Flow meter suggestions

[NTBugtraq]

So when I am boiling, I lose all track of how much sap I have received. I like that number as its an interesting figure to play with in spreadsheets. But since my boil rate can fluctuate, and the sap reception rate fluctuates, I've had to accept I won't know the sap number anymore.

Then I thought; "If I could just know the amount of sap delivered to the arch"...I'd know all I needed to know. I don't know of such a device, but I have to believe it exists. I just want a fitting that mounts in-line near my sap intake to the arch. All I need it to do is record how much sap has passed it. It should have a reset to zero. This way I could, for example, measure how much sap was delivered to the arch in a 1 hour period, or over the course of a day. I don't need it to talk to computers or keep daily averages, just give me an analog number and I'd be happy.

Anyone know of such a fitting?

[SeanD]

Yes, you're talking about a water meter or flow meter. The decent ones cost a couple hundred bucks. It always works its way down to the bottom of my list of purchases because I can do pretty much the same thing for free. Figure out how much your head tank holds from fill to fill then every time the pump kicks on, you know how much is going in the evaporator.

Sean

[NTBugtraq]

Yes, you're talking about a water meter or flow meter. The decent ones cost a couple hundred bucks. It always works its way down to the bottom of my list of purchases because I can do pretty much the same thing for free. Figure out how much your head tank holds from fill to fill then every time the pump kicks on, you know how much is going in the evaporator

Not sure if I understand you properly, because I don't pump into the arch, its all gravity from my 4 storage tanks.
http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=11689&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1428360913 (http://mapletrader.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=11689&d=1428964802)

I do pump a sump-well into my storage tanks, and that's what I used to count. But I have to be there when the sump kicks in or it doesn't get counted. So those lifts into storage overnight, those that happen when I'm talking with a customer at the driveway, while I'm in the bathroom. But I'm sure not spending a couple of hundred bucks to know...;-]

[brookledge]

I would not recomend placing it in between your feed tank and the evaporator. Unless the meter you get is large enough, you don't want restictions slowing the feed down. If **** hits the fan and you need sap quick you don't want that. Therfore if possible install a meter from the pump up to the feed tank
Keith

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

I have a meter you would see on a house in a city. but have to be careful tolerances are tight sugar can gum it up so our water district manager said to run clean water through it every night, i also put in a bypass so if meter does jam i can still keep sap flowing. Mine has 1" inlet/outlet my rig only needs 3/4"

[FL Maple]

I have a flowmeter that I purchased from BuyGPI.com for about $160. It's digital so I can reset it each time, and I mounted it just after the prefilter on my RO machine so I know how many gallons flow thru. I've used it for 3 seasons now, and it works great. The sap has never caused any problem. My meter has a minimum flow rate of 3 gpm, so it's probably not what you want for feeding an evaporator, but I see that BuyGPI.com also has residential water meters that can measure flows starting at 0.25 gpm. Prices for these are $120-210.

[Flat Lander Sugaring]

http://www.buygpi.com/Minol-For-Hot-and-Cold-Water-Service-includes-Reed-Switch-Pulser-and-0.aspx