Packing up

[SognSyrup]

Will have about 12 gravity vac lines in the 500' length range. Each having 20-30 drops.

Planning ahead during setup to our takedown. (We can't leave them up). Suggestions on winding up runs? Leave drops/T's on as we wind up? Picturing a real tangled mess with that but maybe it's the only option.

Thanks.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I would color code the lines Home Depot has a pack of 6 colors elec tape Then I would spray a small dot on each tree on the side that you will be reinstalling so you can quickly get it back up without miss installing then cutting out a small section of one line causing every tap down the line to be off by just a few feet...............BUT if we cut just this one everything will work out just right .......BUT dang I missed that one tree back there so just shorten this one and I think it will be OK................CRAP it goes on and on and on.

I would roll up starting at the end and use compressed air to blow them out before storage, and remember you wont remember what you think you will remember.

[Woodsrover]

I plan on rolling mine up on individual spools. McMaster Carr has inexpensive "build-a-spools" that I'll roll each line on. As funny as it sounds, I'm considering walking each line with a Go-Pro camera so I can retrace the way I have it hung up.

[SognSyrup]

I plan on rolling mine up on individual spools. McMaster Carr has inexpensive "build-a-spools" that I'll roll each line on. As funny as it sounds, I'm considering walking each line with a Go-Pro camera so I can retrace the way I have it hung up.

Haha...I was totally doing the same thing with my iphone. Gonna walk the line while recording video. I'm just thinking about all those drops hanging off the roll...ugh.

[Waynehere]

Yeah, I have to take mine down as well each season. I coil them up and put them in a half barrel, but I like the spool idea. As for spouts, if you use seasonal spouts, them simply cut them off before you roll the tube up. You should only lose about a half inch to an inch at the most each year. After 5-8 years, then you will know it is time to replace your drops... :)

[Bucket Head]

We have to take all our lines down too each season and we do pretty much what everyone else said to do. Yes, the drops make winding them up a little difficult but it's not horrible. We've done this way for years and will probably continue to do so.
Once we get them home we run a fair amount of water through each one and then we do what Haynes suggested, we blow compressed air through them. My father does the water and air at one end and I go along and kink the tube, or hold my finger over each spout- whatever works- to force both the water and air out each spout. We leave them on the lawn stretched out for a couple of dry days and during that time we cut the old spout of and put a new one on. Its just easier (and warmer!) to do it this way instead of at installation time.
Steve
And I forgot to add we tag all our lines. Location, east, west, north, south, branch A, branch B- whatever info we can put on them to help us remember what we did he previous year. And it's true- you'll forget something but it will work out.

[Waynehere]

Yeah, I have to take mine down as well each season. I coil them up and put them in a half barrel, but I like the spool idea. As for spouts, if you use seasonal spouts, them simply cut them off before you roll the tube up. You should only lose about a half inch to an inch at the most each year. After 5-8 years, then you will know it is time to replace your drops... :)

Forgot to mention that we hook up a pump to the end of the line that dumps into the tank and run water back up through the lines, but before we pull the taps. We then start pulling taps one at a time from the opposite end and work our way back to the pump. Seems to work pretty good so far. Then I try to drain them as we coil the line up and don't usually have too much water left in the lines.

[Sugarmaker]

We do 650 taps on short run tubing that we take down each year. But non at 500 feet. I would say you will need a spool, maybe mount it on a large wheeled cart to move along?
I can roll all of mine up. i have a couple long runs that i roll from each end. zip tie them and have them coded for location and direction too.we have 30+ setups on rented trees in yards and field edges.
Also paint black marks on the trees abov and below the lines when the elevation is correct. Saves a lot of time the next year.
Regards,
Chris

[Super Sapper]

I use a piece of duct tape on each side of where I cut it to remove from the mainline and label it on each piece. Make sure you put the tape far enough up from the cut so you have room for the next year.

[motowbrowne]

I leave the drops on mine when I wind up each lateral. I start at the bottom and when I start getting to the drops i wrap them around the roll and stick them onto the spike the T. They stay out of the way and keep the roll together.

I use a phone video also to figure out where each line goes. I suggest filming the route in the same way that you'll be running the line. Since i roll the lines up from the bottom, I made my videos from the top. Next year i can start from the end of the line and follow my video down the hill.