Looking for tips and advice on a new 3/16" tube system

[SugarCampAmateur]

Hello All, I've read extensively many of the great posts and discussions you have had here about 3/16" and 5/16" tubing, many thanks to all. I'm a small hobby/fun/family producer but ready to make the improvement to tubing and vacuum. Here's my situation: I'm tapping about 80 taps on about 40 nice mature Red Maples in a relatively consolidated sugar bush (all on about two acres). The sugar shack is built strategically at a low spot in the woods with a small amount of elevation change (about 8-10') to the highest points in all directions. From everyone's input I've gathered here that making four "runs" of 3/16" tubing in different directions each picking up a maximum of 20 taps would be ideal. The longest of these would be about 150' long. And then feeding these four lines into a manifold at a vacuum pump near the sugar shack near the low point would be best. I would love to hear a few of you veteran sap-suckers comment on the ideas I have listed here and offer any suggestions. Particular concerns would be: 1. Recommended make/model/size of shurflow pump (must be 12vDC for solar panel and battery setup). 2.Controller for startup and shut down when freezing. 3. Is the 3/16" tubing run on four lines the right idea. 4. Suggested tap/check valve type. 5. Any plumbing suggestions like around the manifold or pumping up to a storage tank or a bypass line.
Many Thanks to all,
Rick

[mol1jb]

Looks like you have a good plan and should be successful with it. To answer your questions:

1. Many use Shurflo 4008 with good results. It isn't the largest model but it is a good price and for the number of taps you have it will work good.

2. I used a basic controller off of amazon. They are mostly the same and easy to setup.

3. I think you are right on here.

4. Some do 5/16 drops for less backflow into the tap. I use 3/16 on everything. In theory if you run the pump to 30* it shouldn't matter if you use 3/16 drops since the lines will be frozen by that point. This is what I have done this year.

5. Since you will be on a temp controller any bypass isn't really necessary if shutting down the pump after freezing. Some use a re circulation line from the tank to keep the pump wet (vacuum performs better when the pump stays wet) but with 80 taps I don't know that you would need one. I ran mine on 120 taps and didn't use the re circulation line since the liquid coming in was enough to keep the pump wet pretty much constantly.

[Cedar Eater]

1. The Shurflo 4008 is the right size pump and you might want to buy a spare which you might use for a transfer pump or some other function. You just don't want to go without something to get the vacuum back up if you lose the primary pump.

2. The basic W1209 temperature controller is adequate and again, you probably want a spare.

3. More lines with fewer taps and isolation valves for each would give you some options if you have problems with squirrel chews. But that is something that you can always do later if you deem it desirable.

4. I like the idea of the 5/16" spiles and drop tubes to 3/16-5/16-3/16 tee just because there is a much greater spile selection. I personally don't do check valve spiles, but I would if I wanted a higher sap harvest.

5. I would put a pressure guage at the pump and at least one other (at the end of the longest sapline). You probably won't need a recirc line or a bypass line, but if you find that you do, they can be easily added.

[Super Sapper]

I agree with the replies and you seem to have a good handle on what you need to do. The only other thing as an option is that I use the 2088 pumps (3 of them) and have not had 1 problem yet and it is the 4th year on them. I bought these when I started using pumps due to cost and have up to 150 taps on one system.

[maple flats]

Your idea is sound. In fact I have 5 lines that do not have gravity vacuum to their advantage and those lines are surprising to watch the flow. My most surprising 2 are lifting sap a net lift of 5-7'. My vacuum is not a diaphragm pump but they work well, especially when you have some gravity working for you too. In my case I just did it as a low cost non scientific experiment. Those 2 lines I spoke of above start in low areas on the other side of the driveway going into my sugarhouse, line 1 had 19 taps but two of them were on red maples and as my reds budded I removed those two. There is about 400' of tubing from the lowest tree to my mainline. All of my drops are 5/16 and on these lines the lateral is 3/16. From that lowest tree the tubing gets sap as the tubing rises about 4' to a sugar maple beside the driveway. From there the 3/16 goes up from chest high to 14', then across the driveway to another tree and then it slopes down the mainline which is on 26-27" vacuum if leaks are in check and it connects to the mainline there. The other line started in an even lower location and about 200' (of tubing) farther. That was all reds and was also removed from service as the reds broke bud (the first hint of green). That line also got to the same tree as line 1, rose up, crossed the driveway and sloped down to the same mainline, tying into the main adjacent to where the other line had. That line has 30 taps on it, all reds, and the sap flow was greater than line one (11 more taps before any were removed).
While I have no documentation or scientific data to let me know how much sap I gained from those 49 taps, it was a success in my eyes. To use conventional methods to tap those trees with tubing I would have needed to install a mainline (about 450'), likely 2 sap ladders and lots more saddles to tie the laterals to the mainline. The cost would have been far higher than what I spent to get the sap from those 49 taps. As it was I used 2 saddles and about 1000' of 3/16 tubing. The taps and drops with tees I didn't factor in because either method would had used the same number of those.

[Biz]

The diaphragm pump should work well for you. I use a Shurflo 4008 with a 100 watt solar panel and deep cycle marine battery along with my controller and bypass valve, but any temp controller is better than none. Usually turn-on temp is set to 34-36 degrees and turn-off can be 30 degrees since sap will run in the lines when temp drops below freeezing. I like to add a delay after temp reaches the turn-on setting so that the pump has time to thaw before turning on, but you might be OK if the pump is set to shut down after lines have stopped running. One thing to be aware of is if the pump stops due to cold temp, blown fuse, or low battery, the sap will stop flowing completely unless there is a bypass circuit, so settings have to be done carefully to balance pump freeze damage vs. sap loss.
I am using 5/16 drops with CV taps and tees to 3/16 lines this year. Seems to be working well although everything has slowed way down now after running for most of 6-7 weeks.
Also I keep losing vacuum gauges on my 3/16 lines, I have lost 2 out of 3 this year, I suspect because of sap backflow into the gauge and freezing. Or it might just be freezing temps. I am experimenting with ways to prevent this but it takes a year or two to sort it all out.

Dave

[SugarCampAmateur]

I really appreciate all the input, thank you. I'll get started and perhaps ask some more questions next winter.

Rick

[motowbrowne]

Personally I don't run temp controllers. This is my third year running 2 shurflo 2088s (just one the first year). I just let mine run 24/7. If it's gonna be cold for a couple days I'll unplug them, but otherwise I just leave them on. If I did use a controller I'd have it shut down at like 26 and turn back on at 29. I've seen a lot of sap run when the thermometer said 30-31. No way I'd wait till 35 to have the pump fire up.