how many taps per mainline

[Alex Davies]

I know that this has been discussed a number of times on these forums... But couldn't find anything when I searched.

How many max taps are people putting on
3/4"
1"
1 1/4 " mainlines respectively.

Does length of mainline have any effect on the number of taps it can withstand?

I'm thinking of running a very long mainline - 5000+ feet, but it'll cost a lot... Wondering how many taps I could feasibly put on it...

Many thanks

[spud]

150 taps is max for all my one inch mainlines. I want enough space for sap and tree gas.

Spud

[JoeJ]

How many taps on a 5,000' line, not very many. These numbers are from the New York State Tubing and Vacuum book. Pipe size is critical and distance is the enemy.

3/4" 5.000' 190 Taps 15cfm pump 1.9cfm
1" 5,000' 370 taps 15cfm pump 3.7cfm
1 1/4" 5,000' 640 Taps 15cfm pump 6.5cfm
3" 5,000' 5,100taps 100cfm pump 51cfm

I had a friend that was having disappointing results from his 13,000 taps. I had gotten the Vacuum Book shortly before our conversation about the poor results. He had plenty of cfm's running 2 -105 cfm pumps, but he only had a 2" line going 1,600' to the releaser. He had CDL test the cfm's at the releaser, 38 CFM from 2 - 105 cfm pumps. Enough CFM to handle 3,800 taps, not 13,000. Solution, he moved the pumps 1,600' to be next to the releaser. and start of the mainline.

Joe

[Alex Davies]

How many taps on a 5,000' line, not very many. These numbers are from the New York State Tubing and Vacuum book. Pipe size is critical and distance is the enemy.

3/4" 5.000' 190 Taps 15cfm pump 1.9cfm
1" 5,000' 370 taps 15cfm pump 3.7cfm
1 1/4" 5,000' 640 Taps 15cfm pump 6.5cfm
3" 5,000' 5,100taps 100cfm pump 51cfm

I had a friend that was having disappointing results from his 13,000 taps. I had gotten the Vacuum Book shortly before our conversation about the poor results. He had plenty of cfm's running 2 -105 cfm pumps, but he only had a 2" line going 1,600' to the releaser. He had CDL test the cfm's at the releaser, 38 CFM from 2 - 105 cfm pumps. Enough CFM to handle 3,800 taps, not 13,000. Solution, he moved the pumps 1,600' to be next to the releaser. and start of the mainline.

Joe

Thanks for this.
Just for clarification... My Sugar Shack is by the road and at hydro hookup. I have a narrowish but very long section of sugar bush going up perpendicular to the road. pump and releaser are both in S.S with De Laval 77 pump with 5 hp motor. Does 22 - 25" vacuum.

I'm reading your comment and wondering if you think it'd make more sense to run another Vac pump and Electric releaser on a Generator say 3000' away from S.S. Then there'd be shorter mainlines to the releaser (maybe just 1"), and elec pumps of releaser should be able to push the sap down the hill to the S.S.

Alternatively, I'm looking at just running the one vac pump at the S.S. (much easier option rather than having to keep checking generator etc) and running a very long mainline to pick up the taps... I was hoping I could get away with 1 1/4 mainline to pick up 1000 - 1500 taps this way, but it sounding like that is not feasible?

Maybe 2" line would be better?

Thanks

[maple flats]

How many taps is your potential? A second thing that will help is a wet/dry line with the dry being 1 size larger than the wet line. I don't have my tubing book here, but I think that may double the capacity of a line or more. Again I'm guessing which should be verified but if you use 1.5" wet line and a 2" dry line you may be able to put 2000 or more taps on it.

[Asa Matras]

We have 2 bushes that each have 400+ taps on a 1" main with no issues. They're each around a 1000' long and the vac is the same top to bottom. This is non wet dry and we're using old old dairy pumps.