Ultra Violet sap light questions

[Bucket Head]

I need some questions answered about my UV light that I plan on using this spring.

Its rated at 7 gallons per minute. So I need a pump that pumps no more than 7 gpm? Five gpm would be fine, but a pump with 10 gpm would be too fast and the sap would not get treated fully because of the speed?

What if a guys sap unloading point is higher than the holding tank? Mine is not, I'm just wondering here. Can the UV lights be gravity fed? Is that 7 gpm rating for pumped or not pumped sap?

How do you UV light users use yours? Where do you have your light? Before or after a pump? Higher or lower than the holding tank? Any "do's and don'ts" for these things?

Any advice on these things would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

Steve

[3rdgen.maple]

Buckethead I have no experience with running uv with sap but I do have experience running uv on my koi ponds so I will tell you what I know.
First off 7gpm is 7gpm pumped or gravity. So It does not matter as far as that goes. If you are pumping it and say you have a 20gpm pump put an inline vavle in the system to regulate flow. It will not hurt the pump as long as there is sap in the system to keep it cooled. I would take a pail and mark it a 7 gallons and adjust the valve until it takes a minute to hit that mark. Also 7 gpm is the max effeciency of the model you have so less than 7 is not a bad thing either. Last thing I can think off is the ones I have are inline before the filters after the pump and if they run dry they get hot in a hurry as the pond water cools thems so do not run them dry for very long and remember if you have them lower than the tank or setup in a way that sap remains in them make sure they are not in a situation where they can freeze cause cost of the bulbs as you know are not cheap.

[brookledge]

You are ging to get best performance after it is filtered. So the way I use mine is pump it from my releaser through an inline filter and then through th UV light. Mine is 11GPM max. I use a centrifical pump and everything is in a heated room so I don't have to worry about freezing
you definately want your UV light protected from freezing temps.
Keith

[Brent]

From everything I have read about UV in sap you need to cut the rate about in half. Sap absorbs UV a lot faster than water. UV systems that are built for sap have much smaller distance from the bulb wall to the outside wall so the exposure is better. From everything I could learn you need to spend a minumum of about $750 bucks to get on that will be really effective. The SAPSAVER guys want about $ 3000. for theirs.

Funny thing, after doing all the research I have found that we can't make enough medium to satisfy our customers. Most want medium and many ask for dark. Most will take the light only after the medium is sold out.

We may get a bad year that makes me change my mind, but after doing if for 5 years now, I'm beginning to think about how I can make more medium or dark.

[dschultz]

Brent,If you mix your light and dark syrup together it will be dark

[Brent]

that's going to be tough.

never made any dark in 5 years