Cleaning the New Taps.....

[Dave Lister]

So, I have read much on the Trader about the new taps and all.
I was thinking of buying some before the snow fly's, and it dawned on me.
How will these things be cleaned? With a check valve ball thinger to prevent liquid from going back out, how will water from the bottom of the line make its way out the tap to clean it come April? Do you have to go to each tap and push the ball in and wait for the water to make its way from the main line?

Tim

[brookledge]

The adapters are just that. They adapt onto the end of a stubby tap. So for cleaning you take the adapter off and if you want to be enviromentally friendly take the adapters out of the woods to throw them away other wise toss them on the ground.
Keith

[KenWP]

You would just take and soak them in disenfectant and away you go for next year. I can't see throwing them away when they can be washed. There are lots of good food safe disenfectants that would work well.

[brookledge]

I'm frugal and have always washed and boiled my straight adapters but as I looked at the new adapters with the check valve it will be much harder to clean them and if they don't seat then what is the point of using them.
At this point I will not be using them again, one time and replace. I may change my mind but not at this time
Keith

[Randy Brutkoski]

If you want more sap, the best thing to do is to throw them away and replace with new. You cannot get all of the bacteria out of them, no matter what you do. Also i am worried about if a ball gets stuck shut or whatever that it wont yield any sap. Hard telling during the season what is going on in the spout when tapped. I hope they work because i am using 3 to 4000 of them thi coming year. We will see.