Venting tubing

[Fred Henderson]

Should I vent my gravity tubing? some around here say yes and some say no. What do most of you do?

[sweetwoodmaple]

I think pretty much everyone is on non-vented. You get some natural vacuum that way if you have decent slope to your system.

There were some posts a while back on this if you use the search engine.

Brian

[markcasper]

If you have sufficient slope, DO NOT VENT. If you have less than 5% slope on your laterals, it may be beneficial in preventing air locks. Someone will disagree with me though i am sure. Mark

[maplwrks]

Venting tubing went out 15 years ago! A closed system keeps your tap holes fresher also.

[brookledge]

Exactly what maple works said. Lamb used to make there taps with 5/16 in and out so you could vent the taps.
Keith

[markcasper]

guys, i think he meant a vent at the end of line, not every tap. Definately NOT at every tap! Mark

[Fred Henderson]

Yes, at the end of the line is what I was asking. I am old school and know very little about tubing. I got abot 30 taps on tubing in 2 different locations and the grade is more than 5% at each site.

[markcasper]

if you have more than 5% grade on the lines, not the land itself, then don't vent them. My experience says don't do it. Mark

[mountainvan]

in the dark ages when I started sugaring venting was a commen practice, manly to take care of vapor blocks in the 5/16 tubing. I still have a paper written by bob lamb, lets talk tubing, in which he said you should vent every tap on every tree. so about 15 years ago when I did my first "big bush"(minds on sugaring), I did half vented and half not into two different containers. sap flow was same for each at the beginning, vented shut down at least a week before the nonvented. Vented tubing was disgusting from fungul growth, used old style purple lamb tubing, nonvented was not. the thing that killed venting for me was when sap came out of the vents first thing in the morning if the tubing was'nt completly thawed, and when there was a sharp temp drop and the tubing froze before the tree. now only closed system with large enough mainline for # taps. a good tubing setup not only increases your sap yeild and quality, but makes for so many less problems in the years ahead. hope this helps

[Fred Henderson]

All you guy's that have replied have give me a lot of insight and help. Thank you all.

[mountainvan]

hey fred, off your subject, but do you know my brotherinlaw mike zagrobelny? if you do and you see him tell him van says hey. norwoods not a very big place.

[Fred Henderson]

I have heard the name but I do not know him. I am about 6 miles from Norwood but that is the zip code that I am under.

[ibby458]

Hey - I know Mike Zagrobelny. (Voted for him, too). He teaches my kids at Madrid Waddington. Does a good job of it, too.