Tees with plug or caps

[K.I. Joe]

Do you guys use Tees with plugs or caps and why?

[unc23win]

Are you talking about the end of a line or what?

[maple flats]

Prior to CV1's I used cup tees but since and now on CV2's I use plug tees. I actually think the plug keeps cleaner, a cup can get things in it and further contaminate the tap or in my case the stubby if CV 1's.

[Bruce L]

We use tees with plugs as we are all cv's now, also use tees at the end of the lines wrapped around the trees, whatever you do don't get the tees with plugs on the bottom,they don't get caught as easy when you are pulling the lines around the tree,but they are a real pita to plug after washing if you backwash your lines like we do.

[BreezyHill]

I am switching to y and caps. Last season I ran out of tees and finished the last little section of laterals with y connectors on drops. It was an amazing find. I know people will say they are not designed for that purpose; but oh well. I was out checking for leaks and looking at the drops when I cam across the first lat that I switched on. One tree had two taps one was a T the other a Y. The Y had less sap, I immediately thought I had a leak. But there was no sound, no bubbling, no surging in the line. No leak. So I started counting the drips from the taps...they were nearly equal with a slight difference in 20 seconds in favor of the Y. I think it was one drip. So I stood and pondered and watch for a bit. The level was not rising in the Y or T. All the Ys had about the same amount of sap and the Ts were also similar.
The apparent conclusion was that the Y allows the transfer better due to the angle of entry to the tubing. So if I am getting better sap transfer to the line then the vac transfer would also be better. Since we are only talking a very small difference I am not sure how it will play out in the end of the season but if I could get one extra drip in a 20 second time that would be 3 per minute and 180 per hour, and 1100 for days run. Since I cant guess the volume of a sap drip lets just say it takes 5 for one line in a syringe or a cc. so over the coarse of a day we are looking at 250ml. So for every 40 taps you should be able to produce on more 250 ml bottle of syrup more each day your sap ran. So what 10-15 runs in an average season. So the small guy with 160 taps will have an extra 40 bottles to sell at what $12..so around $500 more gross sales, and what an additional $350 in profit to reinvest.
It would seem to me that by using Ys on drops you would easily pay for the $.19 cap, plus a new Y, $.37, and a new drop, $.36, and a new spout, $.18 for a total of $1.10. The following year just change the spout and cap and buy the wife some thing special for putting up with our hobbies.
But that is just one way of looking at it.
This season I will be only putting in y on new drops on new taps. Old spouts will be clipped and seasonal spouts added. The zip lock bag of spouts goes in the tool belt so every tap gets a brand new spout from now on. No more dirty spouts that were in the woods for the past year or more for me.

Another thing is a run my pump on my lines once a month this season so I can find any squirrel damage. The boys enjoy snipping the little tards. This season we have found 15 spouts that have come off of the T cups. So the line washing at the end of season was good but contaminates have made it into the system. Since the lines were dry for most of the summer months I am not to worried about bacteria in the lines. But realize there is some. So caps on spouts after the tubing is washed for me.
I have a goal of .55 gal per tap for 2014. It was .6 but I decided to make it .55 so that it is more obtainable and will give the boys and me a more obtainable goal. That is a 17% increase. Sizeable but I think that it is obtainable if we can get in the woods and tap to get a few more of the early runs and with the new leakers on our ladders since we wont be spilling sap on the ground.

Sorry for the length answer but you did ask why. ;)

Ben

[unc23win]

Ben if you use Ys how will you wash the lines? Or do mean putting caps on at the end of the season is that what you mean by Ys and caps?

[K.I. Joe]

thanks guys

[BreezyHill]

Caps on the spout after washing. And yes I do wash, and yes with the dreaded cl product. See I am a 4-H shooting sports instructor. We are taught by Rutgers, Cornell, etc. that Clorox is a good cleaner, cant have a youth getting sick over a poorly cocked or prepared meal.
I fully understand the hole squirrel issue and yes I have seen it lived it and hunted the heck out of them and still do.
But I am willing to change...the alcohol looks promising as does the peroxide. I just cant bring my self to just shoot water down the lines and call it good. It would be like throwing a steak on the grill, after you raised a great angus animal, turn on the burners and walk away and think it will be all good in 30 minutes. I just cant do it. Its like putting a dirty spout in a brand new tap hole...nope can do that either. I cant see losing any sap for a simple $.18 spout change.
That would be like a dairy farmer using the milker for two days with out washing them. He would be shut down in a week my the milk inspectors. For the last 20 years I preached clean, clean, clean, if not clean wash it again. Got to get that cell count down to make that extra premium. In our case the premium is more sap as long as it doesn't cost more than the sap you get in return.

[unc23win]

Ben I simply asked how you wash with Ys and where you use caps. I wasn't sure if you used them on the Y or the spout. All you need to say was I use caps on the spout after I pull taps or whatever. No need to go into a big story about washing sometimes simple questions just need simple answers just saying.

[BreezyHill]

This is true but the reason for a choice is often the next question. Saves time to kill two birds with one stone...just saying.