Saddle Question

[PARKER MAPLE]

ok so im running 3/4in mainline with a wire support. the wire is on top of the main and tied every 12"-2ft. i installed my saddle with the wire runing in the groves for the wire, at the end of my lat i used a lapieere conecter with a hook. i hokked the connecter to the wire and made a short loop to the saddle.

know heres the question, i dont think that its an atiquite flow from the connector to the saddle, it appears to me that where the 5/16 loop hooks to the saddle it lifts the line higher then the connector and slows the flow down.

has anybody every just hokked dirrectly from latt to saddle? will this work, or im up for any suggestions.

maple rookie

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

hooking directly to the saddle puts a sideways pressure on the seal inside the saddle and causes vacuum leaks. That's why we use the hook connector or a slide connector. It looks like the sap is forced to climb (and it is) but trust me, lots of sap will make that climb. Much more than ever came with gravity.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If you can bring your laterals in at a tree, the "Y" forks eliminate this problem and you have downward slope to saddle and you don't have any tension at all on the mainline wire. I don't care for the connectors with hooks on them and use the "Y" forks as they work a ton better.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I try and end at a tree as close to the mainline as possible as WV said it does make the mainline easer to control.

[mapleack]

I've been using the Lapiere "slide tensioners" for over a year and I am very happy with them so far. They hook on the mainline wire to take the tension off of the saddle, tension the lateral and allow quick tightening or loosening of the lateral as necesary. I've used the splice in connectors with hooks, and don't like them because they have no future adjustment for tension. I've also just run laterals straight into saddles and it always leads to problems. Brandon, using the pass through Y at the tree next to the mainline is a good idea, but it won't let you easily tighten the lateral. Another nice thing with the slide tensioners is that it lets you run the lateral to the closest point on the mainline, without a tree being necessary.

[PARKER MAPLE]

I FORGOT TO ADD I DONT HAVE VACUME, ITS ALL ON GRAVITY. IT SEAMS AS IF AS SOON AS IT GETS PAST THE CONNECTOR IT JUST STOPS. MAYBE NOT BUT DOSNT APPEAR TO BE MOVING :mad:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

It looks like it is not moving but if you look close, it is running a small stream out of it likely as there is a solid column in the loop.

[Randy Brutkoski]

To avoid the high loop you need to tap your hole into the mainline at its 2 oclock or at its 10 oclock which will have a more even stream with your lateral line. Thats what i do anyways.

[Brent]

Randy's got it. If you drill the mainline at about 2 oclock on the side opposite the latteral, the loop will lay out just about flat.

If you're on gravity with a decent slope, it shouldn't matter.
If it's coming done the lat, it's going into the mainline.

[northwoods_forestry]

My 3/4" mainline is set up the same as yours and I haven't had a problem getting the sap through the loop just on gravity. Even my more marginal laterals with barely 5% grade and only 2 or 3 taps still push sap through the loop.

[maple flats]

The loop is supposed to be there. When you get a good flow going you will see a colunm of sap/bubble/sap/bubble/ etc. At that time you will be able to verify sap flow easily. This applies to both gravity and vac. Once you do get vac, this is where you check for leaks in each latteral. If you see a nowmal profile of sap/bubble/sap/bubble everything is good and you go on to check the next line. However, if you see a much faster parade and mayby much bigger bubbles or lots of tines ones you have a leak and you need to go up that lateral and find the leak. When you do find it you will either hear a hissing or see a fitting or tap with lots of bubbles entering the line. That is your leak. If you have good rise on your latterals because of steep hills you will see this even on gravity because of natural vacuum. If you are on a rather flat plane leaks will be much harder to find on gravity but usually you still can. Keep hooking them exactly like you have. If in doubt, refer to the bible (North American Maple Producers Manual). This is how they show tubing being hooked up. That loop with a little climb helps you evaluate the condition of that latteral.

[Brent]

Don't forget that there is considerable pressure behind the sap flow.
A pressure guage mounted on a tap and seated in a ta phole will go from a maximum of about 18-20 psi during a good day to a vacuum at night.

The flow rate is very small of coarse, but the pressure can be surprizing and it will push the sap around the loop, with or without the help of gravity.

Remember also that your flow rate will likely never get up much above a drop a second without vacuum. That will not translate into many inches per minute inside the tubing.

[PARKER MAPLE]

well whats happening is the 5/16 lat line looks like its full still, but when i go to the tank there nothing to show. i mean am i rushing this . or should the sap as soon as it hit the main be expected to flow emeadatly down..

[Brent]

gee it sounds to me like the saddle missed the hole you drilled in the mainline.

release the cinchlock and pull the saddle off to check it ...
maybe too late today to get any real flow, but it might show a blockage or a miss

[PARKER MAPLE]

yeah you know thats what ive been thinking this whole time. but i was trying to eliminate all the other possibilties before having to take anything apart.if i remember right these saddles take a 5/16 hole in the mainline correct???

thanks to all
m/r