Pumping Uphill

[doocat]

I am considering taking sap from a 2700 gal tank at the bottom of bush and pumping to the top of the hill to make it easier to access with truck.

Does anyone have any experience with this as far a pump size, type, check valves, etc? Also need info on float system to turn pump on and off. Any info would be appreciated.

[tuckermtn]

do you have access to electric power at the tank? how much elevation gain from tank to top of hill?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Check valves will hold sap in the line untill you UNcheck the valve. Freeze up is a problem.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Check valves will hold sap in the line until you UNcheck the valve. Freeze up is a problem. Have you ever seen a stream of water shooting out of a sump pump when its working. Its to keep liquid from staying in the pump head if a check valve is used. Some pumps wont start up with a full column of liquid. One running they will push it along but under pressure NO. I know a guy that has calculated the amount of sap left in the discharge line and when the sap tank is empty he switches over to another tank of water to push the sap up and out. Then when the water has done its job he shuts the pump down and lets it back into the holding tank.

[Thad Blaisdell]

amount of lift is the most important detail to this question. I do this at two locations. I lift roughly 100 feet for roughly 4000 taps, and lift 160 feet for 1800 taps. the 100 foot lift is easy I have power and use my tubing washer pump. The other I am using a 1.5 hp deep well pump on a small generator. Both set ups have a float switch purchased from grainger.

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

Thad-What kind of tubing are you using for discharge hose? Also, do you have to manually drain the lines at night before it freezes?

[Thad Blaisdell]

I use 1 inch lines. No I do not I let them freeze. By the time I need to pump again the lines are thawed out and ready to go. If it is too cold to thaw them out the sap isnt running anyway.

[Maplewalnut]

I use 1 inch lines like Thad and also leave my lines full. One trick I have learned is if you leave them full and they routinely freeze dont have any fittings or restrcitions on the up hill side if possible. Reason being is you only need very minimal thawing and then when you go to pump up you will push all the ice right out. Looks like your making sausage! Any fitting or restriction will hold up the ice and you will have to wait for more thaw. Black lines are best for quick thawing. I use a gas Honda WX15 I think is the model

[Haynes Forest Products]

Thad are you talking about lifting the sap up the line verses pumping it. I have pumps the will create enough LIFT to prime itself. Once primed then you need to look at the pumps ability to pump up (head) the height needed. Not trying to nit pick but doocat should calculate the vertical distance.

[Thad Blaisdell]

Haynes you are correct I used the wrong vocabulary. You need to calculate the amount of distance from the pump to the top elevation. Also you will need to decide what kind of GPM you are looking for. I run both of my lines directly into my releaser at the sugar house, the vacuum provides some lift and makes my pumps a little more efficient. But on the down side to that I had to install a much bigger pump at the releaser to handle the increase in sap flow. Two 1" pipes and a 1.5" wet line make for a lot of sap at one time.

[doocat]

Thanks for the replies. I'll update the question little. At the bottom of the hill I have electric, heated building, vacuum pump, releaser, and 2700 gal tank. There are 1300 on this bush now and will be another 500 by this season. There is a road to the bottom but is a pain in the snow. To avoid this I would like to put a tank at the top of the hill and pump from the bottom of the hill. Then pick up at the top to avoid the steep hill and snow.

I checked a topo map and right now am estimating about 200' elevation and 2000' distance. The elevation may be off but for now I'll use it.

I was thinking a deep well pump with 1'' line but not sure about float system etc. Do I start stop from remote switch, how do I know level of lower tank? These are my delemas. If I have to go to bottom to check level I might as well pick up there as well.

Thanks for the input.

Craig

[Thad Blaisdell]

Go to Grainger supply, type in "FLOAT PUMP SWITCHES" you will see all kinds of different switches to fit your needs.

Personally I go to my tank every day once or twice anyway to check sap flow and vacuum but would still rather pump back to sugarhouse. You can check prices for a pump at grainger as well.