Pulling taps and washing tubing with the new check valves?

[danno]

At the end of each season, while pulling taps I generally use water/compressor to push water up through the system to wash the tubing. With the new CV's this will not be possible without pulling/cutting each tap off the lateral due to the check valve. But, based upon prior experience, I don't want to remove the CV from the lat, because without the tap, 5/16" lats love to attract bees that make nests in the lat and clog it. I was planning on cutting off the CV before I tap next year, but then I can't wash the tubing. What is everybody else doing?

[Moser's Maple]

we cut the seasonal off, and use those little red plugs to cap off the line after it has flushed out. then when we tap we remove the plug and install the seasonal

[ennismaple]

Turn on your vacuum pump and suck water through the line instead. That's how we do all our cleaning.

[heus]

I used the new clear cvs this year, too. I went around with a backpack sprayer, cut the cv off, gave the line a squirt with the vac on then plugged it into the tee thats designed to accept the cut 5/16 line.

[brookledge]

I use my vacuum for cleaning and what i did was pull the clear check valve off the drop after sucking some calcium hypoclorite and push it on the other end so it acts as a plug and then left it. I will pull them off next spring and discard. Since the 5/16 tubing will not hold on the stub of a tee I felt that was the simplest otherwise you need to purchase a different type of plug
Keith

[red maples]

I don't wash the tubing anymore. I find you still get just as much mold and its gone in no time at the start of the season anyway. but anyway there are 2 things you can do they make a T that will fit both stubby and empty tubing you can get those or LApierre also makes the ring plug that just fits over the tube and you can plug it in if it doesn't fit tight on the T. then you just leave it there and you don't have to worry about carrying a a separate plug around. here is a link from bascom's http://www.bascommaple.com/search/lapdlrp/ I use them on gravity line.

I tried 100 of those 1 piece clear ones this year an I didn't like them. had too many loosen up after deep freezes and a few cracked durring removal and some came apart as the end isn't glued on so I had to dig in the hole with a wire to get them out. they are very brittle and they take longer to install than the stubby adapter.

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

They make 3 stage plug t's designed to hook just the tubing to after you cut your spout off. I bought 4000 of these last year when I installed some new drops. Tubing would never come off these t's unless you pulled it off. Purchased from D&G. Made by Eratube. Neil

[sapman]

[QUOTE=Walling's Maple Syrup;223426]They make 3 stage plug t's designed to hook just the tubing to after you cut your spout off. I bought 4000 of these last year when I installed some new drops. Tubing would never come off these t's unless you pulled it off. Purchased from D&G. Made by Eratube. Neil[/iIQUOTE]

I bought these tees from Leader. Not sure what brand they actually are. But I did have one drop come off the plug during the season. It was at a tree that ended up being hollow, therefore I needed to plug it. Hopefully a bunch are not off before tapping next year.

And on the cv2s, they held much better in the tree than prior cvs or seasonal spouts, for me.

[Russell Lampron]

I pull the taps with the vacuum on too. I use a 5 gallon syrup jug to carry water from tree to tree. I made up a hose with an old style adapter and a piece of 5/16" tubing so that I can set the water jug on the ground. I can then suck water through the hose connected to the stubby. Where the trees are close enough together I can do more than one without moving the jug.

With the clear check valve spouts you may only need a piece of 5/16" tubing to do this.

[Mike in NY]

We pulled all taps yesterday. Hooked a garden hose on the low end this end,went to high end of main line and started removing taps and letting water run through line as I trimmed sm piece of drop line of cv. then I replaced cv and worked my way down the hill. After lunch I will find a piece of wire to fit inside cv and see if I can trip the release into opening. this should speed the process .

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You guys installing new check valves, do you do it during the summer or wait closer to season?

[heus]

I did it at tapping time.

[brookledge]

Brandon
with the new clear cv's that I used this year I pulled them off the drop and pushed the other end onto the drop to plug. I will leave them in place that way as a plug on the 5/16 drop until next year. Even if you leave the cv on the normal way bugs, etc. may plug the end but when you pull it off the drop willbe clean
Keith

[cadocter]

I just hooked the water pump up on the bottom end of the system, went to the top end of the system and started pulling taps. I took a small nail with me and just pushed the ball in on the CV unitl the water ran through clear. then I put a spout cap on because my tees don't accept the 5/16 spouts or tubing. Worked good for me.