Wet Dry Releasers

[Brian Ryther]

I have an extra single releaser. I am considering putting the wet lines into one releaser and the dry lines into the second. This would allow for continious vacuum. It would also be a back up for when the wet releaser screws up (which it does often.) What do you think?

[Maplewalnut]

Makes sense and if you have an extra it would be better in the woods than on a shelf somewhere!

[ennismaple]

That sound like it'll work Brian! Maybe you're onto something... releasers in wet/dry aplications could have two header chambers - one for wet lines that gets isolated when the releaser dumps and one for dry lines that normally has nothing in it and supplies continuous vacuum.

If any manufacturers are reading this post I've got copyright on this idea!

[wiam]

I think sap would be sucked up into the dry line when the wet releaser dumps.

[sjdoyon]

Ennis maple,

Wouldn't separating the wet/dry lines into two releasers drop your vacuum pressure in your lines?

Saw your photos and your one ladder is fairly high. How high are your ladders? We've got about a thousand trees we haven't tapped due to slop issues which would require a ladder.

2012
3x10 Inferno Arch
4,000+ Taps
7,5 HP Vacuum pump
Lapierre 600gph RO
3 SS 1500 gallon tanks
24x32 Sugarhouse

[ennismaple]

If the wet/dry lines were separated into two releasers or into separate headers on the same releaser I don't see how that would reduce the vacuum in the lines. It should reduce the amount of vacuum loss when the releaser dumps and lets a surge of air into the system as the now empty cannister gets put back onto vacuum.

Our ladders are generally 8ft high. We have 170 taps on an 8ft, 2-pipe ladder and in another location we have 100 taps ± on a double "spider" ladder to lift the mainline over a road. The new ladder we've built will lift sap from 108 taps about 22' in 3 separate 8ft lifts. In theory it works and I can't wait to see it in operation.

Wherever possible we avoid sap ladders but we've got a number of locations where we've added taps by using ladders - over 10% of our total tap count so far. For 1000 taps coming to a single spot wouldn't it be worthwhile to spend $500 on a sap lift or $1000 on a vacuum powered piston pump?

Cheers!

[802maple]

I think sap would be sucked up into the dry line when the wet releaser dumps.

Don't know but that would be my opinion also. but who knows unless you try it

[wiam]

Don't know but that would be my opinion also. but who knows unless you try it


802 I did not say that was bad, just making an observation.

[Brian Ryther]

I am thinking that the sap should continue to fill the manifold of the wet releaser during the dump cycle, like it normaly does due to gravity. When the wet releaser is finished dumping and the float drops and vacuum is re introduced into the wet releaser there will be a negative pressure differential that will force the manifold check valve in the dry releaser to close until equilebrium is reached between the vac supply line and bolth releasers. This is not a perfect continus vac system but it greatly reduces the lack of vac time during the dump cycle of the manual releaser. During full flow runs, cycle times were 18 seconds. 8 seconds to dump. 10 seconds to reach equilbrium post dump. The second releaser will eliminate the first eight seconds of no vac. Because of the continus vacuum during the first eight seconds it might take longer than 10 seconds to reach equilbrium due to the mantained higher vac levels. I feel that is ok because the goal is to achieve higher vacuum levels, mission acomplished.

[wiam]

My releaser is faster than that and I only lose an inch.

[Brian Ryther]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWWuzpM4mJo

Watch the time line on the video.