Vac pump help?

[caseyssugarshack93]

Guys if i shut my vac pump off when the sap is frozen=How much frozen sap will be absorbed by the tree through the 5/16" drop??

[Russell Lampron]

Nate no sap will go back into the tree when the lines are already frozen. The sap goes back into the tree just as the lines freeze. I watched it happen in my woods. The sap came to a stop in the lateral when it froze up. Further back where it hadn't froze up yet the sap stopped moving toward the mainline and then went backwards. I saw it go right back up the drop and into the tree.

[KenWP]

So it stands to reason that if you had a thousand trees and each tree sucked back even one ounce you loose a 1000 ounces of sap.Which is 7.5 gallons you lost each time you turned it off.

[Haynes Forest Products]

GREED thats all it is pure and simple GREEDY maple trees. So the question is I have 1125 taps and if

1) I install the new check valve taps what will the cost be and how long will it take to recoup the money.

2) We are being told that the tree will produce more sap with new taps every year thats alot of money

3) All check valves have a certain open or close pressure what is that and how will it effect natural flow when the vac pump is off.

4) if new clean taps give the highest yeald what will a tap that has a check valve in it that hides bacteria do

[maple flats]

I have 2 of the leader valves and i would think the close pressure (vacuum) and open pressure will be almost zero, the check valve is check ball is only about 1/8" plastic and moves quite freely within the little caged fingers that retain it.
As for payback, If you buy 100 valves you spend about $40. The projected production gain is about double but I figure it at a 25% gain to be safer. Each hundred taps should give you about 50 gal of syrup, if you get just 1 more gal you paid for the fittings not counting labor to install. Labor I think will only be a second or 2 as you drill a tap hole and twist the fitting on hand tight. A 25% gain should give 12.5 gal or 11.5 after paying for the valves. This math suggests you sell syrup at $40 gal and if you sell retail you surely sell higher, but if bulk wholesale then less. Any way the gain looks very impressive. Remember, Leader claims a 100% gain, or 50 gal more on the 100 taps. Looks Too good to be true but I will surely be getting them, even on gravity.
My numbers using the 25% gain with gravity are, 100 taps = 25 gal syrup, valves added gain (25%) = 6.25 gain. Parts cost 1 gal so i net over 5 gal gain, still worth it. I believe these will actually work on gravity to the same % gain as on vacuum because the tree still goes from + pressure to - pressure with each flow, freeze cycle.

[caseyssugarshack93]

This is my plan, get 3-400 and run the on there own line 1inch 30p right to the relaser and se how they outperform the others,

Russ, do u walk ur woods right after ur shut the vac off to go look at the drop, ( should i be doing this ) ?

[Russell Lampron]

Nate I don't walk my lines when I shut my pump off. I was walking back up a lateral to the mainline when I finished tapping for the day when I saw this happen. I couldn't figure out what was going on at first, then it hit me.

[caseyssugarshack93]

looked at just 1 or a few taps doing that? what do you think,would they all do that or just maybe the weakest link on the whole tubing system and you found the lucky one?