Reel type tubing washer

[Maplebrook]

I am planning to build a tubing washer where the tubing (removed from the trees) is wound onto a reel and washed in a large tub. Got the idea from the Maple Syrup Producers Manual (page 68 of 1996 edition)
I have an electric motor now - 3450 rpm 3/4 horse
Any suggestions for gearing? It obviously needs to be reduced.
Darren

[Sugarmaker]

Maplebrook,

How many taps are you going to be doing this with?

I take my tubing down each year (rented roadside trees) and being as careful as I can with 20 taps on a string of 5/16 tubing about 80 feet long: its about like handling Christmas lights only X 4! I have about 30 of these short run gravity systems.

I would be interested to see what you have in mind!

I am not to old to observe things, I just may be to old to change:)

Seems you might have to go very slow?

I just wind mine like a extension cord around my hand and elbow and then wrap the bundle with electrical tape. It is washed, rinsed, and blown dry in the bundle, hung till next year. HEY maybe that's why I don't have Christmas lights on the house:)

Regards,
Chris

[Maplebrook]

I currently have 8 - 100' lines with 10-15 taps on each. Expansion of taps is currently dependent on a more effecient way to clean the tubing, hence the plan for the washer.
Before, I would lay out all the tubing on the ground and pump hot water from the house through and unplug spiles fron the tee plugs along the line. Used enormous amounts of domestic hot water.
Chris, how do you wash your bundled tubing?
Hmmm...may try hanging the tubing fron the eaves this festive season and let Mother Nature clean it for me...
Darren

[maple man-iac]

I collect sap from roadside trees as well. I utilize gravity tubing. I use 3/4 tubing with a saddle at each tree. I may have between 20 to 150 taps on a system. My method for washing out the tubing is as follows and works very well and extremely quick. I wash the tubing while it is still installed. I use clean water, no detergent or chemicals. I leave the taps in the tree. Install a ball valve assembly in the closed position at the lowest end at the collection tank. I fit the upper end of the tubing to the discharge end of my pump. I pump the fresh water from my sap transport tank into the tubing. I pull the first tap on the uphill end. Let that line rinse for a few seconds then cap it off. Then move onto the next tap working my way to the lowest end. Once I get to the end I open the ball valve and walk back to the truck and turn the pump off. Then go back threw and uncap the the taps. I let the systems drain for a few days then cap everything again.

[Sugarmaker]

Maplebrook
I bring the tubing to the sugar house in a bundle 20 taps inside the tote that we collect in. All spouts are plugged int to the cups. I use washer (below) and blow pressurized water warm through the tubing. Any water that is used in rinsing the tubing is collected in the tote and I use a little bleach in the tote to wash it last and rinse. Total water consumption per 20 taps is about 5 gallon. I take each spout off and allow water to blast out of it. This water and air will surge the tubing system pulsing through it! I install the spout back on the cup at 90 degree position. after all drops are allowed to rinse. I shut off the water and apply clean air pressure to purge the lines. I take off each spout again and let the air blow out as much water as possible. I install the spout back on the cup in the in line position. I continue until all spouts have bee opened and purged. If I see water in a drop I check that one again.
I hang the bundles of tubing in the rafters till next year.

I built a $20 dollar tubing washer from plans on the trader consisting of PVC, ball check valves, two on off valves, and several hardware fittings. It uses compressed air and tap water. I do not use any cleaners. I do use a good air filter on the outlet from the air compressor.

Remember I am setting in a chair in the sugar house doing this at whatever time of the day feels right.!

Just think if you could combine those tube lights into 5/16 30P you could leave them up all year and just plug them in during the holidays:)

Could you put fiber optics in CDL Four seasons to talk to the sugar house about how each tap is preforming? Could a "smart tee" give you information and GPS location of a vacuum drop in the system?
Stay tuned to a future sugarbush near you!

Regards,
Chris

[swierczt]

Maplebrook
I bring the tubing to the sugagrahouse in a bundle 20 taps inside the tote that we collect in. All spouts are plugged int to the cups. I use washer (below) and blow pressurized water warm through the tubing. Any water that is used in rinsing the tubing is collected in the tote and I use a little bleach in the tote to wash it last and rinse. Total water consumption per 20 taps is about 5 gallon. I take each spout off and allow water to blast out of it. This water and air will surge the tubing system pulsing through it! I install the spout back on the cup at 90 degree position. after all drops are allowed to rinse. I shut off the water and apply clean air pressure to purge the lines. I take off each spout again and let the air blow out as much water as possible. I install the spout back on the cup in the in line position. I continue until all spouts have bee opened and purged. If I see water in a drop I check that one again.
I hang the bundles of tubing in the rafters till next year.

I built a $20 dollar tubing washer from plans on the trader consisting of PVC, ball check valves, two on off valves, and several hardware fittings. It uses compressed air and tap water. I do not use any cleaners. I do use a good air filter on the outlet from the air compressor.

Remember I am setting in a chair in the sugar house doing this at whatever time of the day feels right.!

Just think if you could combine those tube lights into 5/16 30P you could leave them up all year and just plug them in during the holidays:)

Could you put fiber optics in CDL Four seasons to talk to the sugar house about how each tap is preforming? Could a "smart tee" give you information and GPS location of a vacuum drop in the system?
Stay tuned to a future sugarbush near you!

Regards,
Chris

Chris,

I'd like to see the plans for that washer. Can you post a link?

[802maple]

I am planning to build a tubing washer where the tubing (removed from the trees) is wound onto a reel and washed in a large tub. Got the idea from the Maple Syrup Producers Manual (page 68 of 1996 edition)
I have an electric motor now - 3450 rpm 3/4 horse
Any suggestions for gearing? It obviously needs to be reduced.
Darren

We used to have unit like you describe and we geared it down by using a 2 inch pulley to a 18 inch pulley of which we had a 4inch pulley attached to that to a 16 inch pulley as I remember, which should slow it down to somewhere in the range of 95 revolutions. I hope this helps.

Jerry

[Sugarmaker]

Swierczt,

Find a thread and picture by Danno under "tubing washer rentals" I think

My washer is a little different but does the same job. If I need to I can take a picture and post. Just P.M. me.

Chris

[maplesyrupstove]

Here pictures of Sugarmaker washer.

[swierczt]

I found the link, Thanks for your help! Here it is for anyone else that is interested:

http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?t=4429&highlight=tubing+washer

[Sugarmaker]

Yep thats it!
Thanks guys! I couldn't find it or didn't look hard enough for the pictures:) Hell to get old and forgetful. But sometimes I forget I've gotten older:)

Happy washing. These don't look like much but it washes 500 taps.

Regards,
Chris

[lew]

Maplebrook

I have one of those old washers that you are talking about. We no longer use it as we leave everything up in the woods now. Too bad you are so far away, I'd give it to you. Still works fine. Just in the way. We use to wash 6,000 taps with it. If you kept a man busy 10 hours a day, you could wash 1,000 to 1,200 taps a day with it. It sat over a 300 gallon stock tank. If you or anyone else is interested in it, let me know quickly, because I am thinking of taking the motor off of it and trashing the rest.

[Maplebrook]

Thanks for all the replies!
Currently rethinking the tubing washer project:
I have most of the stuff here to build the reel type, and, I didn't realize the compressed air/water manifolds were so simple.
Decisions, decisions!

On the manifold type, do you just hook up the water and air supply and open both valves at once and let them compete? I thought there was a valving system in there that opened one and closed another to create the turbulence.

Darren

[Maplebrook]

Thanks too, Lew, for the offer of the old washer. I'll pass for now.

[Maplebrook]

Well...I rethunk the reel type washer after realizing how simple the compressed air manifold was to build. Made this one up - works like a charm!
To my local maple associates - free for the borrowing if you want to use it.
Comes with complimentary rain pants:lol:
Darren

[Sugarmaker]

Maple Brook,
You made a deluxe version of this unit! Nice job!
Yes it can be a little wet but I think any pressurize washing system has that potential danger:)
Hope it works well for you?
I regulate the air and water flow to get the tubing to start jumping and pulsing during the washing process.
Thanks for the pictures.

Regards,
Chris

[KenWP]

If you could get the dog to help out he would not mind being wet. Where do you find copper back flow valves from. I could use one for one of my projects.

[Maplebrook]

Ken,
Here's the link for the valves. Must be a HH in Quebec?
http://www.homehardware.ca/Products/index/index/Ntt/3150422

Chris, thanks for the compliment!

[KenWP]

Oui nous avons c'est Home Hardware. As a quincaillier it does better then some of the bigger stores for product. I conduit past one everyday on the way home. Never noticed till now that your a paisano instead of from the US makes it easyier to find prouducts that way.

[Sugarmaker]

Maple Brook,
I see you have 5/16 o.d cooper tubing going into the 5/16 plastic tubing that you are going to clean. I just put a 5/16 tap on the end of the washer line and it plugs right into the plastic tubing that you are about to wash. (Although if not seated enough it can come out and you might get another shower):)
I am sure the copper allows a more secure connection to the tubing.

Regards,
Chris C.

[Maplebrook]

Chris,
Thanks for the idea of using the 5/16" spile. I've got lots of them around as I switched back to 7/16" because smaller ones were only giving half the flow - that's probably another topic starter...
The copper is 1/4" OD, just a bit loose inside the tubing so I shoved it on about 12", then bent the copper/sap tubing in an "s" shape and it was secure.
Darren