Growing tubes

[Brent]

So I must have fallen asleep in the chapter of our bible that would have told me that today, my first year tubing install, that looked almost perfect yesterday, would look like spagheti today.

Is it so normal for tubing to grow and stretch when it gets full for the first time ????

Should I be expecting this to go on for some time or just day 1 ??

The good news is we got 120 gallons from 150 taps. Buckets and bags are on hold for now.

[ennismaple]

What type of tubing are you using? Semi-rigid will sag very little if it was put up tight. I see very little difference in the sag between the lines I put up in July vs those put up in January. Our older green lines will be straight as an arrow when it's cold and sag like crazy when it's warm.

[Brent]

I got new light blue tubing that came from a local Leader dealer, I think they are Lamb. When I put them up they were good and tight. When the sap started flowing they seem to have absorbed moisture and lengthened.

The 3/4 was supported with ties about every 3 feet so I don't think is was a sag issue so much as the tubing elongating. I have to pull about 1 extra foot through to the ends of each mainline section.

PS hope to meet you this summer when you host the OMSPA tour.

[mapleack]

Brent, if you're talking about 5/16 sagging, invest in a tubing tool and stretch it tight as heck when you put it up, no more sags. If you're talking about 3/4 mainline suspended from wire, you should have a wire tie every foot at the most. If the wire ties are farther apart than that you get snakes and dips in it for sure.
- Andy

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Or for mainline, 6" or less with wire ties is better in my opinion.

[Big maple]

that semi rigid is good stuff. we had it so tight it was vibrating in the wind. We only had little sags after the first run but nothing that couldn't be adjusted at the end fitting.

[Russell Lampron]

If you are talking about mainline the heat will make it snake up. You need to have it tied off at each end to hold it in place. I put a ratchet tensioner on each end of mine to keep them tight.

[peacemaker]

and u probally set them when it wasway below frezzing now that is warm it sags i have done that and had to cut 2 feet out