Releaser Problem - any suggestions.

[danno]

I have a single mechanical Lappiere. It's aways run well for me. Occasionally the sap gets very high in the releaser before dumping, but that is cured by cleaning the float, pole and mechanisms with a good hot water bath.

I've just begun experiencing a new problem. After the releaser dumps, the vac. chamber does not get sucked back open. Therefore, the vacuum does not get back to the releaser. I've checked the vacuum tubes that run from the chamber the the float mechanism and they seem fine and have have washed the vacuum chamber as well, and the releaser will work for a half a day or so before the chamber sticks again preventing vaccum from re-entering the releaser.

I'm running 25" of vac to the releaser this year. I thought that may cuase a problerm, but the releaser worked flawlessly for the first few weeks of the season.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Jeff E]

Is it a horizontal releaser?
I have a horizontal releaser that gets stuck in the 'dump' phase, usually it is because the float rod sticks in the up position. Like you said, a hot water bath usually cures that. I have also had to clean the slide surfaces on the actuator and on the vac entry into the releaser.

[danno]

I spoke to a tech at laprierre today. He surprised me by telling me not to wash the float or the vacuum chamber with hot water. He said water removes the lubricant necessary to keep everything sliding freely. He also suggested cleaning the float arm with brillo or something similar.

I have never greased the vacuum chamber but took care of that this afternoon. Working OK now, we'll see.

[michiganfarmer2]

I was told to lube every sealing surface, and every friction surface at the beginning of the season. I did. My double mechanical has worked flawlessly except a couple mornings when there was some slush in the sealling surface of the flapper stopping it form sealing.

OH! Another thgouht... If your releaser isnt level... If its leaning in a direction that is letting gravity hold the flapper open... that might have an effect.

[Haynes Forest Products]

If freeze up is a problem in the morning put a valve and a short piece of hose off the manifold seperate from all the other sap lines . In the morning when you have some vacuum suck up some sap from the tank and recirculate it for a few seconds.......SHAZAM:)

[clafarr]

try adjusting the spring on the actuator arm. i had same problem. I tightened the spring tention a little and the problem went away.

[Dave Y]

Danno
Lapierre sells a food grade lubricant for their releasers.Make sure all your moving parts have an ample amount of this lubricant on them .It will save you a lot of problems

[danno]

Yes, it was certainly a lubrication issue and lapierre was excellent in walking me through the cleaining steps over the phone. I'm now using an abrasive pad to clean the float rod and lubricant inside the vacuum chamber. I never had the vacuum chamber apart in the 4 or 5 years I've been running the releaser. Surprised I was not having problems sooner.