5/16 tubing as mainline?

[bagpiper]

I have some level ground behind my garage and I've cleared the brush out from about 20 Reds, one tap trees. I have never run a sap line and am wondering if I could tie 20 - 25 taps into a 5/16 line and connect to a Lunchbox which I am told pulls about 15-20 in. vacuum. Would this work or would I need a larger mainline and run laterals to it. Last year, these trees each averaged about 5 gals. sap.

[maple flats]

I think you'd be better off running 3 or 4 laterals into a mainline for better vacuum transfer. Especially since the area is flat. If you don't have slope to help you should try for 5 taps per lateral and the max. length should be 100', 75 is even better. I even suggest you use 3/4" for the mainline for better vacuum transfer. I find the DSD mainline saddles work with the fewest leaks. A mainline tapping bit from them (stubby) is great too, but if that is out of your budget, make a jig out of wood with a 5/16 hold thru it at the point of the v. If you design it right, it will allow you to drill the mainline without going too deep and thru the other side.

[Acer]

Bagpiper,
20+ taps on a 5/16 is fine. The big boys need the few percent increase from lower tap count per lateral. You will never tell the difference on 20 taps.

Dean

[Super Sapper]

A lunchbox is an air diaphragm pump and would work well with the 5/16 snaking between trees. Do to the way 3/16 works compared to 5/16 on lats on a vacuum system it may even work better.

[pennslytucky]

It will work great. I've found that 20-30 on a 5/16 line into a sapsucker pump is about ideal. Less taps and the pump stalls. With the higher wet flow, the pump seems to be able to stay "primed" much more and pulls much harder. Last year, the more taps I added to that line, the better vac I got.

[adk1]

Stick with the 5/16