ice trap ideas

[chuck]

I picked up a Guzzler for this season and want to rig some type of ice trap to save the diaphram. I have an idea in my head but am looking for some ideas and best practices; no sense reinventing the wheel if someone out there has a simple solution. Thanks in advance.

[GeneralStark]

One thing that could work would be to build a manifold with 4" pvc and insert a piece of stainless coarse mesh (lapierre sells these). When the ice comes down the mainlines it spills on to the mesh and gets caught but the sap flows through.

[BreezyHill]

The easiest is to have a section of 2" or 3" pvc, pump on one end and the far end to the main line. Cut the pvc and connect with a rubber sleeve coupler. between the two sections is where you put your bolting cloth(this is heavy weight screen) McMaster & Karr sell it in numerous sizes. Rubber fitting will be vac tight and you can wrap the unit with a heat tape to warm it as needed or just run a hair drier on it when it gets slushed up. This is how our old releaser had a sap filter added to the main line. It also trapped the ice and slush.

3" pvc with a reducer to 1.5" pvc. Slipped a special pvc screen pipe into the 1.5" opening and wrapped with sap filter paper and zip tied it on. ran that for 25 years or more. You can put a section of 1.5" in a drill press and drill a boat load of holes in it to let the sap in and keep the ice out. Drill straight thru the other side and you can make 6 rows of holes in 1/2 hour and be good to go. The ice will be on the outside of the 1.5" and have more space for buildup. warm the pipe to or just pull apart and throw the ice away...its just water.

[68bird]

I bought one from Tractor Supply for 20 bucks. Hope it works. looks good.

[CampHamp]

If you search for "inline strainers" you'll see quite a few ways of doing this. I have a Shurflo pump and it came with one of these that attaches to the pump's inlet. Many of the screens are very fine and at the end of the season, when the sap is thick with life, they can clog a bit.

[BAP]

use one of these. They come in different sizes. Search "Sprayer Strainers" and you will find them.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/hyproreg%3B-1-1-2-in-polypropylene-line-strainer-with-50-mesh-stainless-steel-screen

[chuck]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

[68bird]

Ya Chuck, The one BAP showed you is what I got!

[chuck]

Great. I'll give it a try.