One more tube cleaning question

[danno]

I've got two strikes against me - have tried cleaning my tubing twice since seasons end and have failed both times. I can't get water up the hill to my sugarbush.

First time I attached my hose to the end of my mainline but the mainline is about 2500' feet, all up hill and there must just be too much head pressure and the well pump would shut off before it would push the water go all the way up the hill min my 1" main line.

Tried taking a couple of hundred gallons up today by tractor, and even with deep lug tires and chains, was just to slippery to move that weight up the hill.

So, what now? I've got a stream about 60' below the sugarbush but no power up there. I've got a small, 2 cycle pump. Will that push water up 60' or is that a "pipe" dream?

[Fred Henderson]

I don't know the answers to your ?'s but there is an on going debate as to whether tubing even needs to be washed.

[brookledge]

find a way to add air into your water supply like a tubing cleaner does. the air will help carry the water to higher elevations.
Another thought, do you have any source of water at or near the top where you can pump the water from the top down.
Keith

[royalmaple]

Like Keith said, AIR, AIR , AIR.

I used a gas air compressor, honda 1" water pump, and kevin's tubing washer set up and amazing results. Water was pounding out of the taps, we had a few small water fights and were about 75' away on different laterals.

I can get 50psi on my water pump, and I set the air to 60psi. once all the leaky manifolds were tight = full production.

[danno]

Fred, after looking at my releaser at the end of the season, if the insides of my tubing look anyway similar, it needs to be washed!

I like the air idea. Here is my only question - as I will use my well pump which runs water through my house, can/will the air travel back to the house, rather than up the hill and start busting copper fittings in the house? That would be bad.

[New Hope Mapleman]

If you want to inject air you can borrow my litter adapter. It allows you to hook up your water source and an air pump. Just let me know.
It should take care of what you need if you get a good air compressor to hook up to it.
Dan

[markcasper]

People that don't wash their tubing are just plain lazy in my opinion! There is no excuse for it! I am a week or so late in finishing up this year, but should get done by tonight. I have had at least 2 dozen spouts completely plugged with slime. Not many for one season, but not wash it? And do this practice year after year? I guarantee it to be a rule to follow if you want continued, decreased production.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[markcasper]

danno, I noticed that on your signature you said "vacuum for 07". If you have vacuum?? Just carry a 5 gallon jug of whatever your going to use and use the vacuum, pulling each spout as you go and suck the solution through.

The air that gets pulled in when 1 spout on a line is pulled, combined with the water/ cleaning solution makes for an excellent flush. I do this on over 1000 taps of tubing and works well. The drawback is lugging a jug around and takes a bit longer. The plus is your using less solution.

I used to use a sparayer pump (new) and a few others and gave up. The air in the lines is the trick! An air compressor is the way to go if all of my trees were in one location. They are in 4 different areas and i'd have to drag my dads tractor operated generator around plus my gathering tank with water. By the time I end up doing that, I don't think I'd save a whole lot of time.

[royalmaple]

Kevin-

That was a signal flare I was sending up, my pockets were full of adapters and I needed to unload..

[danno]

Hi Mark -

I'm gonna try the water forced up hill with air and see if that works. New Hope Dan let me borrow a nifty air/water unit, we'll see if it works with my set up. If I still have problems, I may wind up trying your method. I have vacuum so it's an option, but sounds like allot more work lugging water.

[New Hope Mapleman]

It was nice to meet you Dan and hope you have success washing tubbing this shot.
Feezing again this morning. Last night there was ice all over the lake. Looks like two more nights of this cold then its hot. No I'm not hanging any pails!
Dan

[danno]

Air and water did the trick! Glad it was a warm day - the water was a flying!