Check valve spouts leaking vacuum at tap

[Tor Haxson]

I am using 3/16 line and getting good vacuum at the top of the run.

My first year with "vacuum", I know it is natural vacuum, but it is producing a vacuum.

Some taps are leaky, they suck air bubbles.

How do I fix that ?

Pull the tap, clear the hole and reset ?

Tap harder with a hammer than I think the plastic can take ?

Pull the tap, redrill the same hole and reset the spout ?

It is definitely sucking air at the tap hole, I still have what seems like significant vacuum, but I have not put a vacuum gauge to verify.

Thanks,

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Tor

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

You should see bubbles in spout. That is gases leaving the tree.
Neil

[lpakiz]

Tor,
Wouldn't be a hollow tree, would it? Can you find the chips on the ground, to see if there is any dark chips? Or, it may have split when you inserted the spout. Happens.
I think you could re-drill 8 inches straight up or straight down from the original hole and try again, maybe shallower or at a shallower angle....
Yes, natural gases are present. The sap/air in your drop should not travel faster than an inch every 2 seconds, more or less. You can probably compare these suspects with others that are running properly.

[heus]

I would not drill another hole.

[Tor Haxson]

How hard can I tap those clear check valves ?

I tap till the sound changes to a more solid sound and leave it at that.

If bubbles at the spout are expected, or at least tolerated I might just leave it alone.

Probably hook up a vacuum gauge and make sure I am not losing my vacuum.

Thanks everyone.

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Tor

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

Click on the link under my signature. We have a video of a cv. working properly on our facebook page. I took this video this year on our first run.
Neil

[Tor Haxson]

Thanks,

That is what I am seeing.

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Tor

[adk1]

Never recap the same hole and I wouldn't reek the holes either. If anything I will lightly tap in the cvs a little. If you tapped when tree was frozen the freeze thaw cycle may be the culprit. I will go around and lightly tap any cv that is dripping alittle about the week after I tap

[BlueberryHill]

I am using the clear check valve spouts just like in Neil's video in my 3/16 gravity setup. Its good to know that those are gas bubbles and not leaks. Thanks for the video.

I do still have a question that you guys might be able to help with. The highest tree on my line has 2 leaky taps. There is sap oozing out of the taps and running down the tree. We did about 30 other taps the same day and they are all problem-free. The holes were made with a new lapierre bit and they were nice and straight looking. We figured that mayeb they taps were not in enough so we whacked them in a bit more and that still did not fix it. I think they might even be too far in now. We can't see any split in the tree. Is it usually visible if there is a split?

Not sure if I should drill 2 new holes or if I should just give up and splice in some straight connectors where the drop line Tees are now.

[maple flats]

An easy way to tell the difference, leaks produce bubbles that travel fast under vacuum, bubbles from within a healthy tree move very slow. Those bubbles are the gases that protect the cell walls in the tree as it freezes. Thy are the give needed so the cell wall does not burst. The tree need those bubbles for winter survival. But don't worry, the tree make more to replace what is lost in the sap.

[wiam]

If driving spout a little deeper does not stop sap from running down the tree the hole is probably not round. I pull these and cap them. I figure gain on the rest of the trees out weighs loss of that tree.

[brookledge]

sometimes if you have split the tree it is difficult to see. the split is under the bark. So you may get some weeping down the tree. Bottom line is as long as it is not causing noticeable vacuum leak leave it
You can always tap it alittle more, if it was split it is not going to get any worse. As you get more and more experienced splitting should not happen.
My feeling is I'd rather come back and tap it in some more after it warms up and the sap is running then split the tree.
Keith

[Walling's Maple Syrup]

sometimes if you have split the tree it is difficult to see. the split is under the bark. So you may get some weeping down the tree. Bottom line is as long as it is not causing noticeable vacuum leak leave it
You can always tap it alittle more, if it was split it is not going to get any worse. As you get more and more experienced splitting should not happen.
My feeling is I'd rather come back and tap it in some more after it warms up and the sap is running then split the tree.
KeithI agree with Keith. Alot of times it is just the first quarter inch of wood or so that is leaking and after the first couple runs they won't leak anymore. Leave them in the tree.
Neil