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abbott
11-24-2009, 07:25 AM
My 1" mainline with 500+ taps on it comes to the sap house about 2 feet off the ground. I've got about 1.5-2% slope over the whole 2000' length. I have a 1300 gallon tank that is 5' tall. Once you add the releaser on top, the mainline needs to come in at 7' off the ground. I was planning on adding a 6' sap ladder right by the sap house, but am now thinking i should avoid that if possible. My other options are to raise the mainline 5' higher, reducing the slope, or put the releaser and tank in a low spot about 50' from the sap house and pump from there (i plan on pumpung into my evaporator feed tank anyway). I do not have electricity, so i cannot set up a small tank with an automatic pump.

If i don't put in a sap ladder, everything can run on gravity if the pump fails. If i raise the mainline, i have to tap higher if i want everything to work with gravity. If i put the tank in the low spot i have to build a roof over it.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Steve
sapmaple
11-24-2009, 07:46 AM
Steve

I have looked at sap ladders quite a bit but still don't have one, that being said if you are going to pump into your feed tank anyway go with the low spot and save your slope and tapping options
ennismaple
11-24-2009, 12:45 PM
Steve

I have looked at sap ladders quite a bit but still don't have one, that being said if you are going to pump into your feed tank anyway go with the low spot and save your slope and tapping options

I second that motion. You're pumping anyways so move the releaser and tank to the low spot.
abbott
11-24-2009, 04:16 PM
Well, i asked for advice and then didn't wait for it. I took some measurements and decided that i would raise the near end of the mainline. It went relatively well and i think i still have at least a 2 percent slope at the near end of the line. Turns out i should have been more concerned with the slope at the far end, where it was only about 1%. I ended up raising that end as well.
Ridgeland Farm
11-24-2009, 09:23 PM
So now that you have raised your lines how far off the ground are you out near the farthest end? I know its to late now but pumping seems to be much less hassle. This year I will be pumping from my releaser tank almost 1000ft up to the house and probably up 80ft of total elevation. Its a little bit of an expense but its better than fighting the mud with a load of sap.