Vacuum Gauges on Releaser

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Happy Sugaring Season!

I'm looking for help on selecting a vacuum gauge for my electric releaser. I started with the oil-filled gauge already on the releaser when I bought the releaser last season. The gauge began to fail towards the end of the season. During prep for this season I replaced the gauge with a dry gauge since I had a new one on the self. I figured it might even last the most of the season like the oil-filled. Instead it lasted less than a day.

I have the exact same gauge at 2 locations in the woods that are working fine.

Any thoughts?

Ken

[maple flats]

Likely just a defective gauge. I prefer glycerin filled but they are several time the price of dry gauges, thus all of my in the woods gauges except at the releaser were dry, I paid the higher price for on the releaser. That being said, a glycerin filled can also be bad right out of the box too.

[Zucker Lager]

Also consider gauges don't like to be hammered or shocked the oil filled ones will take more of a surge / shock than a regular one but if it is a situation where there is a fast change in pressure / vacuum you can install a "gauge saver" just a fitting with a reduced passageway that slows down the surge to the gauge BUT if its vibration damage of the gauge because its mounted on a pump directly the the only thing you can do is remotely mount the gauge using a length of tubing and mount the gauge on a solid mounting away from the vibration. jay

[TapTapTap]

I'm looking for help on selecting a vacuum gauge for my electric releaser. I started with the oil-filled gauge already on the releaser when I bought the releaser last season. The gauge began to fail towards the end of the season. During prep for this season I replaced the gauge with a dry gauge since I had a new one on the self. I figured it might even last the most of the season like the oil-filled. Instead it lasted less than a day.



I figured it out when I shut down the vacuum during this cold snap and performed some maintenance. It appears that the failure was due to a micro leak in the fitting connection from the releaser canister to the gauge. And we all know what happens when there's a small leak in a moist environment! It also doesn't help that this plumbing is 1/4" and the inlet to the gauge is even smaller.
Ken

[Sunday Rock Maple]

H20 Smartrak sensors -- you won't ever look back.

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H20 Smartrak sensors -- you won't ever look back.

I have thought about a remote monitoring system although it might not have addressed this problem unless it involved fewer fitting connections.

Perhaps I get the basic remote monitoring system started for next season but it's a pricey upgrade to my sugarbush due to the number of mainlines. I will save my own labor so it's harder to justify compared to if I paid workers (like bigger operations) to do the leak checking. But as I grow older (going on 61) it seems to make more sense to me - I'll still get plenty of exercise.

Ken