Remote pump location

[Dave Y]

I am planning to expand again next year if things go well. and I am planning on adding vacuum. I already have tanks set at one location and my expansion would have to go to another location farther down the hill, as a matter of fact at the bottom. My question is can I set my vacuum a one location and bring sap to two locations. i will have to install electric and i dont want to have two pumps if it is not needed.

[maplecrest]

set pump at one location and use a tank for a vac booster, off that run vac lines to your releasers. you have the option of getting the pump to a power source. the tank will slow down the shudder in the woods when one releaser dumps. it will ripple thru both woods if you run with no booster tank. alot of pumps come with tank under pump

[maplwrks]

Dave,
You could run vacuum to either location to the other tank. When you put it in, make sure you run at least 1" pipe to the other location.(1 1/4" would be better) It might also work a little better if you put a vacuum tank at that location. This would provide a little "storage" at the remote location, helping the releaser maintain a more constant vacuum level. Can you get the 2 locations to run to 1 location? That would be the ideal situation.
Mike

[royalmaple]

Dave-

As long as you can get a dry line from the pump location to your upper tanks you can do it. You need a line to go from pump directly to the releaser used only to transfer vacuum from pump to the releaser. You'll also need two releasers, or one releaser per each dumping location.

Big question on pipe size would be how far away is the pump going to be from each releaser.

Now your thinking the right way dave. You'll be amazed. May have to do some work on the mainlines though. I hate to say it but the 3/4 will be too small for the size bush you got there. And you'll want to consider dry lines too. Just my opinion. I've seen 3/4 pipe run full on way fewer taps.

[Dave Y]

Matt, I have a mainline - conductor line system. My main lines are 3/4 and they are connected to 1". I was planning to run a dry line up the conductor lines. It would be ideal to run all the sap to one location but at this time I dont see that happening. I thought I would set my electric at the bottom of the hill, because there is a nice spot there where a sugarhouse could be built. I have all ready mentioned it to the land owner and he was not repulsed by the idea. I would lease the land out right for 50 years. Im 51 and i fgure i have got another 35 years to sugar, so i could leave the rest to my kids.

[royalmaple]

Dave-
Ok cool. Then if at all possible I would see if you can get all the sap to run down the hill to one spot, right by the pump. Then run your dry line up along with the conductor wet line. and put boosters where you latteral mainlines enter the wet line. That would be ideal. The second pick up spot would be more expensive if you factor in the other tanks needed, releaser and you still need pipe to run a dry line up to that releaser anyway. As long as the land allows you to run everything to the bottom, that is your best bet. That's basically what I am doing this year down the road. Running everything down the slope to the paved road, and to electricity. Then picking up the taps along the way.

I'll have 2000' of 1 1/4 dry and 2000' of 1" wet all connecting to 1" latteral mains or 3/4 mains along the way.

[gmcooper]

Dave sounds like you've got a lot of potential there! Hard to give much advise with out seeing things but If I understand right the new tanks you set out are above your future exspansion. Put the vac at the new site with power and hopefully a new sugar house. Run dry line up to the tanks you just set out to feed those releasers. Run another line with the dry line to used to pump the bulk tanks right back to the sugar house.. Set up a 2" honda pump to push sap back to sugarhouse. Once or twice a day stop in and pump out.
No hauling in a truck.

There is a sugar house in s. Vermont on top of mountain. they have at least 5 pump houses around the bottom. Power to each and vacuum. float valve turn on pumps to push sap up the hill to the sugarhouse. They told dad they paid for themselves (the pumps and wet line up the hill) easily in the first year. Saved one guy driving around pumping out the tanks, drive to the top then pump out the truck from all 5 everyday sap ran. By having automatic they could start boiling earlier in the day.

Mark

[Dave Y]

The tanks I just set are about 2/3 the way down the hill. My bush runs away from the road almost a 1/2 mile and I have almost a 1/2 mile of frontage. My expainsion will be deeper into the woods at about the same level going up the hill, thats next year. but if i get full potential out of this property,ithink I can get 5000 taps. I plan on over sizing my equipment if possible, for futre expansion. there is a great location at the bottom corner on the land right next to the township road, to build a sugar house. I am trying to get things formulated in my head so I know what direction I am going.

[Sugarmaker]

Dave Y,
You amaze me.
Careful there, you get all that in your head and you will have to go out and get more muskrats! :)

Sounds like you have a plan!

Chris

[sweetwoodmaple]

Yeah, I don't know why he would want to abandon what most of us envy...a sugarhouse attached to your house!!!

I have to get up your way again, Dave. Maybe towards the end of the season when I'm done and you are still boiling.

Take Care.

[Dave Y]

Brian,
Come on up anytime, I wont make you stand out side this time.
Chris, the problem is the more i do maple the less time I have to trap, and that stinks! I fugure if i can get this all worked out I can do both.