"How to" site for Vacuum

[FunnyFarm]

I've been looking all over and I've found plenty of info about vacuum increasing my yields...but none about the dos and don't of setting one up. If someone could direct me I'd appreciate it.

thanks much

[tuckermtn]

how is your woods set up now? how many taps, size of mainline, etc. Its all about vacuum transfer- sizing your mainline big enough- minimum of 3/4" for most everything- and keeping your laterals as short as possible and with ideally less than 5 taps per lateral.

the pumps and releasers are relatively easy to figure out.

[FunnyFarm]

I've got somewhere between 2-250 taps on a reasonably steep side hill with my sugar shack at the bottom lowest point. My bulk tanks are right next to the shack. I have a 3/4 mainline run about 500' with 1/2' off of that down to 5/16 branching off to the taps. i got my hands on an old universal milker vacuum pump and figured I have it something is better than nothing.... I just don't know how to set her up. Any advice would be much appreciated. I kept my 5/16 branches down to no more than 7 taps per branch... Should i do less? i read between 5-10 was what to shoot for.

[tuckermtn]

sounds like your woods are fine- especially if you have good pitch-

does your pump have a motor? gas or electric? if electric do you have enough juice at the sugarhouse to run an elec. motor? You will need a releaser- for that many taps you are near the max for the hobby releaser that lapierre sells. You can upsize to a bernard or lapierre single. if you have electric you might consider an electric releaser also.

you will want a vacuum regulator and moisture trap also. You can make a pretty good moisture trap. search on here for more info

[FunnyFarm]

electric motor and i have a sub panel at the sugar shack.. the rest of the year its my wood shop. is there a way to build a re leaser? guess I'm off to google that lol thanks for the info

[maple flats]

Search homemade releaser on here. This has been done a few different way.