Vac dropping to zero

[Dill]

I posted this in the NH section but now that the seasons up and running I'm not sure how much everyone reads that.
Anyway at 9 this morning the guy who owns the bush called and told me the releaser was pulling zero. We had left the pump on all night. Its done the overnight thing before with no problem.
I headed right down and fired it up. She was pulling 7 and I patched a couple small holes to get back to 10. Watched it for about 45 mins, releaser was dumping fine. Headed back to office figuring I fixed it.
Sam calls back at 12:45 its pulling zero again. Flappers open and saps running out. Pump isn't hot or making odd noises, just not pulling vac.
Ideas?

[red maples]

If the flap is open and sap is coming out then there is a vac leak somewhere between the vac pump and the releaser because there is no vac pressure at the releaser. also on the bb series pump heads there is a button on top Someone said that it changes the pump from suck to blow... check that???

the other thing is did you put a moisture trap on it? your realeaser could be backing up a little and filling the moisture trap. if its off the ball goes down and it will suck air but could go up after its running for a bit and shut down a few minutes later.

1 more thing to check to see if there is moisture in the tank. it might need to be drained. Mine didn't come with a tank someday I will build 1 for it. so I turn the exhaust downward and took off the muffler to drain out any moisture.

thats all I can think of unless I physically look at it. I would come up if I had time.

[Dill]

I didn't think of the tank. Yes it does have a valve at the end of it. I'll check that. The trap was good. I was thinking the check valve was messing up but that didn't make sense.

[Dill]

I haven't found the suck to blow switch. There is an old regulator spring at the top. But that's all I've seen.

[red maples]

it not so much as a switch but a button right on top of the little dome that sits on the piston head.

Sorry I am really trying to think if there is way to get up there. I just have too much stuff to get done today so I can boil all day tomorrow.

[Dill]

I'm just waiting for the rain to die down a little before I go back out and check. And you know spend some time at the office actually working during sugaring season.

[Dill]

Well your right it was the moisture trap. Which is good and bad. Good cause something I built actually worked. Bad cause it shouldn't be full of sap.
The releaser is dumping great now. And I gain more vac it jumped up to 18 and I eased it back to 15.

[red maples]

Very good!!! why it should run no problem at 18" or more those little motors are bullet proof bud...mine is running at 25" right now and I can hold my hand on it.

The problem I had last year with the releaser backing up was 1 it wasn't level and 2 I didn't clean around the button with warm water fequently enough (like every day) now that I do that I don't have any problems with back up!!!

[Dill]

Ok so the releaser is sticking. I got everything up and running at 5 the vac chamber was full of sap. I ended up unplugging the pump because I have a ton of sap to boil. So I just slosh water on it? The little plunger? Its level.
What about oiling it?

[Russell Lampron]

Eased it back to 15!!!!!! Crank it up to 23 and let it suck.