5/16" up hill

[backyardsugarer]

I had to run my mainline a certain way in the wood to go with the terrain. It left 3 or 4 nice sized 3 tap maples on the low side. Without hiking the lateral line way up the tree I was able to get it to run almost level (very slight uphill). I will be on vac (18"-20"). I guess my question would be will these trees produce? The lateral run is only 10 -15 feet.

Chris

[lmathews]

Absolutely!

[Maplewalnut]

Chris,

They'll run, may be a little slower to thaw in the morning since you may have some hold up that frezzes up but my real question is how do you have 3-4 3 tap trees and only a 10-15 ft lateral?

[backyardsugarer]

They are 3 seperate locations. So each of them will get their own saddle.

[Jeff E]

That will work great, I wouldn't think any real loss. Watching my sap ladders work, lifting sap up 12' with only 1-2" of vac loss, I can tell you it will be fine!

I am starting to think as long as the main lines have good vac and good, even slope (no sags filling tube with sap) the laterals will pull sap. usually the sap in these looks like bubbles working their way along, not a stream. I have been a lot less concerned with insuring the laterals have a steady downhill slope. That is still best, but not a show stopper.

[maplwrks]

I have a couple places in my woods where I tap trees below the main. I have run from tree to tree and shot straight up to the main, and I've also "barber poled" the line around a tree until I got it up to where it would run down into the main. Both work real good!!

[backyardsugarer]

Eventually I will put in a small sap ladder, but with time being short and a lot of woods to get to I will go with the slight uphill method for this year.

Chris

[maplemaple2020]

of coarse they will especaily with a vac:lol:

[mapleack]

Here's an idea for this situation that struck me today in the woods, let me know what you think. Would there be any advantage, if you have say 6 taps that are 6 or 8 feet below the mainline, to do a mini two pipe ladder using 5/16? I was thinking about just ending the lateral at the lowpoint, with two T's upside down one after the other, then run 5/16 up the tree 8 ft to two more T's, then flow down to the mainline. This would be easy and cheap. Would it work better than just running the lateral uphill to the main. Has anyone tried this, will it work better, variations on the idea?
Thanks!

[backyardsugarer]

I like that idea. I don't know why it would not work. Once we get some feedback I may try that.

Chris

[Russell Lampron]

On the upper ends of some of my mainlines I have laterals that are lower than the mainline and the vacuum pulls the sap up just fine.

Somebody try that mini 2 pipe ladder and let us know how it works. It sounds like it should to me. I have a spot where I can try it myself if I get the time to plumb it in. I will let you know if I do.

[mapleack]

We finally got around to installing a two pipe 5/16 ladder just before dark tonight. It has 5 taps on it and a lift of about 7 feet. The trees were running hard when we tapped it, and it worked great until all the air was out of the lateral, then it slowly filled both lines and continued to work. I'm planning on going back and drilling a 1/64 hole near the end of the lateral to allow a leak in to help the ladder work better. It sure made me grin to see it work. To build it, I ran the lateral to the low tree, securing it with a loop of prolock 1/2" poly chain around the tree, which was then looped through the hook attachment on a Lappier Slide tensioner, this let me tighten up the lateral nice an tight. Then the lateral continued around the back of the tree, with two drops cut in. I ended the lateral with with two T's upside down about 3 inches apart. I then wire tied this T section to the polychain to hold it down. After the second T I added a quick disconnect coupler with a cap on the end so I can take it apart to drain the lateral at the end of the season. From the two T's I curved two 7 ft pieces of 30p up the tree and into the sides of another T. I anchored this to the tree with another loop of the Prolock polychain. From there I ran downhill to the mainline, tensioned it off with another slide tensioner and tied it into the mainline. All in all the setup was easy and I think it will work great with a slight on purpose leak. I'll try to take some pic and / or video this weekend and I'll update this thread when I do.