Tubing from the tap to the bucket size?

[woodey24]

Does the size of the tubing matter that goes from the tap into the bucket? We used tubing this year that I got from work that was going to be trashed. It is food grade but bigger than the actual blue tubing. The tube fits o.k around the tap but is not tight. Does the smaller tubing benefit you in any way?

[Jolly Acres Farm]

I'm trying 3/16 this year on a few drops into buckets. It will give 0.88" of vacuum per foot of drop on gravity. On my 4' drops into buckets it should equate to 3.52" vacuum. Even though its not much vacuum it has out performed my bags so far this season at about 1/8 gallon difference per tap on average. I am not a expert by any means, but this is the results of my experiment so far this season.

[seandicare]

I did a small test between the 5/16 and 3/16 lines....I have a post on the tubing/tapping section on it.........3/16 seems to get alittle less sap as the 5/16....might be just the difference in trees though.

as long as the tubing you have will stay on the taps, you should be good

[Mikeh]

I found the 3/16" would freeze up easier than 5/16" right where the tubing ended inside the bucket. The last drop of the evening would hang in the end of the tubing and freeze. Then the next day the new sap would have a traffic jam. If that didn't melt (for instance on a 33 degree day) then the whole line would be frozen for the next day. When I used bigger tubing the sap couldn't hang up at the end of the tube.

Just my experience, now I hang my 5 gal buckets on the trees and skip the tubing.

[saphound]

I'm trying 3/16 this year on a few drops into buckets. It will give 0.88" of vacuum per foot of drop on gravity. On my 4' drops into buckets it should equate to 3.52" vacuum. Even though its not much vacuum it has out performed my bags so far this season at about 1/8 gallon difference per tap on average. I am not a expert by any means, but this is the results of my experiment so far this season.
I'm not understanding this..doesn't the tube have to filled solid with sap to create any suction? I don't see how that could happen with 1 or 2 drops a second into a vertical drop tube. :confused:

[DuncanFTGC/SS]

I have been using a 6 to 10 inch piece of 5/16th tubing from my tap to my milk jug. It helps keep the jug from blowing around when empty. I use 5/16 from the tap to the ground for my trees on buckets. Varying lengths to get to a good level spot on the ground. I use the 5/16th only because that is what fits nice and tight on my taps.

[Cedar Eater]

The amount of air that gets into the taphole through the tubing and spout is smaller with longer tubing, tighter fitting tubing, smaller diameter tubing, and tubing that dips into the sap at the bottom. That can affect how long the hole remains in production.

[woodey24]

I have been concerned about the tubing I used from the start. It fits loose on the tap. A couple I pulled yesterday the end had almost molded closed. I did have the end submerged in the sap. I am thinking that when or how I cut the tubing made more of an issue for the tubing. I plan on switching to the tubing made for what we do.

[Tater]

Saphound, the same principles apply to tubing whether you are running basically horizontal or vertical. A drop of sap will have enough surface tension (cohesion? not sure the precise scientific term) to fill up a 3/16 tube, but not a 5/16. This keeps air from getting past, so for the drop to fall out without air getting past, it pulls a vaccuum, which is filled by more sap. This principle applies whether the 4' drop of tubing is straight down or at a 3% grade: the sap is still being pulled straight down by gravity.

[saphound]

Thanks Tater. I didn't realize a drop would stay in the shape of a drop once it was running down the tube. Pretty cool, I'll have to try that next year.