Advice on flushing and cleaning out 3/16" lines.

[SugarCampAmateur]

Hello Everyone,
I'm a small hobby producer who just ran a new vacuum system this year for the first time (with lots of good input from this group, thank you), and I'm looking for advice on how to clean out and flush the lines at the end of the season. Brief description of the system is that we have five "homerun" lines of 3/16" tubing each carrying about a dozen taps with 5/16" drops. All five lines run direct to a manifold on the vacuum pump. I'm wondering if it's best to just flush with clear water, a cleaning solution, or blow out with compressed air, or something I'm not thinking about? Thank you much in advance.

[Bucket Head]

All our 3/16 lines get water flushed through them- nothing else, and they look like their new still. Those are allowed to "drip dry" and then we go around and plug them in. The lines we have to take down get air blown through them prior to putting them up for storage. Just make sure your compressor has an oil separator and more importantly, food-grade oil. However, the compressed air step can be skipped if you want.

Steve

[bj's sugaring]

Mine are all connected to a manifold as well, and i push permeate up through them with the same shurflo pump I use for vacuum, switched around.

[SugarCampAmateur]

Thanks for all your input. Much appreciated.