homemade sap lifter and releaser

[elijohnson]

I was wondering if anyone had made their own. And if so how and what you used.
Thanks

[maple flats]

A few on here have made releasers, look under the Homemade section and enjoy. For a sap lifter, look for sap ladders, however they require more vacuum CFM to work well.

[BreezyHill]

You can make your own electric or gravity releaser from pvc, float switch, and 3 way electric valve; add a pump to make electric releaser.

Use clear pvc to see the unit in action.

Ladders do use cfms but they are minimal. If your vacuum level gets to low you will not be able to lift the sap up the ladder efficiently either.

Ladders work well if you remember that vacuum is the abscense of... in a chamber. The tubing system is your chamber. You can lift air or tree gases an infinite distance but sap only about 12" per inch of vacuum; BUT gravity will hold the sap down in a tubing system and remove the air first if it can. The trick is to move the sap on top of the air as it rises up the ladder. Use your natural tree gases and any minor leaks to supply the air first and inject air as needed is the most efficient way I have found to bring sap up slope.