2.5 or 4" for 100+ taps

[Paperman]

Wanting to build RO for next year. Been reading a pile of post and most say build bigger than you need. I was thinking a 4x40 would be overkill for a little guy but I could then just run it less correct? Figure why go to the expense of building a system that is just right now when in a year or two we pick-up more trees.

[Clinkis]

Wanting to build RO for next year. Been reading a pile of post and most say build bigger than you need. I was thinking a 4x40 would be overkill for a little guy but I could then just run it less correct? Figure why go to the expense of building a system that is just right now when in a year or two we pick-up more trees.

Definitely 4". I had same dilemma this year when I was building my RO. I do 150 taps and was considering smaller as 4" seemed like overkill but sure glad I did. Price difference is minimal and it seems like you can never have enough capacity.

[Paperman]

Thank you for the replay and backing up what my thoughts were. Figured why build a project that is 80% of the cost of the larger one and outgrow it in a few years.

[Clinkis]

I'm actually considering adding another membrane for next year so I can concentrate more on each pass and add another 50 taps. I can recirculate 50 gallons of 2.5% sap to 8 gallons of 15% in a just under an hour but if I can do it in half the time then why not!

[Jolly Acres Farm]

Definitely 4". I had same dilemma this year when I was building my RO. I do 150 taps and was considering smaller as 4" seemed like overkill but sure glad I did. Price difference is minimal and it seems like you can never have enough capacity.
Whould you mind sharing the details and specs of your 4" RO. I'm in the same boat with around the same number of taps for this coming year.

[BreezyHill]

Cant think of a single reason to use smaller over larger; even budget. In the course of a season the electric savings will make the budget work on a larger brane over a smaller brane. Then factor in the resale value of larger over smaller and you cant go wrong on larger, especially if you use an xle brane.

Somebody said to size your RO to your Evap. I say size your RO to your time schedule. MY RO is the work horse of the operation, she gets fired up before the evap so I start boiling with concentrate and then she can batch off another tank. I try to size my tank loads to the evap. I want to batch to desired sugar level what the evap can run in 1 hour, thru the RO in 50 minutes. This way the Evap Tank never runs low.

We fire the RO up as soon as we have enough in a tank and batch that tank. If we will need to be away from the system for a few hours we batch the collection tank and set the RO to run on Auto and and just the inlet height so the tank will never get to high of a sugar level and pass sugar. Then you just change valves and RO to a batch tank and get the Evap read to roll. As soon as she is good you can send some to the E tank and fire her up.

I like to have a inlet & outlet for every tank so the RO can move all sap sources to all destinations and to a wash tank and the perm tank.

The next unit will have a way to measure sugar content so it can run all night long. Last season we had 2 three day long runs. That kicked my butt. Ran til 1-2 am and up at 6 to fire up the RO to keep up with the flow. A few PIDs, timers, float switches, and electric valves and she will be able to rinse her self and keep on running til the sap runs out.

[BRL]

The next unit will have a way to measure sugar content so it can run all night long. Last season we had 2 three day long runs. That kicked my butt. Ran til 1-2 am and up at 6 to fire up the RO to keep up with the flow. A few PIDs, timers, float switches, and electric valves and she will be able to rinse her self and keep on running til the sap runs out.[/QUOTE]

BreezyHill have you found a unit that can measure sugar content? Part #?

[mellondome]

I think cdl has an inline brix meter available now and you can get it with an auto sample feature. I doubt it is priced for the hobby ro builder marker.


Back to the thread question. If you can afford the small cost difference to go 4", then go with it. Your fuel savings will make that cost up in a very short time.

[Clinkis]

Whould you mind sharing the details and specs of your 4" RO. I'm in the same boat with around the same number of taps for this coming year.

My RO has a single xle 4040 membrane (4" x 40"). I'm using a 190 gph procon high pressure pump and a shallow well jet pump to feed it. I batch run it 50 gallons at a time. It will take 50 gallons of 2.5% sap and reduce it to 10 gallons of 15% concentrate in about 50 mins. Works perfect for me because my small propane evaporator will boil about 10 gallons an hour so it gives me constant flow of fresh concentrate to boil. I'm usually collecting around 100 gallons of sap on an average day so means I only spend about 2-3 hours boiling and RO'ing as opposed to the 8-10 hours of boiling I would have to do without the RO.....and all the propane I save. LOVE IT....could never go back to boiling raw sap

[Jolly Acres Farm]

My RO has a single xle 4040 membrane (4" x 40"). I'm using a 190 gph procon high pressure pump and a shallow well jet pump to feed it. I batch run it 50 gallons at a time. It will take 50 gallons of 2.5% sap and reduce it to 10 gallons of 15% concentrate in about 50 mins. Works perfect for me because my small propane evaporator will boil about 10 gallons an hour so it gives me constant flow of fresh concentrate to boil. I'm usually collecting around 100 gallons of sap on an average day so means I only spend about 2-3 hours boiling and RO'ing as opposed to the 8-10 hours of boiling I would have to do without the RO.....and all the propane I save. LOVE IT....could never go back to boiling raw sap

Thanks for the info. What R.O. housing are you using? Are you recirculating to get to 15%. What % are you getting on a single pass with the one RO filter?

[Clinkis]

Using a stainless with clamp-on end caps membrane housing. I found recirculating In a 50 gallon drum worked easiest for me. I did plumb in a recirc loop and with that I can remove around 50% on a single pass. But I found it was faster and simpler to just recirculate in a barrel. 11807

[BreezyHill]

Not one that is reliable enough for what we do. Was sent a link to one that was a prototype but they scraped the project when I asked the place about it.

When I find something I will share the # & $.