Testing for vacuum leak on releaser?

[danno]

Is there a simple way to test where I'm getting a vacuum leak on my releaser? I know if I was testing for a pressure leak, I could just spray soapy water and I'd have bubbles where I had leaks. How about testing for vacuum leaks.

I know I have a leak. I can hear the hiss and I'm losing 1-2" of vac between the pump and the releaser and pump is only about 15' from the releaser. Also, the sap inlet line is frozen solid, so I know air is entering the chamber somewhere. I also know it's not the flapper that's leaking.

Any ideas before I pull off every fitting chasing the leak?

[archerybs]

I've never tried it on a releaser but...when we vacuum test manholes and have a leak, we wet the entire surface area, add vacuum for a little while and then look for the dry spot.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Get a squirt bottle of sap and dribble it around the fittings and if it doesn't puddle or run off your close. Look for the sap to get sucked away fast

[sapman]

This will sound elementary, but I've kept my head/ear stationary, then put my hand on different areas of the releaser, or whatever I'm working on. Often I can hear a slight change in sound, indicating my hand is between the leak and my ear, then pinpoint from there. Probably something everybody does, but thought I'd mention it.

[nymapleguy607]

Did you put the Silicone grease on the sealing o-rings under the covers? Might be leaking there.

[wiam]

Sounds silly, but cut a piece of 5/16 tubing about 2 feet long and put one end in your ear and move the other end around the releaser.

William

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

If you fill the releaser completely up with water and turn the vacuum on, you will see bubbles where it is leaking.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would look in the crossover fittings and the swivel that is the culprit. This is when CFMs do Matter so get to finding it.

[Tmeeeh]

Do you have a water pump emptying the releaser? I've heard of the seal on the water pump sucking air at high vacuum.

[danno]

Wow, lot's of good ideas. I think I have narrowed it down to where the sap enters the upper chamber. I really like my Lappierre manual releaser, but they did a very poor job drilling the 1 1/2" threads for the incoming lines. Even with teflon tape, I'm having an awful time getting a good seal.

Does anyone use SS or brass piped into their releaser? I bet I can get a beter seal using those as opposed to the poly fittings I'm using.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

DANNO
yes go to the steel fittings and teflon tape, you will do a better job

[Russell Lampron]

You will get frost first at the vacuum leak. Where the sap inlet line is frozen would be a good place to start looking. Water from a squirt bottle will make a whistling noise when squirted on a vacuum leak as well. This is how I find manifold leaks.

[ennismaple]

We use SS threaded fittings and they can leak just like poly fittings. The rough edges on the drilled and tapped holes does tend to strip the teflon tape. Try cleaning up the hole and using multiple wraps of tape. Worst case use multi-purpose cement on the fitting. It'll never come out again but I don't see why you would ever need to take it out anyways.

[maple sapper]

I had lots of leaks on my home made releaser and had issues with teflon tape. Tried wrapping to the point that you couldnt see the threads. It still leaked. Last resort was to use teflon thread sealant. I made sure it was NSF and also ran water throught it like 20 times to make sure there was none loose floating around.