Retrofitting a old system with a wet/dry mainline

[sugaringman85]

I just took over a lease of about 1450 taps. The old system was laid out with 1" main conductors and 3/4" mainlines running off of it. I was planning on putting a 1" dry line in over the top of the existing 1" main conductor. Was planning on using just whips from the dry line to the 3/4" mainlines. How much of a bend are people using or distance between dry line and 3/4" line?

[Ultimatetreehugger]

I go 3 feet minimum from the intersection of the conductor conductor and 3/4 mainline. The length of the tie varies on what kind of fitting I'm using. 90's I make a longer loop. If it's a 45 I go straight to the mainline without a loop.

[mapleack]

Mine are probably only three feet average, connected with Wye's. Whatever fits.

[maple flats]

My current system has no wet /dry, but my 2 leases did. One started as a single line. On that I had a 1" main and I added a 1" dry over it. On both that and my other former lease which started as a wet/dry, I ran a T in the incoming main in either 3/4 or 1" depending on how many taps were on that main. I put that T in with the side outlet facing straight up and it was 4 or sometimes 5' from the wet/dry. At the wet/dry, the wet one entered the wet line using a Y, The dry line entered using a tee. The loop between the first T and the dry line T stood up about 3-4' high, thus keeping sap from entering the dry line (unless the wet line was frozen or over full.) At the one where the wet/dry was added after the initial install all but 2 mains were 3/4", those 2 were 1". On the wet/dry system designed from the start all mains entering the wet/dry were 1". The wet was 1.25" and the dry was 1.5". Both worked well.

[jason grossman]

2166421665 just a few of my past installs.

[sugaringman85]

Jason

I kinda like how your branch mainlines come in at the dry line height and then go down to the wet line. Leave much less of a chance for the sap to lag going into that wet line. I can't do that on this particular installation but will be thinking about it when I do the next one.