what's the minimum cfm needed?

[jfroe939]

I don't yet have vacuum. Pondering it. Because of slope I could only get vacuum on 80-90 trees. I do syrup as a hobby, but the concept of vacuum sounds slick. Because I don't have many trees I'm not looking to pay alot for vacuum nor do I want a huge, old dairy vacuum that would suck gas in the woods. Assuming I found a source of vacuum that didn't pull alot of cfm but did have 20Hg vac pressure, what is the populus answer to the VERY minimum cfm I absolutely need to run vacuum on say 90 trees - also assuming as airtight of a system as one can normally expect which probably means a smidge of vac loss somewhere and assuming the vac loss in the releaser chamber and the recuperation time to regain appropriate vacuum as it was before the releaser dumped sap. Basically, I'm asking the veterans who've used small vac systems some time in their mapling career and had to struggle to the point where they gave up and just spent the money to buy a "real" vac system. I'm trying to identify the cfm point where it just wouldn't work at all (looking for a cfm number). I can get by with "didn't-work-so-hot" cfm, but I don't want to spend $150 on something that will absolutely not work. Thanks for your input. Jason

[metalhead62]

hey joe i am not on vac yet but in ur postion a gast 1023 would work well i think and in ur price range also if u look on ebay it runs about 6 to 10 cfms if i rember correctly

[poolguy]

my supply house says 10 cfm per thousand taps if i remember correctly

[maple flats]

Tight system, 1 cfm/100 taps, it is also advisable to have a little more "for the system" But you would bevery limited. With that few taps you would be better with a sap sucker, no releaser needed, no moisture trap, no regulator etc. Just the cost of the smallest releaser would take toooo looong to be made back even if everything else was free. While vac is cool, it requires a certain economy of scale to be worth it.

[allgreenmaple]

Tight system, 1 cfm/100 taps, it is also advisable to have a little more "for the system" But you would bevery limited. With that few taps you would be better with a sap sucker, no releaser needed, no moisture trap, no regulator etc. Just the cost of the smallest releaser would take toooo looong to be made back even if everything else was free. While vac is cool, it requires a certain economy of scale to be worth it. Do you have a link to anyone that handles the sap sucker Dave? I 've heard they are good for smaller bushes.

[Hurdhaven Farm]

Goodrich's maple carries the Sapsucker. http://www.goodrichmaplefarm.com/maple-producers-equipment?p=6

[Monster Maples]

for the price of those pumps why not go releaser and a gast pump for $200 or a dairy pump? Half the price and freeze tolerant.

[markct]

a"bender type releaser",brand new modern plastic one can be had for just under 200 bucks and would work great for that many taps, i have one set up on about 100 taps

[jwalker]

where does one go to find a bender releaser? New or used.

[metalhead62]

hey markct im very intrested in those releasers if u could give me some more info please website or even building info ty

[BryanEx]

Bender releaser's were very common in the 60's but the Bender Machine Works in Hayward, WI now manufactures pipeline washing systems. There are lots of their releaser's around but they will be (well) used. That's not to say there are other companies still making a very similar model.

- Bryan

[markct]

heres the link to the releaser setup, same idea altho for bucket washing nowdays, just need to add some pvc plumbing and check valves to the bottom like on the old benders, its just a chamber and vac valves basicly but thats all a releaser is realy!


http://www.partsdeptonline.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi

when ya go to that link search 289701 Bucket Washer

[DrTimPerkins]

Goodrich's maple carries the Sapsucker. http://www.goodrichmaplefarm.com/maple-producers-equipment?p=6

Those pumps sold by Goodrich's maple are called "Sap Pullers". They are a diaphragm style pump which works reasonably well. You need to be vigilant about leaks though, as they don't move much CFM.

The "Sap Puller" is a peristaltic type pump, which is also used occasionally in maple. It works by having a series of rollers (like rolling pins) pushing on the tubing.

Both of these pumps are really designed to move liquid, but will create vacuum as well. Neither of these types of pumps require a releaser. You don't want either of them to freeze solid with sap in them though, as it would rupture the diaphrams (Sap Puller) or the roller-tubing (Sap Sucker).