3/16 mainline sizing.

[cjf12]

I am going to run 600 taps on 3/16 into a mainline to the sugar shack a mile away. Little cheaper to run 3/4 than 1". Will this be big enough? Should i plug the end or keep it vented? Possible to add 200 or so taps down the line 1/2 way to the shack but will be a couple years out.

[motowbrowne]

I am going to run 600 taps on 3/16 into a mainline to the sugar shack a mile away. Little cheaper to run 3/4 than 1". Will this be big enough? Should i plug the end or keep it vented? Possible to add 200 or so taps down the line 1/2 way to the shack but will be a couple years out.

Is this line gonna have vacuum on it or just be used for transfer? If you're just gonna use it for transferring the sap, you could definitely use smaller line. You could have a tank in the woods and then run even a half inch line to the shack. If the sap is running faster than it can transfer it'll fill up the tank, but the line should catch up when it slows down.

[cjf12]

Is this line gonna have vacuum on it or just be used for transfer? If you're just gonna use it for transferring the sap, you could definitely use smaller line. You could have a tank in the woods and then run even a half inch line to the shack. If the sap is running faster than it can transfer it'll fill up the tank, but the line should catch up when it slows down.
That was my original plan but decided against the tank because of difficult terrain and would be difficult to rinse tank on a regular basis.
No vacuum pump. Just from gravity.

[wurmdert]

I currently have a 1/2in main line with 550 taps on it and it only runs around a half full on the best or the best runs usually only a quarter full

[tuolumne]

We have 3 separate main lines with around 600 taps each from 3/16" lines. We originally had 1200 on a 3/4" line, but that was too much for some runs.

[cedar syrups]

I assume that your mainlines have vacuum on them and if they do what do you use I have been toying with something similar in the future. I have more trees to get to but distance is the issue its about 1000 ft. at its longest and I'm thinking about using 3/4 inch mainline and pick up around 300 taps all on 3/16 down to my shurflo pump & manifold. All of it has a gentle down hill slope to the pumps. What do you think?

[cjf12]

My mainline will not have vacuum. The 3/16 lines will all be vacuum to the mainline though and will free flow from there to the shack. A couple trees close to the mainline will have a little less vacuum than others up the hill but i am fine with not needing a pump to run and maintain.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You should be fine with 3/4 mainline for that many taps without any vacuum.