Long 3/16” taps lines vs sap collection with laterals/mains (both natural vacuum)

[PHSINV]

I have a small bush - 20 or so trees - with > 30ft of drop over about 150ft. If I have a cheap supply of 3/16” tubing, other than having many lines running through my woods is there a reason why from a production standpoint it would be in advisable to run each tap to a common collection point. In my case i’d have lines from an individual tree extending up to 150’ from the tree to the collection tank. I’m using new lines and new 3/16” stainless spiles. TIA!

[bill m]

From a production standpoint you should not run all individual lines from each tap. You should have a minimum of 7 or 8 taps on each line with up to a maximum of 25 to 30. With only 1 or 2 taps on a line there will not be enough sap in the line to create any natural vacuum.

[PHSINV]

Thank you Tim. I’m not asking my question very clearly. To get a perfect vacuum (~30”) requires, as I understand it, a tight system and a ~ 30 ft (vertical) column of sap. What I’m thinking about is a sap filled tap line that drops 30ft vertically from the tap hole to the point where it dumps into something else. It seems to me that I’d get the same vacuum at the tap hole /volume of sap out of two theoretically identical trees whether the 30’ column of sap was one long line from the tap hole into a tank or it was a filled 5’ tap line that connected into a filled 25’ mainline that dumped into a tank. Obviously I’d need a lot more line if I ran one line from each tree to the tank vice multiple taps into a main line but shouldn’t the production volume be the same? Plus, I’m thinking one long tap line with 0 connections would leave fewer potential spots to check for leaks.

Thanks for your patience!

[DRoseum]

You won't have enough volume in the line from a single tap to create the natural vacuum. As others have stated, you need multiple taps (connected with ~32" drops lines to a tee) on a single 3/16 line plus good elevation drop along that line to get the increased vacuum and yield.

[PHSINV]

Okay got it, thank you guys!