Latex tubing?

[Groves]

Small hobby operation here. 15 residential trees. Not ready for RO.

I use tubing spouts with short tubes to my bucket/milkjug/applejuicecontainer.

My first year I used some tubing from the hardware store. Clear. So stiff in the cold. Hated it.

Seconde year I used latex tubing. Very flexible. Very expensive.

Does the tubing the big boys use have any flex? Does latex provide a bacteria friendly environment?

With these short runs does it even matter what tubing I use?

[maple maniac65]

I have never heard of Latex tubing in the sugaring industry. The first thing that comes to mind is will Latex tubing make some one sick who is allergic to Latex. I switched to a vinal glove when making cotton candy just because of that. When you go to the dentist most now do not use Latex. I did not even think it mattered until a woman who's child was allergic to latex informed me that just the few seconds that the cotton candy was in my hand could be enough to set off the allergic reaction in her child. Allergies are a major topic in the food industry. That is one reason why the FDA is now looking at sugarhouses. What my Grandparents used in the sugarhouse may not be acceptable now in the food industry. As we invite more and more city folk to the country to view and BUY our product, we have to be careful what we are serving them or we are liable in today's world of a Lawyer.

[brookledge]

Groves
The best thing you can do is buy one box of tubing. That clear stuff from a hardware store is not made to do what you are doing. One box (500') will do between 30 and 50 taps depending on how far your trees are apart. The semi rigid like 30P will not sag and will last along time and will resist bacteria growth on the inside better than vinyl like you were using.
Keith

[Groves]

Thanks for the replies.

I think that something less rigid would be helpful, actually, but I do like the antibacterial part.

Maybe I should use spouts with built in 90degree angles instead of the clear seasonal spouts that I was planning on.