Getting you 3/16 line flowing again

[gbeneke]

I started early tapping my trees in southeast NY. some of my 3/16 passive vacuum lines will slow down or stop while the other are going full bore. When that happens, I might find loose dry taps at the top of the line or squirrel bites. After repairing bites or putting in a few new holes for the taps, I recharge the line. A cleaning tip I learned from this forum using a 1 1/2 gallon spray can and water, you remove the spray tip and replace with a two inch piece of 5/16 tubing glued on the sprayer exit. Placing the spout in the tubing literally blows out the air in the line and fills it with water which quickly restores the vacuum. It also blows out the clots and sawdust from late season lines that might slow or stop the flow. A full moving line makes it easier to find leaks or bites further down the line.
If your 3/16 lines are slowing down, you might try this instead of giving up on the line.

[maple flats]

If this is not new lines this season, you should be changing all tees and any connectors from last year, they tend to plug. If you successfully cleaneds the 3/16 after last season, you still need to change those fittings, if you didn't clean properly, even new ones may plug up.

[gbeneke]

Flats,
I seldom have plugged lines and change spouts every year and tees every 2 years. I rinse and dry line with peroxide and water at the end of the season and they are clean I started some of my lines very early and have had a few plugs. I posted this mostly to help 3/16 users get their lines going again quickly after bites and dry tap leaks. My greatest drop from bottom tap is 12 feet so it doesn’t take much to mess up the vacuum. Thank you for all of you comments on this forum, you are a good man!

[Swingpure]

I started early tapping my trees in southeast NY. some of my 3/16 passive vacuum lines will slow down or stop while the other are going full bore. When that happens, I might find loose dry taps at the top of the line or squirrel bites. …..

How do you repair squirrel bites? Tape them? Cut them and add a joiner fitting?

[Swingpure]

Flats,
I seldom have plugged lines and change spouts every year and tees every 2 years. I rinse and dry line with peroxide and water at the end of the season…l

Just wondering how you get the peroxide and water into the hose? Do you put the hoses in a peroxide and water, bath? Do you somehow feed the water into the hose and then blow it clear? Do you remove the tees, or leave them attached to the hoses if you are keeping them?

[buckeye gold]

Just wondering how you get the peroxide and water into the hose? Do you put the hoses in a peroxide and water, bath? Do you somehow feed the water into the hose and then blow it clear? Do you remove the tees, or leave them attached to the hoses if you are keeping them?

The sprayer he spoke of is pressurized with a hand pump and forces water into the line when hooked to a tap or drop. Never blow into a line, you'll introduce bacteria.

On bites, you cut out the bite and put in a coupler. That's why you don't pull lines guitar string tight. If its close to a tee I just add new line back to the tee. You will need a line holder when you cut the line or a two handed tool. You can make a line holder from wood. Maple Flats posted a simple one here once maybe he can again.

I also replace all tees and taps annually. They are cheap and save a lot of problems

[Swingpure]

The sprayer he spoke of is pressurized with a hand pump and forces water into the line when hooked to a tap or drop. Never blow into a line, you'll introduce bacteria.

On bites, you cut out the bite and put in a coupler. That's why you don't pull lines guitar string tight. If its close to a tee I just add new line back to the tee. You will need a line holder when you cut the line or a two handed tool. You can make a line holder from wood. Maple Flats posted a simple one here once maybe he can again.

I also replace all tees and taps annually. They are cheap and save a lot of problems

Thanks

I will be stringing my lines in about a month’s time and I would have strung them guitar string tight. I do have tension hooks and a one handed tool but I do not have connectors and I will get them.

I will have to watch a video on cleaning sap lines. One thing I am not sure of is when you replace a tee after the season, does it pull out of the line, or do you cut it out? Also if you remove the tees, you now have many different length line segments and one would have to have a way of keeping track of what order they are in, to reassemble them, unless you reconnect new tees as you go.

I can see how getting new line each year would be a good, but expensive option.

[Swingpure]

I looked at a number of You Tube videos of cleaning sap lines and many like this one, use a compressor and a water pump to help force the water/chemical solution through the lines. In this case he was also keeping his fittings. https://youtu.be/Gjok7IlwEUY

He was using more of a pool chemical that does not break down into salt. He said the salt attracts the squirrels, also Dr Perkins had suggested wearing gloves while installing the lines, so that you do not put salt on the outside of the lines. It just raised a question for me, for the first time laying a line that has not had sap in it yet, as long as you wear gloves, would the squirrels mostly ignore the lines?

[buckeye gold]

The dang squirrels will chew on it no matter what you do. I put shiracha sauce on the trees the line goes around and it deters them pretty well. I start this when I tap. As I tap I make repairs and apply sauce. Then reapply after a hard rain or every couple weeks.

For flushing and cleaning. You can get a small garden sprayer and put a end on it that fits to the tubing or spout and spray it in. Start at your bottom tap and work up, filling line.

when you first run your lines make them taught with just a bit of slack. You can use side ties to tighten it then as you cut out for new tees and repairs you can let off side ties and keep them going for the life of the line. I usually run complete new lines every 3-4 years. Rotating one this year and one or two next and so forth.

[SeanD]

One thing I am not sure of is when you replace a tee after the season, does it pull out of the line, or do you cut it out? Also if you remove the tees, you now have many different length line segments and one would have to have a way of keeping track of what order they are in, to reassemble them, unless you reconnect new tees as you go.

I can see how getting new line each year would be a good, but expensive option.


You'll cut the old tee out and replace with a new one at the same time - usually right before you are tapping. This is where having the two-handed tool or line tensioner is necessary. When I cut out a tee, I like to cut through the old tee between the first barb and the outside of the tee (closest to the opening). That way the very end of the line is flanged so the new tee goes in easier. Your two-handed tool will have a flange tool, but this way saves time. The little bit of the old tee falls out or I use the tip of my cutting tool to swipe it out. This is for 3/16". 5/16" is much easier to replace fittings.

Over the seasons, your overall line will begin to shorten and tighten. Each tee you cut out takes about an inch of tubing with it. Within a few years the tees don't line up so well with the trees. This is where it's nice to have long drops. Eventually though, you'll have to replace sections to make things right again. That's best done - or at least started with all the tension taken off the line. Or you can replace the entire line and start over. All that's a few years away for you anyway.