by Christopher Weeks on Mon Nov 02, 2015 11:05 am
Topologically, they're the same. (And also basically the same as the trap built into your home toilet or u-pipe under your sink drain.) We own both types of water-locks and haven't noticed any benefit to one over the other. Either one can dry out over time, though, so watch to make sure that doesn't happen if you're leaving them.
With your current mead, how do you know it isn't bubbling and what is it you want to be fixed? If I'm imagining what you're describing correctly, then your yeast are giving off gasses, causing the pressure in the carboy to increase. As this happens, it pushes down on the surface of the water closest to the mead. As a result, the water in the lock is shoved "outward". When the gas builds up enough pressure, it'll push the water in the lock outward enough that a tiny bit more gas, will push up, around the final U-bend and bubble up the column of water and out into your house. So bubbles might be happening already, just not frequently enough that you're seeing them. Did I get anything wrong?