Need Some Guidance

[HondoLane]

Well my season has started. I have all of my laterals run and the pump was on today!!

A few questions moving forward:
1. When I tapped a few trees and put in the spouts. The didn’t seem to seal up. This is the first time using clear CDL plastic signature spouts. I put them in lightly at first. Leaked sap, then seated them a little deeper and they still seeped. I used a 5/16 CDL tapping bit. Will they seal up around the spout? If not, what do I do? Never seemed to have that problem with the stainless spout.

2. I am going to add a re-circ line tomorrow. I was like 7 psi at the pump and 10 psi out at the end of the line. I watched the sap flowing through the lines. Is it normal to flow fast, then slow, stop, start to move again etc? Never even saw tubing in person until today!!

3. Where should I mount my temp probe? I have an Inkbird 308 WiFi mounted in my sugar shack. It’s on the shaded side of the sugar shack. Today the temp hit 37 outside but in the shack it was reading only 30. Should I move the probe out through the wall, even if on shaded side or keep indoors?

That’s all for now. I have a good feeling about my setup. Anxious to see how it performs this season! Goof luck to all and thanks in advance for any help!!

[Super Sapper]

As far as a leaking spout, is sap getting the bark wet or are you seeing air getting pulled in? Wet bark should not be a problem, if sucking in air you may need to reseat the tap but do not pound in too much.

The line should not surge, you are sucking in air somewhere or it is not pitched right at the pump.

Temp probe should be outside in the shade.

[DrTimPerkins]

1. When I tapped a few trees and put in the spouts. The didn’t seem to seal up. This is the first time using clear CDL plastic signature spouts. I put them in lightly at first. Leaked sap, then seated them a little deeper and they still seeped. I used a 5/16 CDL tapping bit. Will they seal up around the spout? If not, what do I do? Never seemed to have that problem with the stainless spout.

Some weeping of sap for a short time (a few days) is normal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EybQLk6fmJE&list=PLZP4fDl-nB9-4aZkQyDR070QpxcAr02q5&index=3&t=0s

[HondoLane]

Great video. Checked weeping trees today and they seem to be sealing up.

Installed a 4 diaphragm 12v seaflo pump today. It is definitely a lot quieter than the 2088 3 diaphragm 115vac pump I initially tried. I’m pulling 10-15 at the pump. Is that we’re I should be at the pump? Right now there are 2 runs coming in. There is 27 on one lateral and 15 on the second one. I noticed the lateral with the more trees is moving slower than the other. What would cause this?

I still have more trees to add to the lateral with the 15 trees.

[Sugar Bear]

Well my season has started. I have all of my laterals run and the pump was on today!!

1. When I tapped a few trees and put in the spouts. The didn’t seem to seal up. This is the first time using clear CDL plastic signature spouts. I put them in lightly at first. Leaked sap, then seated them a little deeper and they still seeped. I used a 5/16 CDL tapping bit. Will they seal up around the spout? If not, what do I do? Never seemed to have that problem with the stainless spout.



When I first started taping four years ago I had this problem and somebody on this site informed me that I needed to be careful to drill my tap hole straight into the tree.

From then on I was careful and have rarely even gotten much weeping and never again any leaking around the outside of spouts.

[maple flats]

Did you watch Dr Tim's video? It is spot on. One point I'd like to make is the "tapping hammer". That if not an official tapping hammer should be rather light, not a carpenter's hammer. I have used the flat jaw on a pair of 7" lineman's pliers for years, with great success. I use them to set the taps, but on some of my mainlines I have some 14 ga. wire side ties, the pliers do well with that too. My oldest mains all had wire side ties but I gradualle started using the plastic flat strap formed like a flat strap with link cut outs, often used for nursery tree support. As I had fewer and fewer wire side ties I still used the lineman's pliers because they did not hit the tap too hard.

[DrTimPerkins]

One point I'd like to make is the "tapping hammer". That if not an official tapping hammer should be rather light, not a carpenter's hammer.

Actually, the hammers used were either a regular tapping hammer or a combo hammer/spout puller. We do not use framing hammers for tapping.

[HondoLane]

I have like 1 pound ball pean that I can tap lightly.

I have a question about re-circ line. I’m awaiting a needle valve via amazon. Right now I have a ball valve to restrict flow from a 3/16 line. I can get the vacuum at the pump up to 20 but it seems to be up and down and I have to keep playing with the feed. Will a needle valve solve this? Should the re-circle be set and forget?