3/16 tubing length and taps

[Chasefamily]

Sure this has been covered a hundred times with all this hype of the 3/16 tubing, but i feel as if there are alot of first time 3/16 users this year. Just wondering how everyone elses 3/16 setups are working. How long of run and how many taps are going on each 3/16 setup. I have 2 3/16 lines setup so far both are long and have a good amount of taps on them. sure im over the desired number

[maplefrank]

This is my first year with 3/16...., so far I have 30+- taps per line..going for about 30 per line

[Chasefamily]

Have they starting running In NY yet?

[mapleguy]

What company sells 3/16 tubing? Can you also buy fittings and installation tools i.e.. tool to insert fittings etc.

[sugarsand]

We have over 400 on 3/16 this year. Most are on moderate grade, but they all kicked into hyper drive yesterday and ran all night. Should have a great batch for today.

sugarsand

[DrTimPerkins]

What company sells 3/16 tubing? Can you also buy fittings and installation tools i.e.. tool to insert fittings etc.

Both D&G and CDL carry 3/16" tubing, fittings, and associated equipment.

[GV2]

I set up a experimental 3/16 tube run on a 300 foot line with a 35 foot drop and 13 taps. I am getting about 5 to 10 gallons a day when it is running. I don't have a gage on it and I have not walked the line for inspection lately because I can just about keep up with my buckets this week!

[Sandersyrup]

I have 27 taps on a single 1,400' line with 150' of drop. the trees are at the top of a hill where it is very flat. I'm getting 23" of Vac on a good day. I am also getting about 8x more sap than on my 10 buckets at the bottom of the hill. Sap started flowing hard last week and never stopped. I cant keep up. two 55 gallon barrels overflowing as I speak.

[psparr]

https://vimeo.com/122436375
30 taps a slight freeze and a 60 degree day.

[Chasefamily]

Sounds like I have way more taps on my 3/16 have one about 1000 ft with 36 taps that has pulled 27 in and other just got up its 1300 ft with 57 taps. Both are along a rd that's why so many taps on each

[Biz]

New to 3/16 tubing this year - I have 3 lines, my best is 21 taps and it is giving better than a gallon per tap. Only about 15' of drop. Last night about 6PM it was a steady stream coming out, and it wasn't even sunny. This morning it was running strong at 7AM but I don't know if it froze up or not (down to 30ish). I haven't put the gauge on it yet, but it is flowing about 5x times better than the buckets in the same area. It runs much later into the day, when the buckets have already frozen up.

Dave

[WVFIDDLER]

I tried 2 3/16 lines about 10 taps each, 50 ft. drop. They're pulling about 27 lbs and close to triple the sap of my 5/16 lines.

[ffengine2411]

I have 3/16th and buckets. Buckets are not running and I've gotten over 100 gallons on the line. The tool I used a 5/16th and taped the end to make it smaller to grip the 3/16th. It works fine

[VTmaplehobby]

3/16 is really amazing stuff. Lines are running great compared to the buckets that havent run at all... We decided to try putting the lines together without a tool and it went pretty well. Brought a thermos of boiling hot water out with us and dipped the ends of the lines into it and they slid together pretty easy. It was a little cumbersome trying to hold three lines and a container of really hot liquid, but it worked.

[Maplesapper]

I have 3/16th and buckets. Buckets are not running and I've gotten over 100 gallons on the line. The tool I used a 5/16th and taped the end to make it smaller to grip the 3/16th. It works fine

We cut a piece of 5/16 tubing, and slide it over the 3/16 tubing and then use the 5/16 tubing tool.
Worked extremely well as long as you double check the fittings once you've finished.

[Chasefamily]

Anyone try y (ing) 2 3/16 lines together? I've tried staying away from this as I just have a thought it Will hurt flow but maybe not.

[Paul VT]

Anyone try y (ing) 2 3/16 lines together? I've tried staying away from this as I just have a thought it Will hurt flow but maybe not.
Pretty sure I read somewhere that Y's cause backups in 3/16. Anyone else see this?

[Machinist67]

Yes T's and Y's restrict the flow. I have been changing some of my lines to eliminate the restriction

[n8hutch]

I have 35 taps on one 3/16 run of about 400' . with 30' of drop after the last tap. It runs great. Can't say for sure if it runs better than 5/16 because I never had it setup in this location. It runs good though, better than a gallon a day per tap

[MikeV]

What I have read and what's being said here is branching off with T's or Y's will restrict the flow. Is this any different (restriction) than teeing off to a drop line? I want to try a run of 3/16 but looking @ my layout I need to branch off here and there to pick up a tree or 2 - nothing too long.

[log cabin luke]

I have set up about 625 on 3/16 this year and am very impressed. I have as many as about 40 taps on a few lines. Interesting to note that if there is a sizable leak the bottom taps will have pressure and will squirt sap out the tap when pulled out. When i fixed the leak the same taps that squirted out sap were then pulling vacuum. I am planning on setting up my whole operation on the 3/16 in the coming years. The slope does not have to be steep I have 35 on one line that is probably only on a 4 percent grade it would appear it siphons the sap out.
I have set up an experiment as well and found that 35 taps on 3/16 running into a 5/16 line with an additional 25 taps will not get the taps on 5/16 running that well on marginal days but it will make them draw a little vacuum about 6 inches on good flows.It would appear that 55 taps running into a 5/16 does not fill the line with a solid enough column of sap to not let air back unless a very good flow is present.

[sugarwoodacres]

I have set up about 625 on 3/16 this year and am very impressed. I have as many as about 40 taps on a few lines. Interesting to note that if there is a sizable leak the bottom taps will have pressure and will squirt sap out the tap when pulled out. When i fixed the leak the same taps that squirted out sap were then pulling vacuum. I am planning on setting up my whole operation on the 3/16 in the coming years. The slope does not have to be steep I have 35 on one line that is probably only on a 4 percent grade it would appear it siphons the sap out.
I have set up an experiment as well and found that 35 taps on 3/16 running into a 5/16 line with an additional 25 taps will not get the taps on 5/16 running that well on marginal days but it will make them draw a little vacuum about 6 inches on good flows.It would appear that 55 taps running into a 5/16 does not fill the line with a solid enough column of sap to not let air back unless a very good flow is present.
Did you run it only with a tee @ bottom of tree and then straight to a mainline? Or did you tee or y them? Thanks

[log cabin luke]

I did not tee or y them. I usually would have but seeings how it was my first set up with the 3/16 I tried to do every thing as described by Timothy Wilmot.

[WestfordSugarworks]

I don't know if any of you have seen this, but here is Timothy Wilmot's piece on 3/16th that Log Cabin Luke mentioned.

http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc/3-16%20Tubing%20-%20Wilmot%20-%20Maple%20News%20Dec%202014a.pdf

I don't have any 3/16 myself but am quite curious about setting up an installation. Very interesting to see the different ways people have converted 5/16th tools so that they can be used for 3/16th. Can anyone tell me the price of a 3/16 straight fitting (for connecting two lengths of tubing) or the price for a 3/16 T fitting? Thanks

[Machinist67]

I pay .27 per fitting... coupling or "T". I buy them direct from the manufacture.

[WestfordSugarworks]

So that's a little cheaper than the 5/16 fittings. And are the spouts you use also 3/16? Or is there a 5/16 drop that connects into the 3/16 line? I'd be curious to see pictures of 3/16 setups, particularly how they are secured at the end into a dump tank or whatever one uses.

[Paul VT]

So that's a little cheaper than the 5/16 fittings. And are the spouts you use also 3/16? Or is there a 5/16 drop that connects into the 3/16 line? I'd be curious to see pictures of 3/16 setups, particularly how they are secured at the end into a dump tank or whatever one uses.
We use the 5/16 X 3/16 taps from D & G.
11324
Cut off the bottom of a square plastic bucket. (The cap from the cage tank is just sitting on top).