Need Help with Setting up Vacuum System

[Brush Buster]

I stopped buy a milker supply business last night to get some filters for a milk stainer which he didn't have. I asked about and vacuum pumps and he said he had sold that part of his business. But he had a whole garage full of used vacuum pumps, motors, piping, stands, glass jars and milker parts that he wanted to get rid of soon!! Here I am like a kid in a candy store with several truck loads of equipment and I have know very little about a vacuum system (how it work, equipment reqd., piping) other than what I have read. By the way did you notice I am from Iowa so I just can't go some place to look a system in place. I do need some serious help in deciding what I should do. We are still a backyarder type but we have put up some tubing this year on gravity to see how that works. We wanted to save the time of collecting bags to picking it up in central location ( so far so good). I have always thought of using vacuum system but the cost seemed high for a small operation in the future. Now this equipment has presented itself and seems to good to pass up and kick myself in rear latter.

Please any advise on what and how to do it would be greatly Appreciated.


Randy

[saphead]

Read as much as you can on this site under vacuum,tapping,homemade stuff,etc.,there is a plethora of information.(I like to use that word when I can!) You let the cat out of the bag by mentioning 2 truck loads of stuff...prepare for questions about what you have,what do want to sell,how much,what will shipping be to New England,etc.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[sweetwoodmaple]

Brush Buster - I'm also looking into getting a small vacuum system set up in the next few years.

So, as saphead said...let me know what stuff you have left over and how much $!

Thanks!

[Parker]

BrushBuster--If there are any extra surge sp-22 or sp-11 pumps,I would be interested,,if you have any spacific questions ask,,I only know what I learned here but that worked great for me last year,,Parker

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[Brush Buster]

Sounds like you had a big project with alot more to do. Are you later than we are because we have some trees in the open that have budded.

Thanks again for all of the help I am receiving as I have alot to learn.

I wish we were alot closer to come and help and learn.

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[pegjam]

Parker:

I have a couple sp-11 pumps if your interested, come gettem, (trade for something?). Their're usable. I bought a new conde pump, so I don't need these anymore.

As far as the 2 truckloads of vacuum stuff, make sure you have enough stuff for yourself before you sell any. There are alot of different ways to set up a small vacuum system, other than using a sapreleaser. We would really need a list of what kind of stuff you have, before we can answer any questions on the possibilities your two truckloads of stuff represent. You should write down the #'s of vacuum pumps and look them up to see which one will pull the most CFM's at the lowest HP, also you will need a regulator to contol the vacuum level, something to release the sap into the tank, (if you were lucky enough to get a reciever group, that would do it very well), as well as deciede what you will run the whole outfit with, gas or electric. So you see, we need more info, and then you will get more help than you can deal with, all from people who have had years of experiance dealing with vacuum, good points and bad points. :lol: :lol: :lol:

pegjam

[Brush Buster]

Kevin

I am sure everyone is busy now but we have just wound down with the cleanup to do. When you get a chance to compile the video and send that would be great. We did pull a washer releaser out of the pile and I posted a picture in my gallery. What do you think?

Thanks again for your help.

Randy

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

popst edited

[Mike]

How many Volts does a electric vacuum use?? I have a 2500 watt generator and am wondering if it could run an electric pump and maybe a electric releaser......Thanks

[mapleman3]

Kevin, my pump is not strong enough to overcome the vacuum right away, they can't run together on the line I have out to it,breaker will trip. may try finding a bigger pump(and change breaker), I do have a checkvalve and most of the vacuum stays up but it takes awhile for the pump to get the sap moving, so I figured this was the best way for me.....

Mike, My vac motor is 220, and I'm on a 20amp line(for now) I ran big enough wire to up it to 30 amp if needed. your generator should more than do it.
you shouldn't need an electric releaser unless you want to pump the sap elsewhere, if your vacuum pump will be near the storage tank in the woods just go mechanical.
I go and make sure my sap pump wont freeze everynight, it's only 50 yards from the house so it's easy to check, if you can't be there all the time go mechanical, no worrys of freezing. although you have to turn on your vac anyway if it's on generator or gas...

[Mike]

Jim, Thanks for the info....I may look for a used gas pump...My generator doesn't have 220 :( ...How many gals have you made do far?? Im up to 46 gals.....hope to have over 100 by monday..The vaccum sure makes a diff...My parnter wants to add another 100 or so taps to it......You still want some of the buckets????

[mapleman3]

I'm at around 55 right now and it's slowing a bit... we'll see 8O :wink:

[brookledge]

Randy,
That releaser from bender is a little different than the style I have. If you look at the pictures i had posted you can see how I set it up. The one I have is good for couple hundred taps. But for a small bush it works great. You don't need an electric pump you can set it up to work mechanically. If you want I can answer more questions for you.
Mike,
With your generator Use the formula Watts/Volts= Amps In your case 2600 watts/120 volts gives you 20.8 amps to work with. Another thing to do is look at the tag on your electric motor to see the specs add up evertthing you want to run and that will give you guidence to the size generator you need. Always leave a little room to spare in sizing your generator.
Keith

[brookledge]

Brush Buster,
Did you ever get that glass releaser set up and working?
Keith

[sbmaple]

we too need info on setting up a vacuum/tubing system.we would like to get it set with in the next 2 or 3 years.so for now we want to gather info and equipment we will need.my first question . i have acquired a surge rv pump. the tag says type bb-2.is any one familar will this pump and could tell me cfms ,what its capable of? also what distance and #of taps can you run on 1/2,3/4,1?how many releasers can run off one pump?is there any thing else that can be subsituted for a commercial built releaser?i was told that a zero bulk tank can be used like a releaser dont know.how far can you run lateral lines off of the main line?how many taps per lateral? i have gotten all different answers to thease questions. i have more questions to come

this is a great site and have gained much info from reading much of the posts over the past year as a guest. i believe this the only site of its kind

[mapleman3]

SBMAPLE Are you going to the NY Maple conference in Verona NY next month? That would be the place to get alot of info and be able to ask the folks giving the seminar, great place to go, as for all your questions here, I'm sure you will get alot of help here as well, there are alot of well educated tubing/vacuum guys here with years of experience....Good luck to you :D

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[sbmaple]

thanks for the info .starting to get an idea on were to start.we are going to have to take a day and figure distances and number of taps .im guessing you want to locate the pump/releaser at the lowest point in relation to were your main lines will come together the best.the wet/dry line booster tank sound like what we are going to have to do with section of trees that are quite a bit back from the others .we dont even tap those now.we walked it this weekend as there are no tractor roads yet.this summers project.
i did once see a demonstration on a releaser showing how to isolate vacuum leaks .so a zero bulk tank will work as a releaser? i have one just have to go pick it up.
our sugarbush is in remote location no power any were close.the sugar house near my house so we can power and water.ive heard peaple using honda engines and generators to run pumps. what works the best? we were toying with the idea of using a reefer unit off a semi trailer.removing the compressor and driving a vacuum pump.set the temperature controls like you would to keep the load cool. the newer ones start and stop as needed.i think the older ones ran continously.wondering if this has ever been tried?
i have come across one that runs and controls work but compresor is seized and they junked it.
i would like to go to ny maple conference.but wont able to go this year.might go to leaders open hpuse.thats only an hour away.
i would

[Parker]

I have a surge bb-2 vacume pump that I picked up this summer,,I dont know the cfm's but I would guess not very many,,,,it is much smaller than my surge sp-11 (which is not a big pump but the same style),,I would not try to use it on more than 250-300 taps? the reefer unit idea sounds like a good one,,just find a bigger vac. pump to hook it to. good luck

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[sbmaple]

I also came acrossed a surge 75+.i havent seen it yet im thinking it is a bigger pump than the bb-2? they told me the motor was missing and they broke the pulley trying to take it off the pump. bb-2 was dumped here in the junkyard the guy told me it worked so im not out anything if it cant be used it.
it there something on the oiling system that should be modified ?iwas told by a dealer that dairy pumps wont hold up.although i see alot of people use them.and i was wondering black pvc for mainlines?sombody told me have one guy run sandpaper down the pipe and go right behind him with white spray paint.sun wont bother it as much.all i know black pvc seems to be alot cheaper.
the sugar bush is isolation.its not very far away, 1/2 mile down the road.after you get off the road the front is hemlock and pine.as you work in there afew soft maple .but after that mostly hard maple probally 1/2 mile in. we will definatey need gas powered pump. we need do tubing to save gathering time.hate to tap less trees especially after last years poor season.

[Parker]

The surge 75 is what I have run in the past ,,a much bigger pump capable of handeling 3200 taps(32cfm, 1cfm per 100 taps) on a tight system,,You can remove the oil lines that go into the bearings on each side of the pump and run lines directly into a resivior of new hydraulic oil,,this way the pump bearings are getting clean oil all the time,,not dirty mung that the oil catcher is recycling,,,the surge can be set up in the "Flood" configuration which from what I have herd works better and you can pull more vacume but it is a lot more time and parts to set up,,,as long as you keep your vacume regulator set around 18" of mercury you should be all set,,
,,I would not paint my mainlines unless the were in direct sunlight for a long distance,,you want them to thaw in the morning,,good luck

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

post edited

[sbmaple]

i think i will follow up on the surge 75.that would handle all we want to do for now.what size motor did your pump with?
get it home and see what condition it is in.they said they ran six milking machines with it up until he sold the cows .its probably alitte tired .

[Parker]

I use a 5 horse honda engine,,it is important to use heavy duty pulleys on the moter and the pump,,last year I ran chear aluminum pulleys and they split (a few times),,,right when I needed the vacume the most,,,,when you get the pump head clean it up,, dump kerosean and oil in the air intake and turn it over by hand,,then flip it upside down and turn it over by hand,,this should get most of the mung out of it,,,when you turn the pump over by hand you should be able to hear the vanes drop,,,if they are sticking the fill the pump with mystry oil and let sit,,,,,and repeat the process,,,,,,,,good luck,,,,,clean oil and a vacume regulator are the key to these pumps long lives,,,from what I have seen {having burned a few up)

[sbmaple]

thanks for the tips i'll check that stuff out after i get it home.