Tap Leaks!

[bomofish]

Hey guys, I tapped out maybe 2 weeks ago, and have noticed that a good amount of my bucket taps have what seems to be a significant amount of sap dripping from the bottom of the tap and is freezing up on the tree.

I believe i made and effort to not go as deep as i usually do to protect the tree, and am wondering if I didn't hammer in enough. Does this sound like anything you guys have came across before?

Not deep enough? Too deep? Am i losing a lot of sap?

Thanks!
Dan

[GeneralStark]

This seems to happen early in the season when there are major swings in temperature. This year has been extreme in this sense. It can also be caused by overtapping and splitting the bark. Typically the taps will seal themselves unless they need another tap or two with the tapping mallet.

[Loch Muller]

What type of spouts are you using? I picked up some of the plastic bucket spouts from CDL this year after having used all cast aluminum spouts in the past. I found these ones have to go in a lot farther than the aluminum or they will leak. They don't taper like the aluminum spouts do so they aren't splitting the tree, seem to be running just the same as the other taps so far. We'll see...

[Run Forest Run!]

Bomofish, did you use the blue plastic spiles? It's not uncommon for them to leak at first, and then "take up" a week or two into the season.

[bomofish]

No these are older taps, but i've considered the newer ones for maybe helping the tree. This year the leaking seems stronger than past years thats why i was concerned about my tapping depth but it could be the temp swings like you said

[BrutemanAl]

All of mine have been leaking this year on and off, think it is due to the mild weather then the cold cold temps come back, I use the 2 different taps, the old style metal one's with the tapered ends and the other one's are black plastic that you attach a tube to, these one's i use for empty water cooler bottle's i sit on the forest floor and run a plastic line down into the bottle, all of these in the last 2 days are leaking really bad, tried tapping them in further (could tell they had pushed back out a bit since I put them in) but there is more sap running down the tree than going into the bucket. As for the older style one's,all 10 I have in leak a little depending on the temperature, if it is stupid cold they get pushed out a little and i have to tap them back in, 2 have sealed on their own so I just left them alone. I am considering tossing the black tubing ones and just going with the metal one's. Had an issue with the plastic one's last year also.
Hate to see the sap running down the tree and not into my cooler bottles, it makes me sad :(

[drewlamb]

I should preface by saying I've never used any plastic taps...
General stark may have a point about swinging temps, but those swings are what it's all about, all season long, and except for a small handful of trees I've fixed and a few I haven't been able to, I haven't had leaky taps in many thousands of tap holes over the years.

Couple basic things you may have already considered...
Remember bark covers the living portion your trying to seal off. Older trees give thicker bark. You may just need to set them deeper. I generally go not by look but by feel when I'm hamemering. When the tap begins to really resist going in any further, I quit pounding. Most newer taps have an edge where the tapered diameter is greatest. Generally you'll sink in good wood up to this edge. Tapping is much more of an art than I realized when I first started. I used to let friends and older kids drill tap holes but now want to control it myself completely. Kids can pound taps in, but not drill. It's not just choosing the best and proper portion of the trunk, but also making sure your drill hole is perfectly circular. Dragging a drill bit out at a bad angle will leave a tap hole that is ovular instead of circular. I visited a neighbor's trees who was tapping twenty or so for the first time, and virtually all her taps leaked for this reason. For your situation, I'd pound them in a bit tighter, and if that doesn't help, you may have a hole problem. Good luck!

[802maple]

Also tapping when the tree is frozen hard will split the tree if driven in to much.
It will then leak. That is why I will not tap when is cold.