3/16 leak detection

[coyote]

Just finished my 3/16 trial run for this year. Switched 325 taps from 5/16 to 3/16. I did not want to hook vacuum gauges to the top of the laterals, so my question is: Does anybody have any advice on how to spot a leak in the laterals? Thanks.

[Moser's Maple]

When leak free has nice colomns of sap going down line When leak is present a lot of little bubbles going down the line.

[Gary R]

With low sap flow there will be lots of air in the tubing. It is best to check when you know you should have a good run. If you have a long column of sap flowing, watch it go through a tee. If all sap comes out the down hill side of the tee you have no leaks there. Lots of air bubbles added into the sap column mean a leak. Sometimes when a long column of air hits a tee it breaks up into many small sections of air. Be careful not to confuse that with a leak. Good Luck!

[ryebrye]

Just finished my 3/16 trial run for this year. Switched 325 taps from 5/16 to 3/16. I did not want to hook vacuum gauges to the top of the laterals, so my question is: Does anybody have any advice on how to spot a leak in the laterals? Thanks.
You can get a small vacuum gauge for around $5 or $6 - it will make your life a lot easier to have one at the top of each line.

If you don't, you will have to basically walk the entire lateral looking for microbubbles and miniscule changes in flow.

[mapledog13]

Where can you get the small vacuum gauges for $5 or $6?

[sugarsand]

Mapledog, youcan find gauges on ebay, thats where I got mine last year. I need to get ten more and will get them from FW Webb co. I put them on every line.

sugarsand

[Machinist67]

Where can you get the small vacuum gauges for $5 or $6?
This where I bought my gauges.
http://www.surpluscenter.com/Gauges/Pressure-Vacuum-Gauges/?page_no=1&fq=ATR_Range:Vacuum\+Only $5.05 each

[morningstarfarm]

Fw Webb carries the maple vacuum gauges...if I recall correctly they were around $6.00

[pls009]

Looking for advice. Do people leave the vacuum gauge out all year or take the down? If you take them down, I would love to hear how folks plumb these things? I realize that I would use a T fitting but wondering how to attach to a drop line?

[sugarsand]

Pls009, there may be several ways to install a vacuum gauge. The way I heard was to place a tee at the the highest tap, this gives you a barb end for the tap and a barb for a drop for the gauge. I kept my gauge a little higher than the tap, secured with lite wire or a electric staple. Too connect gauge to tubing use a barbed threaded fitting. D&G have them in their catalog, #360718 3/16" to1/4" nylon adapter.
l leave my gauges up year round in a baggie with a string tied around to keep it on. Hope this helps.

[pls009]

Thanks Sugarsand! -- Giving me that part number sure saved me a lot of looking!

[sugarsand]

Glad I could help. Yea, I spent a lot of time on the internet last year looking for a fitting that would work. With decent drop this 3/16 tubing is amazing, and with new spouts and fittings available its become even easier to put up.:D

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Walked about 200 of 3/16 taps this evening and they are all on the Leader clear seasonal spout. Probably had a least a dozen that had so much ice and pressure they pushed the drop line off of the spout. About 4 of them completely pushed the tap out of the tree. The 3/16" lines stay full due to the freezing starts at the lowest elevation and works up. Many nights and some days below zero in the last 15 days since it ran last. Had 2 or 3 days it barely got above freezing just enough to push out a few drops of sap to make more ice. Never seen it this cold in all the years I have sugared during the middle of the season, so if it gets this cold, you may have same problems I do. Hoping to walk the other 200 of 3/16" tomorrow and 200 of 5/16 checking them and pulling the lines out of the snow. Lines in the snow didn't help matters any either.