Diaphram "sapsucker" pump?

[ibby458]

I recently picked up a double diaphram pump with 8" diaphrams. I think I remember these can be used directly on a mainline to create vacuum and pump sap up into a tank. Anyone have any experience with this type of setup? I have 2 locations that I could use it on, but have no idea of how many taps it could handle.

[tuckermtn]

There was no diaphram on the "sapsucker" I used last season...who makes your pump? Any numbers on the pump?

The sapsucker pump I have used consists of about a two foot length of surgical tubing that is run through a clear plastic "head" that has three rollers in it...as the head spins, the rollers pinch the tubing and roll forward creating vacuum.

The one I had only pulled a little vacuum (5" at its best) on a one line ( one 3/4" pipe only) tubing set up.

Are you using it to pull vacuum on a tubing set up or to transfer sap between tanks? The one I was using would have been painfully slow if used to transfer sap between tanks...

-tuckermtn

[Parker]

Diffrent type of pump,,Eric- I wonder if you had a leak somwhere or if your tubes are worn out in that pump?? Really that thing should pull 12" from what I have heard????

Ibby from what I have read/ heard the diaaphram pumps will take care of 400? taps,,but they have to be tight,,no leaks,,they dont pull very many CFM's so they are easily defeated by even small leaks

Agine, I have never run one,,just what I have been told

[Lance]

Ibby - I think what you're talking about is a Sap Puller rather than a Sapsucker. The Sap Puller comes in two sizes, the smaller one (I used one last year) will handle up to 800 taps, according to Glenn Goodrich.

Parker hit it right on the head - those diaphragm pumps move no CFM at all and they're really susceptible to even small leaks. I had mine up to 18"(that's its max, per GG) for a few days but it was tough to keep it at that level because of leaks. Despite having to walk my lines endlessly it seemed, I still got about twice as much sap with it as compared to gravity.

If you're willing to put in some time to tighten up your lines and keep 'em that way, a Sap Puller will definitely increase your sap yield.

BTW, make sure you tip the pump on it's side every freezing night and drain the sap out of it.

PM me if you have any other questions.

[ibby458]

Thanks for the info. This pump is an air operated, 8" diaphram pump with no name or numbers on it. I used a smaller one just like it in the plant where I used to work to pump chemicals and know it'll suck like crazy, but never checked what vacuum it would draw.

The pump needs new diaphrams, but cost me nothing, so I can't complain. I don't have ANY lines up yet; I'm just exploring possibilities.

I also can pick up a dairy vacuum pump (functional) for little or nothing, but that gets me into releasers, etc. I'm just thinking about tubing and vacuum without spending too much time or money.

[royalmaple]

Pick up the dairy pump, regardless if you use it right away or not. When you want it down the road, they will have sold it or thrown it out.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

grab the dairy pump. it doesnt eat anything and i would bet some day you will use it

RICH

[maplecrest]

the pump at the dairy you should grab and ask what kind of milk tranfer he did you might stumble onto a releaser if he used the roll out dumping station. might have a bender releaser. the diaphram pump is the same air powered one i have on my filter press. you can get the kits thru a d and g dealer they are in the catolog

[Russell Lampron]

Most definately grab the dairy vacuum pump. Once you see how much more sap you will get with vacuum you will want to buy the releaser and run a bunch of tubing. It will pay for itself real fast.

Russ

[ibby458]

I'll check into that dairy pump. I know he used the wheeled dump station, so must have a releaser somewhere.

I've also thought about trying to build a releaser. I have several fiberglass cylinders that are 16" diameter with 3/8" walls x 3 foot long. I can machine out some heavy plexiglass for end caps. Just gotta figure out the mechanics of the things.

I be more enthused, but the biggest "bush" that I could put vacuum on would be 300 taps. It's hard to justify the time, effort and expense for such a small setup.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

Ibby
I AM IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING MY OWN RELEASER, USING SCHEDULE 40 PVC. I AM SETTING MY VACUUM UP FOR 200 TAPS, MY WOODS IS ON CLAY GROUND AND WHEN THE FROST IS ABOUT OUT IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GATHER. SO I GOING WITH VAC.

RICH

[Russell Lampron]

Ibby,

I too only have 200 taps on vacuum. I got a Delaval 73 vacuum pump for free and only had to buy the releaser. Those 200 taps on vacuum and 50 buckets out produce the 200 I have on gravity and 100 buckets at my parents house by 1/2 again as much. It comes out at about 20 gallons more syrup per season because of the vacuum. That will pay for the releaser in one season and you have 300 taps which should pay for the vacuum pump too.

I was going to run the 200 taps at my house on tubing anyways so that wasn't an additional expense to add the vacuum. I was already going to spend the money on tubing without it.

Russ

[hookhill]

TuckerMt,
The pump you described sounds like a peristaltic pump. There is a company in Texas called Randolph Austin Co. that makes them. A neighbor of ours uses them and loves them.

http://www.randolphaustin.com/

Jim

[Parker]

How much vacuum does he pull on how many taps? how many sections in his pump,,I have 2 more of them and might set one up on a small run if I can find new tubes for them?? Thanks

[tuckermtn]

Yes- my sapsucker is a peristalic pump...similar to the one on the link, but mine is a Cole-Parmer and it uses three rollers.

We will spend some more time tweaking it this year, but I also have a releaser on order and an old surge from Parker in waiting till I get back...

Parker- I pm'ed you- I have tubing...

-tuckermtn

[Russell Lampron]

Parker you can get the Sapsucker tubing at Bascom's.

Russ

[ibby458]

I still haven't decided on what I'm going to do, but If I put in a tubing system, I think I'll go vacuum with a dairy pump and releaser. I've located 2 of each; the farmers are deciding what they want for them.

These releasers are all glass. What has to be done to protect them from freezing and breaking?

[brookledge]

I used a bender style releaser for years until I out grew it. It is made of pyrex glass and I never had any problems of it freezing. When I would shut it off it might have a small amount of surface ice on it but never left with a full jar of sap. I would think that if it was left with a full jar and it was real cold it would cause problems just as it would if it was a blue plastic (gilles-bernard) style.
Keith

[ibby458]

Will they self-empty when the vacuum stops? One location I was going to use it on is 7 miles from here, and I was hoping to just gas up the pump in the morning while I picked up yesterday's sap, and let it run out of gas in the evening to shut it off.