Small Scale Vacuum System - Looking for Plans

[thebbqman]

I just built a small-scale RO system (thanks to whoever posted the plans and shopping list!). I'm enjoying that. Now I need to pull some more sap to get into it.

I am looking to put together 2 vacuums - each on a 3/4" mainline. One mainline has about 60 taps. The other has about 150.

Has anybody created a set of drawings/plans and a parts list for these?

Thanks so much! This forum is such a great resource!
Jay

[maple flats]

No parts list, just plan it out. If the 2 can tie together a Tee or better a Wye will do. Then for each lateral line entering the main will need a saddle. To install a saddle you need to drill a hole the right size in the main, usually pointing up about 45 degrees. Make sure not to drill into or thru the opposite side of the mainline. The saddles will be to join a lateral to a mainline. Laterals will be either 3/16 (if you have at least 15' of drop and better if the drop is 30'+) or 5/16. On 3/16 with good slope you can have as many as 25-30 taps on a lateral and the lateral (with enough drop in elevation can be 1000-1200' or even longer. On laterals 9The small tubing that goes from tree to tree) with less drop in elevation you should try to have 5-6 taps/line, never more than 10.
Thus, the drop in elevation is a huge help, you can use 3/16 which costs less, can have far more taps and you then need fewer costly saddles to run the line into a mainline, and the 3/16 with the drop in elevation gives you natural vacuum.
If the drop in elevation is not enough for 3/16 natural vacuum to work, then you need to use 5/16 and then the laterals should be 100' or less and should have no more than 10 taps/lateral and 5 is far better.
5/16 lines need a slope for the sap to drain, while 3/16 needs total drop in elevation but you can get away with a little up and down, but the more up and down the less effective the line is.
Do some reading on here about 3/16 to see if it will work for you.