Maximize Layout

[HondoLane]

Last year was my first year on tubing. The sugar bush is very low slope with approx 10’ of drop. I went with (2) 3/16 runs from the bush to open yard where it was approx 300’ to traverse to the shack. Inside the shack was a seaflo pump with recirc line. Yields were better than I expected. There were 35 taps total.

Here is an example of the layout.
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I want to add more taps to this setup but it would be a mess in the woods trying to put another home run of 3/16.

I ultimately would like to have 50 taps in this year on tubing. (Lower half of property will be on buckets)

Should I just add another 3/16 home run? Or start thinking about a mainline?

If mainline... what size. I probably could run it to get about a 8’ drop over 500’ and run (4-5) 3/16” laterals

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Thanks for the help!

[maple flats]

With only about 10' of drop you want to stay with just 3/16 and run it all the way. What little drop you have and it's vacuum created would be totally lost if you go to a mainline. If in time, you add a conventional vacuum pump, even an old dairy pump a mainline can be advantageous, now, with only a seaflo likely not. Even with the 10', I'd suggest you tap 2-3' higher on the high end, then more vacuum will help counteract the friction loss on the 300' run. With a system like that, I suggest you not have more than 20-25 tap on a single 3/16, and don't combine it or switch to a 5/16 or all gravity vacuum will end where the 5/16 starts.

[HondoLane]

With only about 10' of drop you want to stay with just 3/16 and run it all the way. What little drop you have and it's vacuum created would be totally lost if you go to a mainline. If in time, you add a conventional vacuum pump, even an old dairy pump a mainline can be advantageous, now, with only a seaflo likely not. Even with the 10', I'd suggest you tap 2-3' higher on the high end, then more vacuum will help counteract the friction loss on the 300' run. With a system like that, I suggest you not have more than 20-25 tap on a single 3/16, and don't combine it or switch to a 5/16 or all gravity vacuum will end where the 5/16 starts.

maple flats.. . so I shouldnt run 5/16 drops then? Last year I had 5/16 taps, 5/16 drops (about 2 ft long) then into a 3/16x3/16x5/16 tee.

[Super Sapper]

Use the 5/16 drops. He is saying not to go from 3/16 to 5/16 on the run to the tank. I would run 3/16 lines all the way to your tank to take advantage of the drop across the field. Tapping higher on the tree would gain some vacuum but would decrease the head pressure on the tree and may cancel each other out.

[maple flats]

Correct, run the 5/16 drops (I prefer them because as the tree freezes you are less likely to pull contaminate sap back into the tree. In 5/16 drops the air (gases) pass the sap and rise to the tap) That's the case regardless of which taps you use, CV or disposable seasonal taps. By the way, on a new tubing set up you don't need CV taps, the system is clean to start, but on 2nd year and beyond I use the CV. In the past I tried Zap Bac taps, I went back to CV2, but will use up any zap bac I still have left.

[HondoLane]

Ok.. Im tracking now.. Like I said, last year was better than i could have expected. I was trying to maximize my layout and you guys have cleared up a few questions I had. Im going to try and hit 75 taps this year between tubing and buckets!