gravity or vac.?

[maplefarmer]

I have been tapping along a river with a steep bank, using bags that some of them hang over the water because every spring the river rises with the snow melting. Question is this year I am going to run tubing so I don't have to go up and down the slippery bank to empty bags, Is there a cheap vac. pump that I thought guys were talking about that I think they got at harbor freight. I only have 50 taps on that section so I don't want to spend a lot for pump, but if I understand it correct you get twice as much sap by vac. Would it be worth it to vac. or just try run them on gravity? If pump is worth while anybody know what kind it is?

[500592]

Do you have a releaser in mind because that would probably he most expensive part unless you got an old bender but I did see someone using the 2.5 cfm hvac pump that was around 100 plus an old bender could also be around that so you would have about 200 in the system.

[maplefarmer]

500592, Do I need a releaser, I was under the impression they would run the pump directly into a holding tank, maybe i misunderstood.

[500592]

Are you talking about a diraphram pump or a vac pump and you can run the vac line to the tank IF it is a ZERO VAC TANK that is made for vac but are very pricey

[3rdgen.maple]

If you are running a regular vac pump you either need a releaser and a holding tank for the releaser to dump into or a tank that will hold vac and not collapse. Or you can get a sapsucker pump that will suck sap right through the pump into a tank with no releaser involved. With a 50 tap setup this sapsucker type pump would be the most economical and you will get a fster return on your investment. With a pump,motor,releaser and tank you could be spending upwards of a 1000 bucks finding it used. I have never run a sapsucker maybe someone on here that does or has in the past will chime in on there thoughts with that setup.

[wiam]

I gave a small sapsucker 1/2" hose double pump (2 pumps stacked together) to a friend with 80ish taps. He ran about 15" when system was tight. I have seen these pumps on ebay. Look for peristaltic (sp) pump.

[DrTimPerkins]

Other than the regular styles of pumps (vane, flood, liquid-ring, dry rotary, etc.) used in the maple industry, there are two styles of vacuum pumps that are used by small sugarmakers.

Diaphram pumps - like a bilge pump on a boat, the most common type is called a "Sap Puller". Can pull over 20" if everything is perfectly tight. They come in single and dual-diaphragm models. Any little leak and you'll get way less vacuum as these are basically liquid pumps that move very little CFM of air. Doesn't require a releaser. You don't want these to freeze with liquid in them or it'll damage/break the diaphragms.

Peristaltic pumps - these have a rotary head that compresses tubing (like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube) to move liquid. In doing so, they also generate a small vacuum...on the order of 15" if everything is perfectly tight. Leaks rapidly degrade performance, as these pumps are also made to move liquid, not air (CFM). These types of pumps are commonly called "Sap Sucker" pumps. No releaser is needed. The tubing in contact with the rollers is a special type, and needs to be changed periodically to avoid wearing out.

The key thing for both these types of pumps is to maintain a VERY tight tubing system.