stainless taps?

[spencer11]

i have been looking at stainless taps and found some. i am running a vac with about 100-120 taps on it next year. should i use stubbys or can i use the stainless? i dont think they have check valves. i would like to get stainless ones but if they wont work as well with vac will get what does work well. thanks

spencer

[500592]

I don't use cvs cause the dealer showed me his and the ball will get stuck inside so the just use seasonal ones

[spencer11]

so the seasonal taps dont have a check valve ball thing. so i could just use stainless tubing taps then right? i was woried about the sap going back into the tree when it freezes.

spencer

[500592]

No they don't the cvs are seasonal

[nymapleguy607]

There hasn't been much about the stainless steel spouts the last few years. Most companies don't carry them due to the cost. If your going to have vacuum the seasonal spiles are fine, just run the vacuum untill the lines freeze. Some of the new clear seasonal spouts are made from a different material than the black seasonal spouts and are supposed to seal better in the trees, as well as not draw heat into the tap hole.

[spencer11]

could i set the vac on a timer so t shuts off at like 8pm? earlier? or should i just shut it off manually? tan have it turn back on at like 7-9 in the morning? so i could use the stainless ones? they are basically the same as the seasonal ones, they just last forever? thanks

spencer

[Moser's Maple]

spencer.... taken this how you want to
Save your money and forget about the stainless spouts, because at the end of the season they will be just like the black, or seasonal spouts....they will have bacteria in them. so unless you plan on taking off every single spout before the next season and boiling them in water to kill the bacteria i would spend your money in other places. first thing to realize is that when a tree freezes it creates a negative pressure which inturns can draw sap up your dropline and into your tap hole causes bacteria to infiltrate your taphole. 1st thing make sure your drops are ATLEAST 24in. because studies have shown that sap can travel as much as 18in. up a line during negative pressure. Second the money your going to save by not going stainless....put into a therastat for your vacuum pump....now theres no timer to worry about and the pump will kick on and off acount to temperature and barametric temperature making you more efficient. 3rd use either seasonal spouts, or check valves. I personnally use check valves. i have noticed that some do stick at the end of the season, but not until they have sat around for a little while. when tearing down, i haven't noticed a stuck valve, since leader change the design of the spoout. I also have started rotating some of my check valves in a 3 year rotation. I know that they recomend you to through out the valve after 1 year of use, but with no real noticeable change in production, i have taken some used check valves, boiled them good and let them sit for 2 years before reusing them.....i use these on my drop lines that are do to be replace the following year. I hope my little lecture has helped you in any way, shape, or form

Jake
Moser's Maple
1500 vacuum
500 gravity
230????? buckets
award winning maple candy

[spencer11]

that defentaly helped me. i wasent sure how far the sap traveled up the dro[ during the negitive pressure, so that good to know what i need to do. i have stubbys on my gravity laterals to 5 gal bucket this year, so i can just put them on a mainline with vac next year. so given what i have learned from you i will go with the stubbys, or seasonals. now what is a therastat? it seems like its ALOT more efficent than a timer would be. thanks

spencer

[Moser's Maple]

sorry spencer...i meant to say thermastat for the vacuum pump.....that's assuming that your pump is on electricity, gas run pumps you just have to decide when you want to start them and when you want to shut them off.
Jake Moser

[spencer11]

i thought that you ment thermostat. and yes i am running my pump off electricty. where can i get one for the pump?

spencer

[Moser's Maple]

Spencer,
If you talk to any of the dealers they should have thermastats for the pumps. Mine personnally came from D&G, but Leader, and LaPierre both have them also. I will warn you that these are not as cheap as a timer, but i always figured the boost in efficently was well worth it.

Jake Moser

[spencer11]

even if it is more expensive i think it would make up for that with the extra sap i would get. i plan on using a gast 1500 series pump, it should work with that right? thanks.

spencer

[500592]

I have left my gast on almost all the time it has a little motor and I get 15 inches at the tree.

[spencer11]

is it work it to leave the pump on all the time? would the releaser freeze up?

spencer

[danno]

I don't know how much the thermo switches are from maple dealers, but you can buy the online from any site selling Johnson Controls.

[spencer11]

thanks dan, i keep looking online. do they go in the power cord like a timer? or do they wire into the pump some how? thanks

spencer