3/16 Vacuum question

[Z/MAN]

I installed 2 runs of 3/16 tubing this year. On one run I have one lateral with 2 taps coming into a tee in the line and the other line I have a lateral with 5 taps coming into a tee on that line. Although I have sap and bubbles flowing through both lines the laterals seem full of sap but no sign of movement in either. Is his normal or do I have a problem? I also notice no bubbles at the last 2 taps on each line. The lines have 14 and 13 taps per line.

[Cedar Eater]

Why do you have laterals with 3/16" line? I've always heard that is better to only have one tap per tee on 3/16" on linear runs.

[Z/MAN]

I have a couple of trees that are not where they should be. lol So I have to use a lateral or two to get the sap to my line.

[wnybassman]

I have one run that had four trees that didn't fit in anywhere else, so I came into the line with a lateral. I was able to come into it 2 1/2 feet higher, then come down into it like a drop, instead of level. Not sure if that helped or hurt me, but it seems more like a big drop. Sap seems to be coming from those trees, so maybe it is working.

[maple flats]

That is highly unusual. It will work the best with 1 tap/T. It does not seem to hurt 3/16 laterals to zig zag back and forth, as long as you have good slope going from the zig zag. In fact most of my 3/16 do that and they flow like crazy. A 3/16 line can be long too, I have one that is about 800' long, with lots of back and forth along a gently sloping plateau before it gets to the long steep slope with about 40' drop and it is hypnotizing to watch the sap flow in it and all 3/16 for that matter. I have 3/16 lines with a low of 9 to a max of 38 taps. I haven't yet, but I'm going to put 2 vacuum gauges on that line, one up top and one just below the lowest tap. Last year the line had 28 taps but I extended it 7 taps farther at the top and added 3 others along the route. It is an experiment.
This is totally different from what you want on 5/16, which should be as straight as feasible and 100' in length or less, many top producers try to keep laterals in 5/16 to 50' and 5-6 taps max.

[BSD]

I have one run that had four trees that didn't fit in anywhere else, so I came into the line with a lateral. I was able to come into it 2 1/2 feet higher, then come down into it like a drop, instead of level. Not sure if that helped or hurt me, but it seems more like a big drop. Sap seems to be coming from those trees, so maybe it is working.

I tried adding one tap onto my 3/16 run that is fed with a 6' 5/16 drop and it doesn't seem to work at all, it almost looks like it's vacuum locked despite that run having 23-34" of vacuum on it. It is almost flat though, perhaps i should try to raise it up and see if that helps. the other thought i had was to convert the drop to 3/16 and see if that helps.

[Cedar Eater]

I zig and zag so that I don't have to put any laterals into my lines. One of them almost spirals around a level area in order to pick up a 5-stem clump maple that's way out there. That's just how I was taught to do it.

[peteinvermont]

I've used 600ft of line to go 300ft downhill I'm zigging/zagging around so much. It's worth it in my experience.


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