cleaning lines

[samhell]

Does anyone pump water uphill to clean lines left hanging in the woods?
Can a pump drive water 200' uphill without popping connections?
Could a pressure washer be modified to work ? Maybe in conjunction with a pressure regulator? Any suggestions would be helpful.
samhell

[sweetwoodmaple]

See the posts on tubing washers that combine high pressure air and water.

If you use pure water, you can roughly figure on 5 psi per 10' of lift. So, if you have 100', you need 50 psi plus pressure drop in the lines. If you truly have 200' of head, you will probably pop fittings.

By combining the air and water, it should help and not pop the fittings.

I'm sure others can comment as well.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[WF MASON]

I helped a friend wash his tubing yesterday, he used a manifold to inject water from a garden hose on full blast and air from a small compresser at the same time 30-40 lbs. A really simple set up ,3/4'' elbow, tee,valves and nipples , the taps were jumping and pulsating , the air pushed the water all through the system. It didn't cost $1200. like some I've seen , but looked like it must work and work well. Really amazing just adding air to the wash can clean and push water so much.

[maple flats]

That is what I do. I use my little 1.2 horse 1" sap transfer pump and a 2 horse compressor. Run them into a manifold and it works great. The air water mix really agitates the insides of the tubing and lift is no problem.. My mainfold is just a straight section of 1" galv. for the water flow with a valve to turn on and off with a 1/4" line teeing in for air also with a valve and a swing check so water can not flow into the air line. with this little set up I let the air flow full open and regulate the water flow with a ball valve. If using a bigger compressor you might need to regulate that too. The tubing really jumps around and you use much less water or cleaning solution than if using just water. For solution I will be mixing 35% food grade hydrogen peroxide at a rate of 1100 parts per million. This does not need rinsing and breaks down in daylight to water and oxygen leaving no salts for mice/squirrels/deer to smell and chew the tubing for. Just drain when done. The peroxide left in the woods is good for the trees too.

[royalmaple]

How do you guys get the water to go into the tubing system. Well lets say you are out in the woods and a hose does not make it that far. SO you would need to carry in water. If you hook up a Tee to the line and into a bucket will the water work like a venturi and suck the water in as the air passes over it? Like an old perfume bottle?

Also I have a pancake compressor 135psi, will this work? I have a feeling I will be making several trips back to the house to recharge the compressor.

[royalmaple]

I guess I could rig up a bildge pump to pump water into the main lines?

And do you guys use a rubber stopper to cap the end of your main that use to go in the collection bucket. I have seen some with a hole in them and I guess that would reduce the main so your air compressor would fit into it.

[maple flats]

My mains all have a quick connect 1" male end and my manifold to valve and mix air has a female disconnect, these hook to the 1" pump hose the same way, I also have a seperate set up 1" reduced to 1/4" with a irrigation nozzle in the end (9/64") and use this to power wash things, works much better than a garden hose I carry water in my sap tank ready mixed and use the sap pump. For the air I have 2 ways. The ones close enough to reach my 400 ft of air hose I run from the sugarhouse, for the others I carry my generator on a front rack on my tractor, the compressor rides on a box mounted on the tractor hood and the tank and pump are carried on a rack onb the 3 point hitch. My hood rack is just a 24" x 42" x 4" wood box that is set their with a notch to slide around the steering column and the air breather goes thru a hole in the box. I made this for chainsaw/logging chains/ saw gas etc needed when i go into the woods, it is very handy and after emptying it all I need do to remove it is remove the air cleaner (a simple 1/4 turn and lift) then slide it forward and set it down to open the hood.