What should I use if electricity is not an option for a vacuum system...?

[jrmaple]

Hi, up until this year I have always just done buckets and drop lines, but I am upgrading this coming season and need some help and advice. I have a wooded area with a possibility for 1200+ taps but no electricity to that area as of right now, it is a flat area and I need advice on a solution and advice for what system I should use. I'm still young and have a lot to learn, any advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Zach

[Greenwich Maple Man]

Hi, up until this year I have always just done buckets and drop lines, but I am upgrading this coming season and need some help and advice. I have a wooded area with a possibility for 1200+ taps but no electricity to that area as of right now, it is a flat area and I need advice on a solution and advice for what system I should use. I'm still young and have a lot to learn, any advice is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Zach

You could use a gas powered pump. However they are costly to run and require alot of tending. How far are you from a power source? If power is completly out I would look inot a Propane powered pump. I have been running four different gas systems and would not recomend it at all.

[jrmaple]

The piece of land is right off a main road, but it would be a pain to run cords all the way into the woods, and the none of surrounding houses are mine. I guess it would be possible to run cords into the woods and "borrow" the neighbor’s power. My other option is building my sugar house on this site instead of at my farm, this is the largest set of taps I will have out in one area and is a really healthy area, my only reasons for holding back is because of the permits and local rules and there are no other buildings already on this site so it would take much more construction....

[wiam]

My first season and a half I ran a gas vac pump in the woods. What a pain. I now have about 1600' of 1.25" pipe under ground to get vac to the woods. Cheaper to run, less headaches, and I know when I want it on it is on. If the power is by the road you can put in a seasonal meter and a pump by the road and run line to the woods.

[jrmaple]

Then I guess I have another question, what vacuum pump would people recommend for up to 2000 taps and they are stretched out pretty far into the woods. Thanks

[Thad Blaisdell]

You say the property is next to the main road and other houses are right there....... cant you put in a new service? Its a costly one time thing and then its done forever.

[spud]

Then I guess I have another question, what vacuum pump would people recommend for up to 2000 taps and they are stretched out pretty far into the woods. Thanks

I would use a oil cooled two stage pump that is 3-5 HP and can give you 35-50 CFMs. Because your area is flat and you might have 2000 taps I would run 1 1/2 dry line with 1 1/2 wet line. This will allow enough CFMs to the sugar woods itself ( assuming it is no more then 1000 feet ).

Spud

[ennismaple]

I'd "buy" power from the neighbours and set your pump up near their house - in a small shack to keep the noise down and prevent unwanted visitors. Our SP22 that runs off the neighbouring cottage's service only used about $25 worth of power this past year. It was a poor year so $50 would be more of a "normal" consumption. Then I'd run a vacuum line into the woods to the releaser - probably 1.5". In the first year you'll save the equivalent amount of gas as what the dryline costs you to install.

I agree with Spud's recommendation for a pump. Oil cooled with a reclaimer should be low maintenance and is suitable for an unheated location.

[maple flats]

I run 2 pumps on Gas, Honda engines. I start by removing the original gas tank and then I make a stand to go adjacent to the pump and only about 4" higher. Then I use a 4.5 gal tank mounted on th stand and a rubber gas line to the pump. This runs good, but it is only if you can't get electric by beg or borrow. Gas is very costly but not as costly as not having vacuum. My pumps are 30 CFM alamo and a 75 CFM Alamo, both ran on 6.5 HP Hondas. I got 20" on the 30 CFM but was restricted to 17" on the 75 CFM because the drive pulley had to be small to get the power, but then it slipped (2 belts) if I set the controller over 17". The smaller pump ran about 18 hrs on 4.5 gal gas and the larger pump ran 13 hrs on 4.5 gal. For next year I'll change the larger one, to either a bigger engine with larger drive pulley or to chain drive and run the engine faster. I ran the 30 at just over half speed and the 75 at about 3/4 speed.

[Greenwich Maple Man]

The piece of land is right off a main road, but it would be a pain to run cords all the way into the woods, and the none of surrounding houses are mine. I guess it would be possible to run cords into the woods and "borrow" the neighbor’s power. My other option is building my sugar house on this site instead of at my farm, this is the largest set of taps I will have out in one area and is a really healthy area, my only reasons for holding back is because of the permits and local rules and there are no other buildings already on this site so it would take much more construction....
To be honest. I don't know as I would setup another bush if I can't get electric to it. That is how strongly I feel about the gas deal. You aren't going to get the same amount of sap with a gas powered pump either. It will run out of gas or have other small issues that a electric dosn't have. Do what ever you have to within reason and hook up electric.

[jrmaple]

Thank you for all the advice, I think I am going to try talking to the neighbors and see if I can "buy" some electricity to use during the maple season and run an electric vacuum, this will be my first vacuum line setup, I'm not quite sure what I am doing yet but I'm sure I will figure it out, all advice is appreciated, I'm still very new to this, only 16 with 5 years of doing maple syrup experience so no advice or help will be turned down. What size tank should I use for a bush of this size that will have a vacuum on it (1000+ taps)? Thanks!

[ennismaple]

As much storage as you can afford! Bare minimum is 1 gallon per tap but on good days you'll be gathering that tank multiple times. i'd aim for a 2,000 gallon tank if you can afford it.

[jrgagne99]

If I were in your shoes, I'd pick up a copy of the North American Maple Producer's manual. You will find it money well spent, not only in vacuum system setup, but in all other aspects of sugaring as well.