bulk tank fittings

[ejmaple]

i have a 400 gal ss bulk tank open top that came with a valve on the bottom drain. i 've been to multiple plumbing supply stores with no luck in finding any fittings to fit the valve. i would need a halve union female side, it looks to be 1 1/2 inch but would like to reduce it to 3/4. any sugestions would be appraciated.

[mapleack]

Milk tanks are a special milk thread. Find a farm supply co that carries them. Or do like a lot of guys and get someone to weld a stainless nipple on the outlet to convert it to a common pipe thread size.

[sugarmaker43]

I have several old milk tanks for storage. What I have done is gone to the auto parts store and bought a small length of "food grade" radiator hose that will slip over the threads tightly and clamped the hose to the threaded fitting. Then you can reduce by using say a 1 1/4" to 3/4" plastic or steel water fitting on the other end. Cheap and easy. Good luck.

[ejmaple]

thanks for the replys

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Fernco fitting. It is a rubber fitting that will clamp on the end and onto another pipe. Mine goes to PVC and is reduced from there.

[Haynes Forest Products]

As stated about the Fernco if you get a PVC reducer with 1"-3/4" inside pipe thread it will work. The same thing on the cage totes they have a funky type of thread.

[maplemat1]

try taking a 1 1/4 hose barb plastic fitting heat it up with a heat gun or torch and tap it into the hole then you can adapt to any fitting you want . i have done this with great sucess.

[PerryW]

I also use 1-1/2" Fernco's for my 600 gal stainless and I use a Ferco to drain my 425 gallon plastic tank into a 1-1/2" Plastic Line.

http://www.fernco.com/img/intro_side_flexible_couplings.jpg

http://www.fernco.com/

I also use 1-1/4 Fernco's for my smaller tanks to grab onto a sink drain fitting/

[ejmaple]

just got done working out side and i was able to heat up a peice of 1 1/2 inch flex pipe (tiger flex) over the threads and clamp it. from their i put a 1 1/2 inch union than reduced to 3/4 inch and ran mainline into shack to anouther union than to the float box. thanks again for the replys. can't wait for maple season, this is the first year that i'll be all rigged up so all i'll have to do is tap and wait. this will probly be the last year with my current evaporater. with 250 taps this year and plans for anouther 150 next year i'll need to up grade to a 2x6 or 2x8. this maple addiction is strong!!

[maple flats]

Fernco will likely be the cheaper route but you can call Eatern Crown Inc. in Vernon, NY at 315-829-3505. They likely have the part. If you need the whole valve or repair parts call Fisher Farms dairy and automation Supply at 315-697-7039. Either will need to know the make of the tank. I like another route. Call Eastern Crown and get a plastic nut to fit your valve or tank (thread should be the same) and order a plastic milk draw adapter. This is just a plastic spout that will fit on using the plastic nut and from there you can use flexable vinyl heavy wall tubing (mild line hose), cut into 3-4-6" pieces as appropriate and use as couplings with hose clamps to connect copper, valve etc. They have at least 2 sizes, 3/4" and 1", maybe others as well.

[3rdgen.maple]

Food grade radiator hose???? I learn something new everyday.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Isnt that like safe bullets:rolleyes:

[gmcooper]

Check with www.partsdeptonline.com
They may have the fittings

[northwoods_forestry]

I've been dealing with the same milk tank connection problem. It's called a "sanitary thread", is specific to milk tanks, and is typically 1 1/2" and occasionally 2". I found an adapter called a "handi valve milk tank tapper" for $55 from the Family Milk Cow Dairy Supply Store:

http://www.familymilkcow.com/servlet/the-74/HANDI-VALVE-1.5-INCH/Detail

It reduces the tank valve to a heavy 3/4" hose like a filter press hose and has a shut off valve. Just ordered one today so I'll let you know how well it works by the end of the week.

[markct]

on a milk pasturization tank i just bought i had the same thing, that funny thread, was gona buy the adapters from mcmaster carr but the valve wasnt in the best of shape either, so took the simple route and unbolted the whole valve from the tank and made a flange and tig welded on a 1 inch pipe nipple so now i just have to thread on a standard ball valve.

[northwoods_forestry]

No such luck for me. The tank outlet valve on mine is integral to the tank, not a bolt on. It would take more welding know how than I've got (which isn't much to begin with) to change it out.

[PerryW]

I use the Fernco fittings for everything including the special fitting on my milk tank. The are like a short radiator hose w/ ss. clamps.

[northwoods_forestry]

I read through this thread when I got the tank and I looked at those fittings you recommended, but I wasn't sure I would be able to get a good seal. The thread width on the tank valve is only about 1/4" to 3/8" so there isn't much to put a hose clamp on. I also went with the handi-valve because it brings it right down to 3/4", which is the size of the feed line I'm running it into.

[maple flats]

At $55 you are paying far too much. Call Eastern Crown Inc. @ 315-829-3505 as posted in reply #10 above. The adapter is much less. I paid about $7 for the spout adapter and $16 for the nut. From there you can use either 7/8 ID vinyl tube or 1 1/8 ID depending on which spout you got. The vinyl tubing is milk tubing (food grade) and hose clamps convert to copper to go to the evaporator. After I entered the sugarhouse (outside tank mounted 12" higher than float box) I put a tee pointed up and a long piece of vinly tube for a site guage. I marked lines at every 10 gal near bottom and every 20 gal higher up. Then I have a black line for get ready to shut down and a red line for shut down now! If you do this make the gauge tube as high as possible or even return it to the bulk tank. I also have my input teed into this line thru my UV and from there it either goes to the evap or the bulk tank as needed and when the pump is running sap shot out the top until I added more tubing. It is now right into the peak at about 14' above the floor.

[killingworthmaple]

There is a maple dealer in CT that makes the fitting you are looking for out of schedual 60 plastic food grade material. I was there this week he said they were $55. Lamothe's sugar House 860-675-5043.

[markct]

No such luck for me. The tank outlet valve on mine is integral to the tank, not a bolt on. It would take more welding know how than I've got (which isn't much to begin with) to change it out.

realy not that difficult to change, i have a 150 gal round bottom milk tank that the outer steel shell had rusted out on, so i cut it off about 4 inches below the top and made an angle iron frame to fit it with skids. i took and cut off the 1 1/2 inch size sanitary thread fitting (milk tank thread) and simply slid a 1 inch stainless pipe nipple inside it so i could attach a valve and tig welded it, you could use mig, or even a stick welder if you wanted to, its thick enough for that.

[markct]

oops forgot to add the picture, sorry i dont have a closeup of the nipple