3" Mainline?

[syrup2nv]

Anybody using 3" for there mainline? Where did you get it?

[jason grossman]

i have used 2 and 3 inch in installations before. i will pass along a little advice. try to stay with 1.5 and make multiple runs. 2 and 3 inch are hard to handle, fittings are pricey, and they require good tight wire or cable and a lot of posting to do it right. however if you are inclined to go bigger than 1.5 i would use pvc. hot rolled pe or hdpe maintain a good memory. lapierre carries a good sch 26 from ipex that works well. 20 foot lenghts bell end. you have to get the bell end. regular couplers dont work as well. i have been around big pipe like ipls fusable pipe, and unless you are a professional installer and have all the tools to handle move and connect big pipe, like i do, it is much easier in the long run to use 1.5 and smaller, just break up your w/d/ runs.

[IPL Technical Support]

Hello syrup2nv,

The question to ask is: how many taps in your maple farm? We rarely see installation with less then 10,000 taps using 3". Sure, there are exceptions and different theories like in every other aspects of maple farming, so don't take my numbers as a rule.

To complete Jason's comment about installation of Fusable HDPE Pipe, yes you will need special equipment. This equipment can be rent or bought from your CDL rep or installer, but I would really recommend to use the help of a professionnal for the first time. Consider HDPE mainlines as an almost permanent carefree system. You won't be able to buy PVC in 2,500' reels, so you will lose vacuum over time when your joints at every 20' or 50' will start to get brittle. You also won't be able to get around trees with PVC like you can do it with HDPE.

HDPE will resist to tree falls, so at the end, you will probably use the FUSION equipement only once to get your started. Any repairs can be done as usual with stainless fittings and collars anyways, but unless a chainsaw fall on the line, I don't think you will need to repair a FUSED line.

Regards,

[syrup2nv]

Taps are (closest) 2000' from releaser, and the furthest would be about 3600'. 4-6% pitch. 4000 taps.