Sizing mainline for 900 -1200 taps on 3/16" high gravity

[ttowle3]

I am planning for adding 900 -1200 taps on 3/16" high gravity (all or most last tree on lines are 30-40 ft drop to the mainline) and wondered what size my mainline should be.

Also what would be the amount of sap from such a set up?

I like to get input from this group just to check on what the salesmen tell me ;)

[Cody]

On our woods with 600 on 3/16 our mainline is about 700'long on 3/4" mainline.Going to switch that to 1" this year the last 500' to the tank.When tree's would start running the 3/4" line would be coming into tank full.The laterals closest to tank had trouble emptying right away,sometimes lateral was full up past the first few tree's.A few times the pressure blew the taps right out of the tree's on some of them lower laterals on the mainline.Not good sap running on ground.Averaged 1.5-2 gallons sap per day,they ran crazy.We had 525 gallon tank had to keep a close watch.

[mellondome]

If you are going to be @ the top side of those numbers, You will want to be looking toward 1 1/2. Depending on the distance you are running, you may be able to start at the top end with smaller pipe and step up in size as you pick up taps to save a little $$$.
The slope this main line will have will also make a difference. The more slope you have the faster the line will empty. With good consistent slope you may be able to get away with 1 1/4.

[log cabin luke]

I am running 800 on 3/16 all going into a 3/4 inch main line. On average my trees are all pulling about 18 inches of vacuum. On my best days I have done 2 GPT for a 24 hour period. I have never had any issues with back pressure but it is all on a good slope of about 7% or more. I have 2, 1/2 inch lines going into that 3/4 line. One of the 1/2 inch lines has 180 taps and the other has 350. The one with 350 taps is a little smaller than I would go again with that many taps. The end is 12 feet up in a tree vented. on occasion it will burp out a little sap in a heavy flow but not to much.

[tuolumne]

We had 1280 taps (all 3/16" excepting 80 or so) on a 3/4" mainline that was 2300' long. This is too many taps for that mainline. We never observed any backing into the laterals (the saddle loops always flowed the right way) but could tell that the line had a little back pressure. It has an average slope of around 10%. When we cracked open the valve at the top of the line it made everything flow better. This year we had an average of 13.36 gallons of sap per tap. For next year we intend to run a second 3/4" line up to the half way point to reduce the load on that line. We hope to expand to 5000 taps in the future. Our sugarbush is somewhat of a bowl, so in the end we'll have many independent mainlines that run to a common tank rather than a conductor line that picks them all up. All 3/4" keeps it simple for saddles, and it is easier to work with the line in the woods.

[PARKER MAPLE]

We had 1280 taps (all 3/16" excepting 80 or so) on a 3/4" mainline that was 2300' long. This is too many taps for that mainline. We never observed any backing into the laterals (the saddle loops always flowed the right way) but could tell that the line had a little back pressure. It has an average slope of around 10%. When we cracked open the valve at the top of the line it made everything flow better. This year we had an average of 13.36 gallons of sap per tap. For next year we intend to run a second 3/4" line up to the half way point to reduce the load on that line. We hope to expand to 5000 taps in the future. Our sugarbush is somewhat of a bowl, so in the end we'll have many independent mainlines that run to a common tank rather than a conductor line that picks them all up. All 3/4" keeps it simple for saddles, and it is easier to work with the line in the woods.

What was the purpose of the valve at the top for?

[GeneralStark]

What was the purpose of the valve at the top for?

To vent the mainline.

[DrTimPerkins]

.... on occasion it will burp out a little sap in a heavy flow but not to much.

Put a check valve on the end of that line so that air can be sucked in, but liquid can't blow out.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You would be fine with a 1" line for that many taps and every woods is different but you should get 15 to 25 gpt in a normal year just depending on how well your trees run.


I am planning for adding 900 -1200 taps on 3/16" high gravity (all or most last tree on lines are 30-40 ft drop to the mainline) and wondered what size my mainline should be.

Also what would be the amount of sap from such a set up?

I like to get input from this group just to check on what the salesmen tell me ;)

[PARKER MAPLE]

Put a check valve on the end of that line so that air can be sucked in, but liquid can't blow out.
My toughts exactly.