Vacuum transfer

[K.I. Joe]

I need to run 1800 feet from the vacuum pump to the releaser. Looking at using 1.25" pipe. Is this ok or will I loose my CFM and vacuum.

Dr Tim please feel free to respond

[morningstarfarm]

At that distance you will still have the vacuum lvl, but you will lose the vast majority of your cfms...I run a 11/4" vac line 900' into my vert releaser...still pull 27" but my 35cfm pump only gives me around 10-12 cfm at the releaser...Looking back I should have spent the money and gone to 11/2" line...old adage comes to mind...there are only two ways to do things in the sugarbush...the right way and again...getting ready to do mine again....

[TheMapleMoose]

1-1/2" -- It will work.

[Sunday Rock Maple]

We went 1,400 feet and were told by Leader to use 1 and 1/2". It does work fine.

[wiam]

If the 525 in your signature is all that will ever be on that you should be ok with 1.25. But I have 1600' of 1.25 on about 1000 taps and wish I had 1.5. Unfortunately mine is in the ground.

[K.I. Joe]

525 is not where it will end. Looking at around 2000 someday. so the bigger the tube the better the vac transfer?

[ennismaple]

525 is not where it will end. Looking at around 2000 someday. so the bigger the tube the better the vac transfer?

Definitely go bigger. We have 2,000 feet of 1.25" to get to the releaser for 1400 taps and I wish we'd gone bigger to get more CFM's.

[Mark]

Whatever size you go with make sure it is sloped so any liquid would run out. I have had a releaser fail and sucked sap up into the transfer line and then had almost no vacuum. It was a real pain at the time because the line was not sloped but it is now. I think you can even get condensation in the line.

[brookledge]

I have one vacuum pump running two releasers. One is at the vacuum pump and the other is 1900 feet away. I have 400 at that spot and lose about 1/2" to 1" when the sap is running good. I ran 1 1/4"line.
Also comes down to how well you maintain your lines
Keith

[TheMapleMoose]

Whatever size you go with make sure it is sloped so any liquid would run out. I have had a releaser fail and sucked sap up into the transfer line and then had almost no vacuum. It was a real pain at the time because the line was not sloped but it is now. I think you can even get condensation in the line.

We use the pvc pipe style moisture traps between the releaser and dryline to help keep any sap from getting sucked into it. Sloping is still a good idea in the case of condensation.

[Mark]

We use the pvc pipe style moisture traps between the releaser and dryline to help keep any sap from getting sucked into it. Sloping is still a good idea in the case of condensation. How does that work, does it shut off the tank is full? If so that would shut off production. I had the extractor fail when we were getting about 50 gallons a minute and didn't know it until some came out of the other end. I am thinking of putting a second extractor in series on the vacuum line so it would dump if any sap got into it.

[GeneralStark]

Something to consider for those of you wishing you had more cfm. Run another length of pipe for more air flow and cfm.

[unc23win]

Something to consider for those of you wishing you had more cfm. Run another length of pipe for more air flow and cfm.

Exactly run an extra dry line. Oversize in the first place is good, but an extra line is a great solution as well.

[wiam]

We use the pvc pipe style moisture traps between the releaser and dryline to help keep any sap from getting sucked into it. Sloping is still a good idea in the case of condensation.

I have had the releaser and pvc moisture trap fail. I also think I get condensation in my vacum line. Last year before season I "blew" it out using a 1.5" valve off my 60 gallon compressor tank. Got a lot of gook out and got a lot better vac in woods.

[BreezyHill]

1800' on a 1" line will provide 6 cfm. Then you do the math to calculate the 1 1/4, 1 1/2, or if you need to do two lines.

The questions that need to be answered are the total number of taps and the size of the releaser, and how much further the main line will run after the releaser?

Since each cycle of a mechanical releaser uses cfms to rebalance the unit the more often a releaser cycles the more cfms will be consumed by the releaser.

If you have an additional 1000' of main line after the releaser than you are really looking at 2800' and that will conduct only 5 cfm. If using the 100 taps rule for a tight system then you are low on cfm. If using the 50 taps then you are way low.

For 1 1/4" use the multiplier of 1.56 and for 1 1/2 use the multiplier of 2.56 on the cfm. Thus you will have 9.36 cfm and 15.36 for the max capacity of cfm for the next two larger pipe sizes. This is provided that you have this much cfm from the pump and thru the water trap.

To get a water trap to dump automatically is rather simple provided it is located near the vacuum pump and use a float switch and a swing check valve on the bottom of the trap. Installation of a second swing check on the line that leads to the releaser will speed the dump cycle.

When float switch is open the pump runs. Water fills the trap switch closes and the pump shuts off. Check on mains to the releaser closes. Vacuum leaks thru pump and weight of water opens check on the trap. A delay on break timer will allow all the moisture to drain and restart the pump after a preset time. Pump starts and the trap is ready to protect again.

This is a location that the use of SS couplers will pay off bid dividends as they have less restriction to air flow and will reduce the cfms less than a small orificed plastic fitting.

An over sized mains will also provide a balance tank or reserve of vacuum for when the moisture trap will cycle. This will keep a higher level of vacuum on the releaser while the trap is dumping.

Ben

[TheMapleMoose]

How does that work, does it shut off the tank is full? If so that would shut off production. I had the extractor fail when we were getting about 50 gallons a minute and didn't know it until some came out of the other end. I am thinking of putting a second extractor in series on the vacuum line so it would dump if any sap got into it.

So far it has worked very well. We still slope the pipe to drain any condensation. This year was the first year we had one of the moisture traps fill with any liquid and shut off. We can tell because the vacuum gauge at the sugarhouse for that woods is a bit higher due to the deadheading.

[Mark]

So far it has worked very well. We still slope the pipe to drain any condensation. This year was the first year we had one of the moisture traps fill with any liquid and shut off. We can tell because the vacuum gauge at the sugarhouse for that woods is a bit higher due to the deadheading. The releaser is 5/8 of a mile from the pump with two 2" lines in between.