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SilverLeaf
04-07-2011, 02:25 PM
I think need a "Pumps for Dummies" book. I tried browsing the threads in this category to learn about pumps but most of the time I'm just :confused:

My lesson learned from this season is that, in order to keep this hobby sustainable I'm going to need a way of pumping some sap from dumping stations to my transport truck. I've got too many taps that are aways from the nearest spot I can park the truck, and are across areas filled with obstacles, like fences or piles of scrap lumber. No fun with buckets. What I need is a way of pumping sap up to 200 ft. across essentially flat ground. (No elevation to speak of, except for lifting it like 5 feet into the transport tank).

I know some pumps "pull" and others "push" the fluid, but that's the extent of what I know. What kind of pump is my best bet to accomplish this need? (I'm not interested in brands/models at this point, just basic knowledge.) Seems like it might be harder to "pull" it that distance than to "push" it. And warning - dumb question ahead - in a situation like this, what do you do with the sap that's left in the hose? Drain it each time? or stick a check valve on it and leave it in there, and then at the end of the season drain it once then?

500592
04-07-2011, 04:33 PM
Well the type of pump depends on how many gallons of sap you are pumping

SilverLeaf
04-07-2011, 04:37 PM
50-100 gal at a shot. I won't be needing to set speed records in terms of gallons per minute or anything like that. This is more of a labor-saving idea than a time-saving idea. I'm just trying to get a handle on what kind of pump could handle pumping that far.

jmayerl
04-07-2011, 08:22 PM
for something that small i would just get a small 12 12dc pump. I got one from harbor freight for 39.99. it has garden hose connections on both ends. I pull sap 50 feet from storage tank and then 25 feet to my head tank which is 8 feet high. I can fill the 55 gallon tank in a few minutes, the pump can produce 50 psi.