Y on main vs long laterals

[Joust7.1]

I run all 3/4" mainlines. I will be running a new main to an area that is about a 500' run to a spread out area of trees. Keep in mind that this line will only have about 30 taps total but instead of running long laterals at the end to branch out to all the trees, could I simply put a Y on the main and have two branches. This would shorten all the laterals and help me keep a minimum number of taps per lat. Do you loose inches of vac or just cfm's by adding a Y? If it's just cfm's, it seems lime this will be better than having 8-10 long laterals at the end of this main. It doesn't seem like enough taps to run two mains all that distance for so few taps.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

more main and shorter laterals is the way to go.

[Joust7.1]

Even if that means forking the end of a main to do it?

[adk1]

Or how about in a gravity bush, running a main from a Y fitting that slopes up the hill? Maybe not straight up but diagonally? I have that situiation...

[Joust7.1]

Can anyone confirm the Cfm or vac loss if the end of a mainline is "y" to help branch out to more trees? It will be about 400' on single 3/4 main then y to two more mains at about 150' each. Only going to have about 15-20 taps on each branch of the y. I will have at most around 20" on a delaval dairy pump.

[maple flats]

Go for it. That is fine, you will not lose vacuum with so few taps as long as the system is leak free.

[VT_K9]

I'm running a 600' 1" mainline with 2 400' 3/4" lines and 2 300' 3/4" lines entering the 1" with a "Y". Everything has a good slope and I am running a sap sucker. From reading up on vacuum and tubing runs I am using the 3/4" and 1" to get into areas to keep all my 5/16" runs well under 100'. I am almost ready to tap for the year. I hope to be up to about 325 taps from 275 over the last few years.

Good luck,

Mike

[madmapler]

I ran a few Ys in my setup because terrain forced my mains apart. From the way I understand it, you loose vacuum and especially cfms due to amount of taps and leaks and 5/16 tubing doesn't transfer well either. Not only that but more mainline and less tubing is less expensive. You win both ways.

[Joust7.1]

Ok, this is all helpful. I thought there was something about a y splitting the amount of cfms or something to that effect. Sounds like the length of my runs will be short enough to not be an issue. Would if follow that I could add another branch of this same 3/4 main to limit the lengths of my 5/16 in a particular area? Therefore I would have three branches coming off of one single mainline all of which would be 3/4 and each branch approx. 200' long.

[madmapler]

With 3/4" you should be able to carry 5 cfms out to 600' and be able to carry 4 cfms out to 1100'. With the amount of taps you're doing you should be fine.

[VT_K9]

As mentioned since my last post the costs are saved with more pipe and less tubing. I know the recommendation is to keep the 5/16" tubing down to less than 100' per run and that is because beyond that point the effectiveness of the vacuum is minimized. I am getting ready to experience the long runs of the 3/4" this week. I have one run about 400' long which starts after 300' of 1" pipe. I am going to put a gauge at the end of the run to see what happens.

Mike