Best releasers

[tonka]

For those who run vacuum systems, what brand of releasers do you swear by?

[BreezyHill]

Well I would not bother with one that was not electric if I had electricity. Mine is a delaval

12226

From water trap to the jar and the manifold is all delaval the control box is universal, a surge base electric distribution board.

In all it is in the $150 area. It has been parts of several different farms. I have a surge releaser system on a board that cost $155 on ebay.

Mechanical releasers consume CFMs as they cycle while electric units produce CFMs as they dump/evacuate the releaser of sap.

For mechanical I like the cdl units as there is usually parts at the warehouse.

I can dig up a pic of the old surge unit we used for about30 years and had no issues but we out grew it.

Ben

[tonka]

The location that I would be using the releaser has no source of power so I would have to go with mechanical. How much can a mechanical releaser consume?

[mountainvan]

I have 4 Gilles Bernard , paired with Alamo pumps,with 600 to 1,200 taps on them. As long as they are lubed and kept out of the rain, I have sap bucket lids on top, they work well. Make sure they are secured to something so they don't get knocked over, they do break. If you have slope I would recommend 3/16 tubing and no vacuum setup. Much easier to maintain.

[tonka]

My woods has little slope to it, 60 acres total and from the NE corner to the SW corner there is maybe a 30 foot drop, I currently have 5/16 gravity which works but I want to get the most bang for my buck.

[BreezyHill]

The location that I would be using the releaser has no source of power so I would have to go with mechanical. How much can a mechanical releaser consume?

Consumption depends on the size of the machine and the frequency it dumps. Lets say you have a unit that has a 3 gallon chamber. There is 231 cubic inches(CI) in a gallon and 1728 CI in a CF. 3* 231=693 /1728 = .4 cfm. So if it dumps one time per minute then the unit will consume .4 CFM. If 1x every 2 minutes then .2 CFM.

There is a point that a larger unit is good since it will dump less often but on the other hand each dump is larger and will have a larger affect on the reading of the system if the pump cant bring the releaser back to vac level rapidly. This is where tricks lick check valves and balance tanks come into play.

Personally I found that a smaller releaser and a balance tank several times the size of the releaser worked great.

My mechanic surge releaser was 1/4 gallon per dump and had a 5 gallon balance tank. At peak flow its last season it was dumping at 1x every 3 seconds at peak flow. The tubing stayed at 26-27" with no fluctuation but I had a priority valve to keep vac on the tubing system but majority of vac on the releaser.

Problem is if you are going to expand then you will want a larger releaser so as to not need to get another in order to increase taps.

On the other hand keep the pump close to the releaser and the higher vac transfer rate can make up the difference rapidly.

My pumps are 10' away on a 3" line so there is no frictional loss in the line and I have a balance tank built in to keep surge affects in the line to a minimum.

[tonka]

What exactly do you mean by "balance tank" BreezyHill? Right now I have 300 taps that I would be hooking it up but will be adding more in the next few years so I was thinking about a releaser that can handle 1,taps. I do plan on having the pump right by the releaser and tank.

[tonka]

1,000 taps'

[mellondome]

A balance tank is a large vacuum tank ( 30 - 40 gal) that will help when there is a quick influx of air into your vac system. In maple they call them boosters and they are usually smaller (15 gal or so)

Think of them as a vac reservoir.

[tonka]

So then you have a booster/balance tank plumbed in between your releaser and mainline? If I understand what your saying right. I intend to have a booster/balance tank on my mainline 750' from the pump, I was intending on getting a vertical 8"x18" but from what you're saying I want to get the biggest booster to keep that vacuum while dumping.

[Moser's Maple]

A moisture trap will work as a reservoir tank. Just purchase a larger moisture trap to go between the releaser and pump.
Not sure how far the pump is going to be a away from the releaser, but anyways you want the moisture by the releaser. If going any longer distant you may want a second by the pump.
Try not to reduce you vac line from pump to m.t. And to releaser.
IMO go with a double releaser.
Also be ready to have to play around with the mechanical because they do seem to need more attention than an electric releaser. I would presume with growing 1000 taps you will at least a 20 cfm pump?

[wiam]

I used to have trouble with my single vertical Lappierre. Have not had one missed dump since I made sure it was perfectly level.

[tonka]

Yes I would be needing 20 cfm when I get to 1,000 taps but this year I might try for 400 in the big woods where I am looking to introduce a vacuum pump and will also be rigging some tubing up yet in another woods that has more slope so I will be taking advantage of that. Been reading a lot about vacuum systems and wanted to see what brand everyone is using and along with pros and cons.

[BreezyHill]

Balance tank is a 3-4 times the size of your counter unit that is installed very close to your pump or a releaser. Booster tanks are usually installed in the woods to assist in over coming the frictional affect of tubing on the air flow over long distances. They work well but give a misleading concept that they are some how increasing your vacuum reading as a pump will.

With a setup that is all close together with very little frictional loss 20 cfm will be plenty of pump for over 1000 taps. I would get a cop of Steve Child vacuum book. He recommends 1 cfm per 100 taps. If you had a remote pump then larger would be beneficial.

I sent you a pm with a pump recommendation.

Ben

[Moser's Maple]

We've used BHR, Lapierre and Soble releasers and have had good luck with them all.
We run Indiana vacuum pumps, but probably will get an atlas copco pump when we get ready to bring the next woods online.

[tonka]

I just sent a check in the mail for that book about tubing and vacuum everyone has been talking about today. Thanks everyone for all your knowledge!!

[PATheron]

I like the large horizontal mechanical releasers. The guilles Bernard ones that are rated for like 5000 taps. Works good even on a little woods. Not much more money than a double verticle. That way in the morning you can just sweep the ice out of it. The verticle ones suck because the ice will freeze the float in and you cant get the top off. I use 30 gallon old galvanized syrup barrels for boosters/ moisture traps. Im sure that's not recommended but they work for me. The really heavy older syrup drums. Theron

[unc23win]

I agree with Theron on the size for just a little more money you can get a bigger one. If I were starting out buying new and $ didn't matter I would go straight for and electric one with submersible pumps. If electricity was an issue at the releasers location I would go with a continuous vacuum releaser.

[tonka]

Hey Theron, could you post a couple pictures of your booster/moisture tap if you have any photos of them? I was thinking about using some white 15 gallon barrels to make a couple boosters and a moisture trap.

[tonka]

I like the large horizontal mechanical releasers. The guilles Bernard ones that are rated for like 5000 taps. Works good even on a little woods. Not much more money than a double verticle. That way in the morning you can just sweep the ice out of it. The verticle ones suck because the ice will freeze the float in and you cant get the top off. I use 30 gallon old galvanized syrup barrels for boosters/ moisture traps. Im sure that's not recommended but they work for me. The really heavy older syrup drums. Theron

Now that is the type of info I like to hear in regards to the float freezing down on the vertical releasers, never would have thought of that!!! Thanks!

[lpakiz]

Whatever you use for balance tank or booster tank, it must be able to withstand the intended vacuum without collapsing or imploding. I think a SS beer barrel will do that, as well as 4-6 inch PVC.
I am using about 5 feet of 4 inch PVC, vertical, and constructed so there is a racquet ball laying in there. If a lot of sap gets by the releaser, the ball floats up and gets sucked onto an internal seat, shutting off the flow towards the pump. A 3" by 1 1/2 reducer just nicely fits inside the 4 inch PVC, creating said seat for the ball. Not all 4 inch PVC is the same inside, so check the fit of the reducer before buying.
If you are thinking just the white plastic farm-type soap barrels, nope.

[PATheron]

Ill try to figure out and post some pics. Other thing get the older style releaser with the small 7 inch long vac cylinder. Then when they get sap in the vac cylinder you can take them apart real easy and get the water out and they will work again. You will know if cylinder don't work when its freezing sap got in it. The newer style releaser that looks like it will have a long actuating cylinder on front of it. Looks like long piece of pvc like thing with a plonger comes out end with a flap on it. They are way harder to take apart to get the water out. That's been my experience. Ive litterly worked all night on one before I realized the sap got in it and was freezing it so I haven't forgot that. Now first sign they are slow I take them apart. Its fairly rair to happen. Happens more if you don't make a roof over it and snow gets on it. When it dumps slider goes back and forth sucks some snow I think down the 5/16 line to actuating cylinder. Also if releaser does fail sometimes goes past ball and will get in it. I think all releasers do it on occasion. Theron

[wiam]

Have to agree with Theron about keeping weather off. I have had way less trouble since putting a roof over mine

[tonka]

Whatever you use for balance tank or booster tank, it must be able to withstand the intended vacuum without collapsing or imploding. I think a SS beer barrel will do that, as well as 4-6 inch PVC.
I am using about 5 feet of 4 inch PVC, vertical, and constructed so there is a racquet ball laying in there. If a lot of sap gets by the releaser, the ball floats up and gets sucked onto an internal seat, shutting off the flow towards the pump. A 3" by 1 1/2 reducer just nicely fits inside the 4 inch PVC, creating said seat for the ball. Not all 4 inch PVC is the same inside, so check the fit of the reducer before buying.
If you are thinking just the white plastic farm-type soap barrels, nope.

Well that is a bummer to hear that farm type barrels wont work, better now then latter. Would regular steel barrel (55 gallon) be strong enough to work as a moisture trap?

[PATheron]

No, They will crinkle up in a couple minutes. The only thing that will work along that line that I know of is the older galvanized ones everyone is getting rid of. They are very heavy and Like I said its probably not recommended Ive just used a couple and they worked for me. Im putting one at every releaser this year to keep sap from going up the suction lines. Ive had one at one spot for several years with 25 inches of vac more or less and seems fine. They might not all work I don't know. Theron

[WESTMAPLES]

just to add if you don`t have or want to use the barrel idea, air compressor tanks work well also i have 2- 42 gallon tank in use with my system and they have been great