What's everyone's opinion on 3/16 line?

[H&wmaple]

3/16 opinions


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[BAP]

Very Impressed with it this year. I put up 73 taps split up on 4 lines this year. I have about 45-50 feet elevation drop. I put vacuum gauges at the top of each line and when running, I was getting as much as 28" of vacuum. They ran a lot of sap.

[H&wmaple]

Very Impressed with it this year. I put up 73 taps split up on 4 lines this year. I have about 45-50 feet elevation drop. I put vacuum gauges at the top of each line and when running, I was getting as much as 28" of vacuum. They ran a lot of sap.

45-50 total drop? Or from the last tap?

[n8hutch]

I guess I have mixed feelings about 3/16, after the first season I was really impressed with how it flowed on marginal days and pulled good vacuum. Second season was a little less successful, it is much easier for the tubing to get plugged off completely at fittings. Especially after a hard freeze and rapid thaw. The ice tends to scrape down the side of the tubing and the gunk will bunch up at the fittings.

I think it is especially important to keep these lines pulled tight and having alot of slope.

[fresh spout]

The big concern will be longevity. I too am concerned with such a little area for sap to flow that just the littlest amount of shavings or other gunk may cause a blockage. The issue with a blockage on natural vacuum is that there will be nothing to blow it open unlike the use of vacuum pumps. I have several customers who are using this material and are happy with it. They too have installed gauges and I have personally seen them pegged at 29 inches. In the short term is looks good, but it is still early to tell if it is really worth it in the long run. Give it 5-10 years and I bet this becomes a much bigger discussion. Whatever you use, just remember to be patient with whatever your outcome and don't forget to have fun.