3/4 vs 1in

[Ridgeland Farm]

what is your opinion on mainline? I am looking at at a 2000-2500 tap bush. Will I be hindering my sap yield by using all 3/4in mainline. If so, where should I use 1in? How many taps can I put on a 3/4in line before It should dump into a 1in line? This will be under vaccum as well. Thanks


Stefan

[sapman]

Stefan, the experts in the Leader catalog say 3/4" max-250 taps, 1"-500, 1 1/4"-900, 1 1/2"-1600. I would definitely pick a corridor to run wet/dry lines out through, then run "lateral mainlines" off of that. 1" wet and dry line may be big enough. You'll get great advice if you call one of the manufacurers.

All the best,
Tim

[Haynes Forest Products]

The woods I took over was a gravity system and the mainlines were all 1/2. We have added alot of taps to the system and new main lines and its all vacuum. There are 300 taps on the 1/2 line and with vac it works fine. Im not saying its the best situation but it works so I would'nt go broke over 1 1/2 poly. I would rather have two 1" lines go to the releaser or 3 than have it all on one big line. I would rather be able to shut valves to see how the differant sections are doing and tap section by section. Plus when it comes to cleaning.

[ennismaple]

Spend the money to size your mainlines properly - it'll pay for itself many times over. If you work out the costs running more mainline and less 5/16 is cheaper than less mainline and more 5/16. The key is to get good vacuum and CFM's to the taphole, not just convey the sap back to the tank. Follow the recommendations in the new syrup producer's manual and you can't go too wrong.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I agree that spending the money the first time on the right size is the best policy. The cost differance between 3/4 to 1" is small the labor is the big thing so do it right.
Now a little chat about Vacuum and CFMs the reason to have a larger size is to get vacuum and sap to coexist in the same pipe. the bigger the size the better chance during big sap flows you will have both high vacuum at the end of the lines "AND" have suffeciant CFMs to move the sap as it enters the latterals. The ONLY time CFMs comes in to play at the tap hole is if you have a leaking tap or alot of gas produced by the tree. A good tight system does not need alot of CFMs it needs high Vacuum.