How do you get the spout out of the tree?

[mspina14]

I have been trying to find a vacuum leak on my 5/16 tubing for about 2 weeks.

I bought some ball valves to isolate the 3 lines that I have connected to my diaphragm pump.

2 of the lines hold vacuum well, about 20 inches. The pump only needs to periodically (every 5 minutes or so).

The 3rd line has about 18 inches of vacuum, but the pump is running constantly. The line is about 350 feet long and has about 20 taps on it.

I can't find the leak. I noticed a couple of taps are in trees that might be hollow, but I don't hear any leak. So I decided to pull the spouts and seal them off to see if they are the cause of the vacuum leak (they were not as it turns out, I still can't find the leak).

I'm using 5/16 clear plastic spouts with check valves. I could not get them out of the tree. I tried a claw hammer, a crowbar, and a pair of pliers. Nada.

I managed to break off a tap in the tree and I can't get that out.

Do I really need to buy a sap puller? (IF i buy another maple related tool/piece of equipment, my wife is gonna kill me!):rolleyes:

Mark

[Clinkis]

I bought a small nail pry bar and ground out the nail slot to fit a 5/16 tap. Works great. If your taps are that hard to remove then you are hammering them in too hard. Just gently tap them in til the sound changes. I made the same mistake my first year using the clear 5/16 and broke many trying to remove them

[Chickenman]

In the past I was using a "flat bar" type of nail puller. ground out a spot on both ends to fit the spout. Lost it in the woods someplace might find it turkey hunting. Replaced with a spout puller. Cost was same as a new flat bar anyway. I have found that the leader check valve spouts really hold in the tree. I broke off a few last year. The tree is healing around it no problems. The puller works great, but I miss my old homemade one. The flat end was great for removing some bark to get a better bite on the spout.

[psparr]

If you break one off, screw in a screw then use a puller to pull it out.

[Bricklayer]

I've got a lunchbox too.
Your problem might be with your pump line. The pump will cycle if there is no pressure on the outgoing side of the pump and the lines are full of sap
How far are you pumping your sap?

I had to go about 16' up the first tree by my lunchbox to get enough head pressure for the pump to function properly.
I put ball valves right off my 6 way star on each 5/16 going out. You can isolate it by turning all off then opening one at a time or the other way around.
Even 1 little vac leak on the lunchbox and it sounds like a machine gun.
I noticed this year after trying the slide fittings that the barbs in the fittings dig into the tubing. On regular vac you might not notice this but a little diaphragm pump can't handle even the smallest leak. If you used some of these fittings then have a look at them. Might have a pinhole leak

[mspina14]

I've got a lunchbox too.
Your problem might be with your pump line. The pump will cycle if there is no pressure on the outgoing side of the pump and the lines are full of sap
How far are you pumping your sap?

I had to go about 16' up the first tree by my lunchbox to get enough head pressure for the pump to function properly.
I put ball valves right off my 6 way star on each 5/16 going out. You can isolate it by turning all off then opening one at a time or the other way around.
Even 1 little vac leak on the lunchbox and it sounds like a machine gun.
I noticed this year after trying the slide fittings that the barbs in the fittings dig into the tubing. On regular vac you might not notice this but a little diaphragm pump can't handle even the smallest leak. If you used some of these fittings then have a look at them. Might have a pinhole leak

Thank you.

I have the Lunchbox at the low spot of my woods. My pump line runs about 200 feet from the Lunchbox to a holding tank on the back of my sugar shack. The top of the holding tank is about 10 feet above the level of the Lunchbox.

I have about 5 acres with very little slope. Maybe 1%-2% at most. I am running three 5/16 tubing lines from a star fitting on the Lunchbox. I have the other 3 barbs on the star fitting capped off. Each of the lines are 250 to 500 feet long, with 20-30 taps on each line (total of about 80 taps, all on Red Maples).

I have just installed ball valves on the 3 lines near the Lunchbox. I've closed off 2 at a time and left one line open to see if the pump runs. Two lines are fine, but the third line just makes the Lunchbox (and the compressor) keep running constantly.

I do have a slide fitting on that 3rd line. I will check it tomorrow to see if I have a pin leak.

Thanks for your help.

Mark

[mspina14]

I bought a small nail pry bar and ground out the nail slot to fit a 5/16 tap. Works great. If your taps are that hard to remove then you are hammering them in too hard. Just gently tap them in til the sound changes. I made the same mistake my first year using the clear 5/16 and broke many trying to remove them

Yes. I can see now that I've hit them into the tree too hard.

I was so worried about not seating the taps properly and getting vacuum leaks at the tap hole, that I must have went overboard.

Next year, I'll do better.

It is such a learning process!

Mark

[mspina14]

If you break one off, screw in a screw then use a puller to pull it out.

Great idea. Thank you.

I will do that tomorrow.

Don't really want to leave the tap in the tree, though I suspect it will heal just fine.

Mark

[Bricklayer]

I used a pair of vice grip flat clamps last year to pinch of tubing last year to find a leak in one of my long 5/16 lines. I went every 25' and clamped it off and waited to listen to the pump. Ended up being a quick connect fitting leaking because it was pulled to tight. When there is a vacuum leak with the lunchbox the pump will take about 30 seconds to get back up to cycling normal.

The 5/16 quick connects leak a tiny bit of vacuum also if they are pulled super tight probley not noticeable on real vacuum but very noticeable on lunchbox.

[Sugarmaker]

Your doing good. Learning proper drilling and setting the tap comes from experience. Light taps with a smaller hammer till the sound changes are good rules of thumb for setting the spouts properly.
Regards,
Chris

[maple flats]

I pull mine with what was originally called a Wonder Bar (a flat bar with a slight curve at the end of the long part and a nail puller slot, then a curve to a near right angle and a short nail puller on that end.) However I buy the cheap look a like at Big Lots or similar. Then on the short end I use a dremel tool with a 1/2" sanding drum to make a notch. It wears out 1 such disk, so the tool then costs me about $2.50, tool and disk, plus about 5 minutes time.