Hooking my lines into a Mainline

[MaplePancakeMan]

In your experience what are the best ways to hook lines into a mainline? I'm thinking of running two lines with about 80 taps a piece on them. What fittings are best to use with the mainline and where would i get them. I understand the whole concept of running the lines but a little lost on where to get the fittings for it. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[maplekid]

this is what u should use http://www.leaderevaporator.com/items.php?71#1 this will show you the fitting you need

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I know many will disagree, but I will never use 1/2" mainline again! there are NO good fittings that connect 5/16" lines to it w/out having a rise in the small line(for non-vac. situations). I now use 3/4" mainline as a minimum, and where ever a lateral line will connect I use the lapierre 1 line saddle manifolds that have the 2 straps that wrap around the mainline. Also by using this style there as little joints in the line as possible (less chance for vac. leaks). these fitting have a rubber gasket that seems to seal well.

[MaplePancakeMan]

MapleKid, thanks i'll look at that in a second.

Breezy, where is a good place to buy these? i just bought some new 5/16 tubing and now i'm looking to buy mainline i was going to go with the 3/4" anyway but its good to hear some advice from others experiences.

[maplekid]

80 taps on one line i thought the max to put on is 30-40 taps per line

[royalmaple]

I use the lapierre saddle manifolds, either the single or double just depends if I have two laterals coming in at the same point to the main line or just one.

You can order them right from the maple guys, take a look at:

http://www.mapleguys.com/index.php?category=8&PHPSESSID=e9437699ab50b9d163c72544a73b153b

they have single and double manifolds. They seem to work well for me.

Take your lateral line and I use the hooks to attach to my mainline wire, then take a piece of 5/16 and loop it over from the other end of the hook, and connect to the saddle. That way you don't have pressure directly on the manifold, but you can have the latteral lines super tight with the tension all going to the wire and not the fitting.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

I'm not familiar with any dealers in that area, but if you can't find anybody close go with the maple guys online. But I'd have to say it's nice to walk into a supplier and look at the fittings, then if you decide you need something more or different, it's right there.

[mountainvan]

Sent you a pm. I have fittings at the saphouse.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Thanks guys for all the help, i ordered new taps smaller ones than i am using as i wasn't happy with how slow the holes closed on the bigger ones, i picked up a cheap roll of 5/16 tubing some tension wire and now just looking for mainline, i think i'll get it at tractor supply as suggested by van because its close and cheap. I think i'm set with how i'm gonna hook the lines up. Any other suggestions to make my life easier is much appreciated. Again thanks for all the help.

[MaplePancakeMan]

i just had a bit of a thought, are there any fitting that would act like drop lines into the main line? i'm not sure if i can get this point across without trouble. In one bush the trees are all in a line that gradually descends and i'd like to have an adapter that would hook into the mainline with a 5/16 adapter sticking straight up so i can drop the line in it and run the line in this bush right along the trees?

This question is for a completely different bush, i can do it the other way with manifolds but i figure it would be easier to run it against the trees.

[fred]

you might want to reconcider TSC. there is a reason it is more money. the uv repellant and different type of plastic. i know people that learned the hard way. you will be lucky to get 10 years out of the mainline instead of 30+. i bought a woods that way. only 8 years old and i had to replace all of the mainline because it cracked and kind of dissinagrated.

[royalmaple]

There is nothing saying that you have to drill those manifolds on the top. If you drilled them in on the side of your mainline, then your fittings would be straight up like you want. But I'm unsure as to why you need them vertical?

As long as your mainline wasn't undersized and typically totally full of sap then the sap would enter the mainline the same as if it was coming in from the top(if you put the manifold on the side and pointed it straight up).

[MaplePancakeMan]

the whole reasoning for vertical drops into the mainline rather than horizontal is because they are in a line downward sloping. Since they are all on one side i would have no laterals coming in from the other. Thus if i had the fitting straight up i could hook each tree into the mainline which would all collect at the end in a storage container. Maybe it would be just as easy to keep them on buckets but any steps that would save a little time are worth a thought.


So tractor supply might not be such a good idea?

Again all the advice is awesome and greatly appreciated it will come in handy when i'm in my woods scratching my head and then have an epiphany and remember all the mapletrader knowlege

[royalmaple]

If you have a very steep angle coming into the mainline it really won't effect your manifold. Because you should be attaching the latteral to the mainline wire, either with the 5/16 hooks or some people use braided rope and make a chinese finger trap on the line and tie it to the mainline wire. Then all the tension is going to the wire and it doesnot matter if you came into the mainline vertically. Then your going to connect the manifold to the latteral using another piece of 5/16 that is maybe a foot or couple of feet long depending on where you place the manifold and where the latteral comes in.

That line is pretty much horizontal to the mainline and manifold, it isn't necessarily pitched, might even droop below the mainline.

You may find it well worth the trip to visit someone local that has tubing set up. Might even be someone on here that is close to you that can show you hands on what is looks like and might help.

I could take some pictures if you like.

[WMF]

The black 100 or 80 psi water pipe from TSC or Home Depot will last longer than any other mainline you can buy and has an NSF rating. I have never seen it fail or degrade in any way and have miles and miles of it some 25+ years old. The original blue Leader mainline has been known to crack and degrade just like the old blue fittings they used to make. The newer blue or grey mainlines are supposed to be better but only time will tell.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Royal, sounds good... i have visited Mountainvan who has tons of tubing running in the woods. I understand the whole concept of things i just didn't know if it were feasible or more convenient to do it how i described. I'm going to start small and hook the one bush up, work out my kinks so i can do the next one better! I figure i've got about 60 ish more years of sugaring so i'll start small!

Again thanks everyone for the help, truly a great wealth of information

[ennismaple]

The black 100 or 80 psi water pipe from TSC or Home Depot will last longer than any other mainline you can buy and has an NSF rating. I have never seen it fail or degrade in any way and have miles and miles of it some 25+ years old. The original blue Leader mainline has been known to crack and degrade just like the old blue fittings they used to make. The newer blue or grey mainlines are supposed to be better but only time will tell.

You're right about the lifespan - we've got some black mainline that's over 25 years old. However, it does heat up the sap more than any other mainline and it's harder to clean because it's more porous than the new, coloured mainline.

[mapleack]

pancake man, I wouldn't put more than 10 taps on each 5/16 line. I used to put 20+ on each and would find them backed up right to the tap on good running days, even though they were on steep grade. When this happens it hurts production. Spend the extra money on 5/16 tubing and you'll see returns in the volume of sap you get.

[maplecrest]

go to a plumbing supply store, price your main line there. i buy it by the reel. 1000 or 1500 feet at a time. go in your bush flag out your main lines. figure out the distance and order what you need, no smaller than 3/4 inch. you figure 300 taps max on a 3/4. 600 max on an inch line. 8 taps to a lat line. when laying out your woods think about washing your tubing. i build to wash. if it washes good, it will run even better. tsc is too much money. most plumbing supply places will let you start a business account, an you can get a discount on parts. connecters,valves,quick connectors, clamps ect. do it once and do it right. 10 good taps is better than 20 hurried taps they will run the same. jeff