Frozen tank inlet

[rookie]

This year i decided, no more going outside and dunking a bucket in my collection tank to get sap, i got a new tank with a line in the bottom jacked up in the air and piped into my sugar house witha ball valve on it. Nice huh. Never thought about the line freezing solid.
So i found my self on a step ladder, dunking my bucket into a collection tank to get my sap. not to mention, about half my sap was frozen. had to use a hatched to cut a hole to dunk my bucket...... what does every body else do when all the saps frozen?

[spud]

HEAT TAPE. Leave it on all sugaring season. I have some old insulation that I wrap around it also and so far it has never frozen up.

Spud

[Dave Puhl]

If your tank is metal try those magnet heaters for putting on the oil pan of a car/truck...found at auto supply....

[danno]

Put a valve right at the tank and use heat tape on the valve and drain the line after the valve if it's gonna freeze. On another one of my tanks, I built a small insulated box around the two outlet valves and leave a corded utility light on in the box - works great.

[rookie]

i picked up a heat tape today, thanks

[PerryW]

what does every body else do when all the saps frozen?

I boil all my sap up before it freezes. If I have to leave sap in the holding tank overnight, I put an incandescent bulb close to the valve and boil in the morning

[Brent]

Feed supply outlets and TSC have immersion heaters for livestock water troughs. Various wattages. I have a 1500 watt unit and it keeps out 10' x 4' 650 gallon tank clear. Hang a tarp or something over the valve and unless is really bad, it will keep the valve free as well. $ 30 to $70.

That ladder will get slopped sap on it sooner or latter and one slip could end your season really fast.