Best Electric Pump for the Sugar Shack

[BlueberryHill]

I am thinking about plumbing up a PVC system throughout the shack so I can pump sap around as needed. Sometimes pump from truck to head tank. Sometimes truck to storage tank. Sometimes storage tank to head tank. Want to simplify the process. Right now I have a WX10 gas pump and a lot of hoses with cam locks on them.

I was thinking that a wall mounted electric pump of some sort and a series of PVC and valves could make it all a lot cleaner and easier. But I don't know what the best type of pump is to use. Can anyone make a suggestion? I have under 500 taps so I'm not dealing with a huge volume of sap. It would be great if there was some sort of pump out there that would not get ruined if it froze. Or at least a pump that would sufficiently drain if mounted properly with a drain out valve below it.

System I have planned out should be killer and I will follow up with pics. Also interested in pics if anyone has a similar system set up.

[mellondome]

Use maple main line instead of pvc.

[wiam]

Use maple main line instead of pvc.

Why is that?

[Cedar Eater]

Why is that?

Ever seen what happens to PVC when it freezes while full of water? It ain't pretty.

[mellondome]

And the headache of when you want to change something. Cut...glue...find more fittings...
And you can't see what is going on in pvc (unless you spend the big buskd for clear)

[BlueberryHill]

Love the mainline idea. Will be doing that for sure?

What are you guys using for pumps?

[motowbrowne]

Check out the March pumps. They're designed for home brewing. Completely sealed wet end with a magnet driven impeller. Totally food grade and rated for boiling liquid.

When I bought mine I got it from TESCO. They had the best prices and great customer service.

[DaveB]

If you're moving cold sap, I use a Shurflo pump to pump sap around when I have power. I love the fact that electric pumps are so quiet. I use one to pump sap from a couple of holding tanks in the woods that are lower than my sugarhouse. I ran a line back to my main tank and have it plumbed so all I need to do is flip a switch or plug one in and the sap is pumped to the sugarhouse. I also have another one connected to my feed tank with a float valve so when the feed tank gets low it turns on the pump and sap is pumped from my main tank to the feed tank.

It's nice being able to do that and the pumps are less than $100 and I have had them for several years. The only issue is frozen sap but I use heat tape on my pipes to take care of that.

[DocsMapleSyrup]

15802

This is what I use and the PVC manifold system that pumps between two bulk tanks and a head tank. It gravity feeds from the bulk tanks to the pump for priming and Is 1" thorought the system. I can also add intake from my collection tank if I want. The two unions on the manifold allow for easy disconnection and drainage at the end of the day; however, I will likely use heat tape rather than to disconnect.

[wiam]

Ever seen what happens to PVC when it freezes while full of water? It ain't pretty.
I have seen poly pipe split when froze. That is why pipes around my sugarhouse are empty most nights.

[whity]

We use a WX10 to transfer from collection tank to back tank. Then a electric pump to get sap from the back tank to the head tank. We used Pex for all our plumbing. Drain all the plumbing if there is a freeze coming. For our potable water we use a sureflo pump with Pex also. We have about 400 taps and never any sap left after a boil.