pop on sap filter diameter

[tuckermtn]

I'm looking to order some lower micron filters for the pop-on sap filter I got from Bascoms...does anyone know what diameter the plastic top is? I'd go measure, but I'm 3000 miles from my sugarhouse..

Granger has some in 20 packs...

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/4BB74

should last me a few years..

thanks-

[325abn]

Whats a pop on sap filter??

[tuckermtn]

check about half way down this page...

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/05-031.htm#typesfilters

we have ours mounted just above our feed tank...

[hydrogeo]

The one I got from Bascoms last year (white plastic about 1/4" thick with an 1-1/4 hole) measures 6-3/8" OD on the smaller diameter where the filter seats and 7-1/8 OD on the outside edge.

[325abn]

I filter the sap using a prefilter when we dump it into the gathering tank and then I just wire a prefilter onto the end of the pipe I use to tranfer from my gathering tank to my bulk tank.

[Russell Lampron]

I use the pop sap filter in my bulk tank. It is the same size as the hole for the milk strainer in the top of the tank. I just bend the wire ring in the filter so that the filter doesn't fall into the tank.

Russ

[tuckermtn]

thanks for the specifics hydrogeo...anything new for your set up this year?

cheers-

tuckermtn

[brookledge]

I've seen the 50-100 micron pop ons but wouldn't the pressure be to high and pop off the filter if you where to try to use a low micron rated pop on like a 5-10 micron? I know that my pump pushes atleast 60-70psi when the cartridge filter begins to plug up and the flow slows way down.
Keith

[gearpump]

The diam. is 7" x 16 inches long. Usually a standard #1 size. The ones I use are 5 micron and it's on my 2 inch pump. They hold up good to pressure and have not blown off or ripped, even when the throttle is pegged wide open. I get them thru MSC at work. I think they are Parker brand bag filters. The 5 micron does wonders for cloudy sap towards the end of the season.

Marty

[Brent]

The diam. is 7" x 16 inches long. Usually a standard #1 size. The ones I use are 5 micron and it's on my 2 inch pump. They hold up good to pressure and have not blown off or ripped, even when the throttle is pegged wide open. I get them thru MSC at work. I think they are Parker brand bag filters. The 5 micron does wonders for cloudy sap towards the end of the season.

Marty

Marty I found those filters on MSC and then went to the Parker web site to get more details ... bad idea ... like trying to find info on a governenment web site.

I see the cartridges to hold them are very expensive like $1100. How do you hold them?

Do you need to pressure pump through them or just gravity ?

And the question I could not find on Parker's site, do you wash and re-use them ????

Thanks.

[gmcooper]

I used the Parker filters for sap and syrup (not the same filter one for each). Used them for several years. I think I had 5 micron for syrup and 20 micron for sap. After getting filter press I used the remaining 5 microns for sap. The are somewhat washable. Like any flter you have to be carefull cleaning them. and no soap. I got mine from Grainger in boxes of 20 I think. Price was reasonable a few years back. On syrup they did a better job than the felt i thought. We packed some in glass and I had one Leaf that stayed under the counter for couple years and never saw any sediment in the bottom.

If you used them for sap you can run a lot of sap thru them before plugging them up.
Mark

[lmathews]

Not to be foolish,what is MSC?And as someone else asked how do you hold them on?

[Brent]

MSC used to be Manhattan Supply Corp

See http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm

[gearpump]

The filters I use are just like what the dealers call the "pop sap " filters. Just instead of the 100 micron, they are the 5 microns.

[3% Solution]

Gearpump or anyone,
Do you pump sap into this filter or is it gravity?
I am planning on picking up a Pop Filter, so as to filter my sap as it goes into my overhead tank that feeds the evaporator.
I pump up into the tank with an electric pump for a garden hose.
Thanks for input!

Dave

[tuckermtn]

I pump up and through the filter (with a WX 10 Honda 1"pump) ...I filter as it enters my 130 gal feed tank...looking to go to the 5 micron like gearpump...
each one seems to have a GPM rating so I'll buy one of the ones with a pretty high flow rate..

here is the grangier one I'm looking at

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/4BB74

grangier is cheaper, but

Mcmaster Carr has a better description than gangier... (type in item number 51595K52 at mcmaster.com

I think the polypropelen ones are FDA compliant...

[3% Solution]

Hi Tuckermtn,
Thanks, I guess it will handle my little pump then.
We used a cone filter last year and really like the way the sap looked coming into the float box!!
Excuse for asking but why in the world are you in BC?
OOOps there goes the snow off the roof again, got to shovel the steps!!!!
Thanks again!!

Dave

[tuckermtn]

3% - My family and I are living in a small town in southern BC...my wife has a one year sabbatical from teaching - we wanted to live in a different country for the year- but not one where we had to learn a different language, eh...just got my work visa, doing some timber frame carpentry for a local shop...

I'm going to do a week long blitz back in NH at the end of the month to do all the sugaring prep/cleaning/tapping then the guy I sugar with will run the operation for the rest of the season...back for good in August...

[Brent]

MSC have 1, 2.5 and 10 micron FDA approved bags at $ 21, $ 20 and $17 dollars. Made by Parker and look the same as the Grainger

7" x 16 1/2" bu the MSC have flow rates on only 25 GPM

but at nearly 1/3 the price ..... of Grainger

[tuckermtn]

Grangier has a package of 20 filters - 5 micon 90 gpm 7" x 16.5 " for $72.85, or $3.60 per filter. not including shipping.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

They are about $ 5.00 @ from the maple guys if you only want to buy one and need other stuff too.

[3% Solution]

Tuckermtn,
Wow, just looked on the map, population 3802!!!!!
Well that must be about the same as Andover.
Wife and I went to Montana in "98", that is pretty country out there!!
Let us know how those silvers work out for you!!
Stay safe.

Dave

[Brent]

I appreciate all the feedback on these filters.

I have been reading the info available.( don't bother going to Parker's site, there is nothing there)

FDA approval, ring material, bag sizes, micron rating, flow rating ... it's an information overload.

I have been considering either a bag filter or a DE filter. I use a big DE on my pool and think the smallest pool DE filter would be more than enough. I have seen pool filters rigged up with stainless pumps in some maple suppliers stores.

The ongoing costs of running DE are very low. So the question is, with a 5 micron filter on a sap line, how long will it last?

Roughly how many bags do you need for a season ??
for how many gallons ??
do they last so long you never bother to wash them ... just toss them. ???

[tuckermtn]

I have not used a 5 micon filter yet, but have used the same sized 100 micon filter that you get from the maple suppliers

we typically use one a year- somethimes washing halfway through the season with just hot water...we put probably 5000 gal of sap into it last year.

While I suppose you could wash and run it year after year, I just toss my after each season...

but we'll see if there is much of a difference with clogging, etc. on the smaller micon filters...

[gearpump]

The great thing about filter bags is after one day's use you throw it away. No washing and no bacteria to be left for the next day's run. DE filters work good, but the bacteria remain's in the filter. I usually get about 30 bag filters. The first couple of runs I might use only one, after that it gets changed everyday.

[Brent]

the "toss it" appeal of bags ranks high. But 1 micro FDA approved bags are pricy. Round about $20 and one a day is too much in my mind.

Anyone out there running sap through a 1 micron bag that can tell us what the life cycle is like.

I really want to snag a lot of the bacteria in the filter if I can. I also want to put the sap through an RO which means at least a 5 micron filter.

A 40 lb bag of DE would last a season at $ 50 bucks. But I think it would need flushing and re-charging every day, maybe every other day, which is a pain. On the other hand if you start up and recycle the sap for a couple minutes, the DE would take out all the resident bacteria and you could then open the valve to you DE and reserve tanks.

HMmmm

[H. Walker]

I have gone through the sap filter dilema.
-Bag filters HAVE to be sanitized every day or you are contaminating fresh sap with old bacteria.
-DE filters are not approved for food service yet as they are ment for pools only and as stated earlier there is the potential for cross contamination with old bacteria. They are also freeze prone.
-The inline filters are geat but the cartrages have to be canged every day.
-My choice (new this year) is the Lapierre 24" canister filter with the 1 micron cloth and 5 micron prefilters. Washable, reuseable cloth filters.

That's my veiw on filters. I've had a quite steep learning curve this year to meet the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) to qualify for Government funding.

[tuckermtn]

we use our sap bags only as we pump into the feed tank....maybe I'm not right in this assumuption, but since the sap is only in the feed tank for 2.5 hours at the most (130 gal feed tank, 50 gal evaporation rate) then I don't worry too much about bacterial contamination...but again, I might be naive...

I wish I had a hood/preheater on our 2.5 X 8 so I could get hot rinse water in our sugarhouse...then I would be much more dilligent about washing/rinsing tanks and filters...would certainly be cheaper then running a waterline out there...

-tuckermtn

[Brent]

Thanks for that input. Do you think LaPiere make them or buys the likes of a Parker or Pentek canister and puts their trade mark on it

see http://www.pentekfiltration.com/filter_housings.asp

at the bottom are the stainless FDA units

[Brent]

Tuckermtn

With our new 2 x 6 coming, with a hood and preheater, I think we're going to get a lot of days with too little flow. (even though we got lots of good eastern sugars, not them western silvers eh !!)

We are increasing out tap count from 80 buckets last year to over 200 this year, I still think we're going to need to store some overnight. Also need to show up at the day job more often than last year. Sorta got myself boxed in here.

I'm not so sure how big a factor "yesterdays" bacteria are. Like I said about the DE, if you start it up on day two, maybe dump the first bucket or two that comes through, then the filter 'should' be trapping most of the little critters. Maybe re-cycle through the filter a couple times before sending it downstream.

[Brent]

Well I ordered some 1 micron and 5 micron filters from McMaster Carr.

I'll let you know how well they work out. First effort will be to put them in the top of the collection tanks on the back of the Gator ( 2 X 35 gallons. ) These have a 5" hole in the top that will be perfect for the #1 size filters.

The big question will be how fast they get plugged up, and then how stable the collection / trapping is while I'm driving around. The agitation may cause the bacteria to migrate through the filters before I get back to the sugar shack. If this turns out to be a problem, I'll put a coarse strainer on the collection tanks and the 1 or 5 micron on the storage tanks. Then I may find gravity feeding not good enough and have to put some pump pressure in front of them. We'll see how it goes.

By the way, while on the McMaster web site I ordered a bunch of hoses and fittings. The range of products these guys offer is astounding. Almost half a million stock items and almost all of it in stock for same day delivery. At first I was thinking they must have spent a buck and item pto put up the web site. Then, when I got into the tubing fittings and saw the multiple levels of interaction as you define the material, ID, OD, re-inforcing etc etc I think my initial estimate is out 10 fold. Then I noticed today, after booking the orders, when you return to the site, the status of your current order pops up on the top line with links to the courier. One hell of good job.
Must have cost them $ 5 to $15 to put each item up. Do the math. Millions.

[saphead]

I've used McMaster Carr for years @ work,multiple thousands of $/yr.,can't ask for a better company to deal with! Trying to find a particular name brand @ times can be tough but I just ask them and they look it up.They will call a supplier while your on hold if you have a question!

[Brian Ryther]

I also use MCCarr almost every day at work. I build processing plants, around the country. If you can think of it they have it.

[Lwood]

I purchase from Mcmaster almost every day also. The selection is spectacular. You will pay a little more when purchasing from them versus other suppliers but when I order 90 percent of the time I have the order in my hand the next day. You pay the extra for them stocking it. Well worth the price in my book.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Are they the ones that sell the same type of bit as the Canadian tapping bit bascom sells for $21??

[saphead]

No, that would be MSC. The gov. listed the part # some time ago, I never did check it out though.