?s on transfer lines and pump

[lyford]

I'm planning on using the same shurflo pump to transfer sap from my holding tank to my head and to pump sap from a poly tank in the back of my truck about 100ft away and 8ft up to the head tank. I'd like to mount the pump in the shack and use quick disconnects to go back and forth between lines. FWIW, I'm only pumping 60-70 at a time, I've just had enough moving everything with 5 gal buckets. Filling the head tank with an 8 ft step ladder and 5 gal buckets is particularly unpleasant. Here are my questions.

1) . The shurflo comes with 1/2inch male threads or barbs, is a 1/2inch mainline tube adequate for this. Should I use a bigger tube. The pump is rated 4gm, will the line size change that.

2) Where can I find quick disconnects. Do i go to the hardware store or does it need to be a maple supply store?

Thanks for your time.-justin

[Super Sapper]

1/2 inch line will be fine and you should get close to the 4 gpm. Larger line will not increase your flow rate but smaller will decrease it. As long as the pump is lower than your truck tank that should work good but if you are trying to pull it uphill from the truck you may have problems.

Proflo dynamics is a good place for stainless cam lock type fittings. They are cheaper than the poly ones at our Fleet Farm or Ace Hardware.

[Sugarmaker]

lyford,
I think your right on in moving the sap easier. But 4 gpm is not very fast. The cam locks are available on line or at maple stores too. Tractor supply may have them too. Rig it up, work the bugs out then look for a bigger pump to set in there and connect to your plumbing.
Regards,
Chris

[lyford]

Super sapper, thanks for the tip, got my cam lock fittings ordered from proflow dynamics.

Sugarmaker, I appreciate the advice and I may go that route down the road, but for now I already have that extra shurflo hanging around.

[VT_K9]

If you have electricity I would look at a Wayne pump. We used to use them for moving sap from pumping stations when we did buckets. Then we used them to help clean the evaporator during the season and moving permeate to wash with. I am planning to use them this next year to move hot permeate (from the preheater drain) for cleaning.

Mike

[lyford]

VT K9 what model Wayne pump did u use? I couldn’t find one made for potable water.

[SeanD]

I use the Wayne PLS100 (https://www.waynepumps.com/product/pls100/). It's not listed as potable, but with a stainless steel head, that's just about as close as you will get with 1" transfer pumps. I use it to pump from my collection tank to the tank that feeds the RO then it comes inside and then I use it to feed the head tank with concentrate.

No matter what pump you get, I strongly recommend you buy a second as a back up. If anything happens to the first, your whole operation comes to a halt - which will be at 10 pm during a monster run. I was tossing firewood down when one piece took a weird bounce and landed on my pump - breaking the on/off switch.

[mol1jb]

I use shurflo pump for transfering sap as well. It is the 4gpm pump. My setup is a permanent one from my main sap tank in my sap shack through a 3/4" permanent pump line to my head tank at the sugar kitchen 400' away with 20' rise. With this system I get 3gpm pump rate. Yes that is slow but the nice thing about a shurflo is they can run dry without damage so I just turn it on and let it run for and when I have time later in the day I turn it off. I used a 3/4" line because it is permanent and pitched so it drains completely to reducing a frozen pump line. The larger line gives me more room for error if I have a low spot in the pitch.