Running a Small Line

[ScottT]

I have about 10 - 15 Sugar Maples on a small hill on the 80 acre property our sugar bush is on. It's exposed so stronger winds tend to knock our buckets off the trees, or those on the ground.

I'm thinking about experimenting by running 5/15th drop lines from the maples pales to 1/2 main line that runs diagonal down the slope into a large 55 gallon drum.

Note: We don't live near the property, so we check the buckets on Wednesdays and then on the weekend when we boil.

Most of the posts here talk about vacuum and much larger runs of tubing. I'm not concerned about necessarily drawing MORE sap from the tree, just making it easier to collect and not lose any over flow when we are not at the property. If this works, I may try running lines through my larger group of trees on the opposite side of the property. (30-40 trees there).

Any thoughts on this type of set up for a small number of trees?

[Pdiamond]

You said you have 10to 15 trees but not the number of taps. If you use 3/16 the whole way with 5/16 drops you'll create a small vacuum by just using the 3/16 tubing. Just leave about 10' at the end of your run to go into the 55-gallon drum. I have a set-up similar to this out by the road with about 12 trees. On heavy flow days the barrel fills up fast.

[ScottT]

One tap per tree.

How would I tap the larger 5/16 into the smaller 3/16th? Would I need a reducing connector? Are their saddle connectors to go from 5/16th to 3/16th?

Ok, that's a lot of questions....

[Sinoed09]

You can get connectors that go from 5/16 to 3/16 and vice versa and from what I’ve read you can put up to 35-40 taps on a single 3/16” line. The weak point is your barrel though if you only check it on Wednesdays and weekends. Even with 10-15 trees you might want to think about adding a barrel. I think you’ll be surprised at how much sap you can collect, especially if you’ve had buckets knocked off before.

[BAP]

For 10-15 trees, I wouldn’t worry about using 1/2” line. Just run whatever tubing you use down to your barrel. As was mentioned in other replies, using 3/16 can help get more sap by creating natural vacuum. Back in the 70’s and 80’s, we tapped large pasture trees using 5/16 tubing and ran the tubing on the ground from tree to tree and then down to a tank beside the road. Those trees ran a lot of sap due to large tops and the natural fertilizer from the cows.

[DRoseum]

Agree with others - just run a 3/16 line.

[ScottT]

All good advice. Thank you! If this works well on this section of the property, then I might expand to some other areas where the trees are hard to get to because of spring flooding.

[Pdiamond]

You can buy 3/16-3/16-5/16 T's with the 5/16 being for the drop line. Most taps/spiles are usually 5/16, although they are also made in 3/16.

[therealtreehugger]

You referred to buckets on the ground being blown over - I use 5 gal buckets on the ground and put bricks on top of them so they don’t blow over.

[DrTimPerkins]

Agree with others - just run a 3/16 line.

With the caveat that it is only set up where you have a slope. 3/16" tubing on flat ground is NOT a good idea.

[ADK_XJ]

I have about 10 - 15 Sugar Maples on a small hill on the 80 acre property our sugar bush is on. It's exposed so stronger winds tend to knock our buckets off the trees, or those on the ground.

I'm thinking about experimenting by running 5/15th drop lines from the maples pales to 1/2 main line that runs diagonal down the slope into a large 55 gallon drum.

Note: We don't live near the property, so we check the buckets on Wednesdays and then on the weekend when we boil.

Most of the posts here talk about vacuum and much larger runs of tubing. I'm not concerned about necessarily drawing MORE sap from the tree, just making it easier to collect and not lose any over flow when we are not at the property. If this works, I may try running lines through my larger group of trees on the opposite side of the property. (30-40 trees there).

Any thoughts on this type of set up for a small number of trees?

I did something similar several years ago with 3/16th tubing runs of about 25 taps running down a hill with approx 40 feet of total drop to a collection IBC and have added to it each year...it works great. The key is to keep (relatively) straight, tight lines always going downhill and you will get the benefit of gravity on your side pulling the sap through the line (vacuum).

When I built my system, I did 5/16 drops to 3/16 lines using the standard tee connectors but I am now toying with changing to all 3/16th to improve vacuum up to the tap. Either way will be a good alternative to your buckets blowing over.