Capillary Drainage with Syphoning
Capiphon Now Available in Reece Stores
Capiphon™ has been brilliantly designed to use capillary forces and syphonic action to drain water from soils far more effectively than simply relying on gravity.
Serious Alternative to Ag Pipe
Ag pipe is also called aggie, agricultural pipe, ag line etc. Capiphon also out-performs slotted pipe.
What is Capiphon™?
Capiphon™ is a drainage material made from a special formulation of PVC that remains flexible and is long lasting.
Capiphon™ has a series of grooves running down its length. The grooves are omega shaped with an internal diameter of one millimetre. The opening to the grooves is approximately 0.3 mm.
Capiphon comes in two forms
a belt usually 100 or 175 millimetres wide, and a PVC pipe around which the belt is wrapped
Capiphon™ uses capillary action and is therefore in dynamic equilibrium with the moisture in the soil. Water moves into the belt as soon as the soil reaches saturation, much earlier than when relying on gravity alone. Then syphonic action pulls the water from the soil. As a result, Capiphon™ removes 3-4 times more water than conventional drainage.
Capiphon Drainage™ can be used in place of any subsurface drainage system
Capiphon Drainage
Capiphon™ (sold as Smart Drain in the USA), is a capillary drainage technology. It consists of a belt of 2 mm PVC, usually 100 or 175 mm wide, with omega-shaped grooves running down its length. In some situations, such as installation into embankments, Capiphon is wrapped around a PVC pipe and used in place of the belt.
The groves are omega shaped with an internal diameter of one millimetre. The opening to the grooves is approximately 0.3 mm.
Because Capiphon uses capillary action, it is in dynamic equilibrium with the moisture in the soil. Water moves into the belt as soon as the soil reaches saturation, faster than simply relying on gravity. For the same reason, water continues to flow for longer.
Does Capiphon block like other drains?
No. Unlike every other drainage system, Capiphon does not block with either fine particles (reference 1) or algae (reference 2). Particles smaller than the opening of the grooves (0.3mm) can enter the grooves but will easily pass out of the system. The grooves themselves do not block – if one or more soil particles lodge against a groove, water can enter either side of the particle.
Capiphon is still draining successfully after 15 years in the ground.
Does Capiphon require expensive installation?
- No need for a gravel transition layer.
- No need for a geotextile fabric.
- In fact, Capiphon needs to be in close contact with the soil so trenches can be shallow and narrow.
- No need for a precisely graded trench because the siphon will operate even if there is a rise and fall along it.
- No need for extra fittings. Simply cut a slot into the discharge pipe and insert the belt into it. Secure the two with a cable tie, and then run a bead of silicone sealant across the back of the belt.
- Sealing the loose end of the belt with silicone helps to create the siphon.
- If the site is particularly muddy, laying the belt on a thin layer of medium sand creates the optimum capillary conditions.
- Then simply backfill the trench and roll. Replace turf if it has been cut prior to trenching.
Buy Online Now
Purchase Capiphon products direct from our online shop
Capiphon belts and collectors are available online in a range of different sizes. Pipe is currently only available through your local supplier but can be fabricated on site from our pipe fabrication belts and collectors.
