sureflo experiment

[steve J]

The one thing I am horrible at is trying to do anything electrical in nature. So I am looking for a simple straight forward approach to run one line probably 3/16 serving between 15 and 20 taps? Is there anyone with a picture of a one line set up with parts needed?

[maple flats]

There may be pictures on U-tube, but be careful, you will find as much or more bad info than good, but from a dependable source it can be good. First, to succeed with 3/16 you need a drop in elevation. 30' or more is best, but even half that will work some. The last tree at the top gets usually a end line hook, but there are other options. If you choose the end line hook, you run the tubing around the end tree and attach that hook back onto the tubing. There will be a barb on the hook fitting that should face up. A drop and tap goes on that. Make the drop (a length of the same tubing with a tap non it and long enough to reach any spot on the tree for tapping). If that tree is over 20" diameter, in the line around the tree add a tee and another drop. From there the 3/16 goes from tree to tree. At each tree add a drop (this time and all the rest of the drops have a T on one end and a single tap on the other). At each tree use one or 2 drops based on tree diameter (20"+?). Keep the 3/16 snug and weave back and forth to get every tree. 15/20 taps is good for one line. Then at the bottom put a hook connector or even another end line hook (but this time the drop from the end line hook points down, and a length of tubing goes into your tank to collect the sap. At the end of the season, look at Art Krueger's video, posted here by The Maple News for how to clean the tubing. http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?33540-Cleaning-3-16ths-lines-after-the-season
Most of all, have fun.

[steve J]

Thanks Maple Flats I actually have a steep hill side set up like that. My issue is I have an area with slight pitch that I have 50 buckets in. I am getting older with bad knees and trying to come up with a way to eliminate the majority of the buckets over the next couple years. I was never impressed with 5/16 on gravity so I will not waste my time with that and 3/16 with slight pitch probably will have to much friction to do well. Thats why I was thinking of trying an experiment with sure flow and 3/16. If it works I would try to replace most buckets in 2020.

[Super Sapper]

Just run 2 lines for those 50 taps the same as you did down the slope. Come off the suction side of the pump with a tee and connect each line into the Tee opposite of each other. I have a few lines this way and have had good luck with it. You will not miss emptying buckets.

[steve J]

Thanks super now next question if a person is not there to turn on pump what happens?is there some sort of bi-last?

[steve J]

One more question I was in a new Harbor Freight store that open in our area today, and I looked at their Drummond transfer pumps. I notice their small pumps transfer around 290 gallons an hour which is more than Shurflo.Is that because you want suction but not to much suction?

[steve J]

And still one last question where do you buy fittings to fit pump and to fit 3/16 tubing.?

[Chickenman]

Those HF transfer pumps do not like to be dry at all. I have 2. I use it for draining hot water tanks and 1 I got for moving sap at the house. Started to find pieces of the rubber impeller in the sap and stopped using it, I even made sure the line always had sap to keep it primed.

[Super Sapper]

I use a temperature controller to start and stop the pump. There is someone on here that makes a system to start and stop the pump and also open a bypass when the pump is off. As far as the HF pump I am not sure what type of pump but it does not sound like it's a diaphragm pump.

[Biz]

I use a Shurfo on short lines with 20-30 taps and 10-15' of drop. The pump works very well. This spring I will have a flat line of about 30 red maples which will have a pump. It has maybe 6-8' of drop end to end, most taps probably on the low side.

I have controllers to turn the pump on/off automatically and activate an electric bypass valve to drain pump when it is off so you don't lose any sap to freeze damage (if you have a little drop). Has a bunch of built-in protection features. There is also an option to connect a transfer pump (diaphragm type) to automatically pump out a tank on a periodic basis and pump to a second tank at a higher elevation. Check out my web page at bottom. I will also have a table at the VMSMA conference in Brattleboro, stop by if you are going to be there.

For 3/16 fittings, try maple dealers like Bascoms. I like to use stainless or nylon fittings where possible for the NPT stuff.

Dave