Gravity line

[maple33]

New in the sport and was wondering how you know if your lines are working right ! why is it not good to have open ends at tree or small air hole for flow?? What am i missing? Thanks for your help 150 taps on tubing and 100 buckets.

[buxtonboiler]

You should have around a 3% grade on your lines. The only way I know to tell if they are working is by looking. Air holes allow bacteria the oxygen they need to grow. The bacteria will eat the sugar in your sap and cause the tapholes to heal quicker.

[waysidemaple]

If you have a decent slope on your tubing system you will also get a natural vacuum effect with a closed system leading to more sap than in an open system. The big one though is the bacteria that will get in the line from having it open.

[maple33]

thank you for the info , will make sure i have good slope and leave like it is now !! last season on 100 line tapes and 80 buckets we made 36 gallons. so i think it worked well, but never had big flow out of 3/4" line! Im now working on 50 to 75 more on lines to the same mainline and needed piece of mind im doing it right !! So thanks again and good luck in 2011 !! Warm weather in forcast starting next thursday !!

150-175 gravity
100 buckets
self-made evaporator 3.5' x 5' english tin w/ 1' x 2' english tin pre-heat pan
air intake,front thru ash pit

[farmall h]

Maple33, if you have the end of your mainline open you will NOT have natural vacuum. Bacteria is the least of your worries. Cap the end of your line. You will see that the sap kinda sits in the 5/16 tubing but later in the day when the sap is running you can see the sap gradually move faster. It is deceiving at first and you may be anxious to just uncap the end BUT...once you do that the vacuum created in the lines is lost. Run 15 or so taps per lateral and you will have so much sap you won't know WHAT to do!;) ps: as Buxtoboiler said "keep 3%" or more grade on your tubing and mainline.

[Sugarmaker]

maple 33,
Yes as mentioned keep the gravity system colsed for best result. 3rd year on gravity tubing and it seems to work good.
regards,
SM