vacuum question

[davey]

My sugarbush has no electric running to it and at today's wire prices I can't afford to have a pole put in at the road and then wire out to the woods. What are some of the other options that are available if I wanted to try a vacuum system?

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

davey,
There are several options. You can locate a vacuum pump powered by a gas engine near where you need the vacuum. You could operate an electric vacuum pump near an electric source and transfer the vacuum through plastic pipes. Your choice may depend on just how remote the site you want to put under vacuum is. Last year I ran a gasoline powered pump at one releaser and transfered vacuum via 1" black plastic to another releaser 1200 feet away. Go for it. Vacuum was a real winner for me.
Doug

[maplehound]

I run a 1 1/2 hp vacuum pummp off a 5000 watt generator. by doing so I also have electric for my sap pumps. I can have my sap pumps kick on and off when I am not there as long as the generator is running. When it shuts down i don't ussually need the sap pumps to run since the vacuum isn't going either.

[ennismaple]

We did the same thing as Doug - put the vacuum pump where we had electricity and ran a 2000' - 1.5" dryline to the releaser. Once you factor in the cost of fuel for a generator or a gas or diesel powered vacuum pump it was cheaper to do it this way.

How far is it from the hydro line to where your releaser will be

[brookledge]

I agree with ennismaple alittle more upfront cost for plastic pipe but once it is in it is cheaper than paying for fuel for a generator. And then you have to go to the remote spot to maintain the generator and re fuel it.
Keith

[Parker]

I found electricty in my location to be more expensive that the gas powerd pump,,the elec. co charged me $35 a month for the service and the cost of elec. for the season was $385,,,,,The cost od turning the elec. off after the season was $200 and anothe $200 to turn it on agine,,,,,,the BB-4 or SP-22 will run for about 20-24 hours on 5 gallons of gas,,,,,,,,,,,

[mountainvan]

My 5.5 horse honda, on a alamo pump sucking from 1,000 trees uses 2 gallons of gas a day. Even at $4.00 a gallon that's $240 for the season. For an extra 170 gallons of syrup I can live with that cost.

[ennismaple]

I found electricty in my location to be more expensive that the gas powerd pump,,the elec. co charged me $35 a month for the service and the cost of elec. for the season was $385,,,,,The cost od turning the elec. off after the season was $200 and anothe $200 to turn it on agine,,,,,,the BB-4 or SP-22 will run for about 20-24 hours on 5 gallons of gas,,,,,,,,,,,

Everyone needs to do their own cost benefit analysis to see what's cheaper. In our case the pump for our 550' dryline is at the sugar camp so there was no extra cost to install it other than a bit of wire. The new pump for the 2000' dryline is where we've already got another pump on a separate service and meter base so there was no extra cost there too. Running a vacuum pump with electricity will always be cheaper than gas. It's the cost to get the electricity to the pump and the cost of the dryline that determines which one is cheaper.