Sap transfer pump

[Biz]

I have a couple Youtube videos posted on my new automated sap transfer function. It is built into the Mountain Maple S3 controller. It will pump sap up hill through my 450' of 1/2" pipe from a gathering tank at the bottom of the hill to the sugarhouse at the top. It is set up to automatically pump every 4 hours for 10 minutes, as long as sap is running. Times are adjustable. The pump is a 12 volt diaphragm pump which is OK to run dry in case it pumps the tank out sooner than 10 minutes. There is a drain valve which opens after pumping to drain sap back into the gathering tank so that it doesn't spoil in the sun or freeze in the line at night. My setup is kind of "rustic" but it is working, and saves precious time since I often have only 3-4 hours at the end of the day to gather and boil. I am going to be offering this for sale next season, or it can be retrofitted to 2018 units.

Part 1 - controller and pump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uqnVbNfBsg&t=2s

Part 2 - results!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4NYPkyW_dE
Dave

[Mark79]

Someday I hope to have something like that. Pretty cool! This year I purchased a cheap $40 Harbor Freight transfer pump to eliminate walking 5 gallon pails 200' through thick swampy forest. Walking out the store I almost had tears walking back to my car knowing that little pump was going to save me from walking 60+ almost full buckets daily. Stationed a 44 gallon Rubber-Maid barrel near our collection area with the pump and connected 200' of hose running to our ATV trailer. Even thou it's manual it sure saved my back and arms!
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[Biz]

I used probably the same pump from Harbor Freight for 3 years. It worked well, pumped a LOT of sap, but would not self-prime, and could not be run dry for more than a few seconds, so it wouldn't work for this application. Saved a lot of sap lugging though!

Dave

[CampHamp]

I setup an automated transfer system and find these main issues to consider:

1) what are the levels in the tanks?

- I want to know when I need to start boiling because tanks are getting full.
- I do not pump when the upper tank is full so I can include the lower tank in my total capacity.
- Also, I siphon between 2 lower tanks so I want to stop pumping before it’s dry.

You can do this using sonar “ping” sensors which never touch the sap, so never foul due to freezing. You do need to run thin wire to the tanks to read the sensor.


2) what is the temperature?

- I do not want to pump when it is at freezing to protect pump and to not have a frozen line.

3) empty tube when completed

You do this with a solenoid valve but it can be done with a trickle by-pass tube (it requires longer to leak back, though)

4) clear pump when completed

I run the pump for 3 seconds after the line is clear to blow out diaphragm

Here’s how it displays. I better get boiling!

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