not be the same but will vary depending on the diameter
or width of the barrels? Not what I remember, but that wouldn't be the
first time.




.



Relevant Pages