Electric extractor

[Mark]

Has anyone seen or have a picture of the electric extractor with the pump inside designed to overcome the problems with high vacuum? I think it was Maple Pro that had a few in the field this year.

[red maples]

What are the problems with high vac? besides more leaks.

[DrTimPerkins]

What are the problems with high vac? besides more leaks.

At high vacuum levels, pumps in electric releasers have difficulty (or are unable to) overcoming the low pressure (vacuum) in the system to pump the sap out of the releaser.

[maplecrest]

mark i am in the process of building my own. there are many in the field custom made. the 3 i am making is with 12x36 booster tanks with a sta-right #7 deep well pump and float switch. you need to drill a small hole in the top of the out pipe that squirts a small amount inside canister to keep from getting air bound. if you go into you local plumbing suppy place they will look at you cross eyed. also gould make a trash pump that will over come vac that you can put in a benard horizonal and if power off machanical will still work. but you need a controller and the pump is 800 bucks and install. there is enough room for everything to fit and work. only last about 2 seasons. the sta-right pumps are 225$ and have controler built in and float switch is 56 and booster tank $300. depending on how far to pump you might have to throttle down out pipe with valve to get head pressure on deep well pump if pumping into a tank direct

[red maples]

Oh thanks Dr. Didn't know that.

[Mark]

An old CDl catalog had a tube with the well pump inside of it, this tube was attached to the bottom of the extractor were the pump would hook up. I like the well pump better than a trash pump because the well pump has a pressure equalizing diaphragm in the motor end. This is to keep water from being pushed into the motor and would also keep oil from being pulled out of the motor.
I hope I get a chance to see one on the Vermont tour this week.

[maplecrest]

mark the ones you will see on the tour will have the pump outside the vessel.like the belly releaser.if comming to vt. pm me and i can show you some set ups

[Mark]

I will be in Vermont for the tour and hope to see as much as I can. I come up there to learn as much as I can.
I have about 14,000 taps and am going to a 20hp 2 stage sihi and I know I am going to have problems with my extractor. I am going to switch out my back pump station from an electric to a mechanical but have not decided what to do with the one at the sugarhouse. I do not have enough height to put a tank under it. I might have to look at the hybrid one that is mechanical over electric but would still have to raise the mainlines a bit.

[Thad Blaisdell]

Mark,

I have an electric releaser with a gould pump that empties it in no time. I am running a 10 hp Kinney 2 stage pump and ran 27.5 vacuum all season and had no issues overcoming the vacuum. I pump all the sap up stairs to my holding tanks the lift is about 16 feet. Same as maplecrest if you would like to take a look at my set up just give a shout I am located very close to the biginning of the tour.

Thad

[DrTimPerkins]

I am running a 10 hp Kinney 2 stage pump and ran 27.5 vacuum all season and had no issues overcoming the vacuum.

Thad is right.....I should have said that it can be a problem, however, if it is done correctly, it will work just fine, even at high vacuum. This isn't a place to try to get by with a cheap pump though. Do it right or plan on doing it a second time.

[Mark]

I have a Goulds NPE on mine also and it worked the first year with no problems but after that I kept going through seals in it. The seal is not designed for vacuum and if the seal spring is a little weak a tiny amount of air will leak through. The air expands so much the pump will not prime. I ended up buying the seals in bulk and have to change them a few times during the season. You also need a very good check valve with absolutely no leaks. I have been also thinking of going to a magnetic drive pump that has no seals but they are expensive.

[Thad Blaisdell]

My Uncle has basically the same set up as I do and has no problem for 7 years. I am not sure of the exact pump other than, the pump is all stainless. I would have to take a look to know the exact pump.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Mark I dont think a Magnetic pump will spin the impeller under vacuum. They are more for circulating water in a closed system with either corrosive liquids or hot water.

[Thad Blaisdell]

Mark I live 10 minutes from the starting point of the maplerama. If you want to check it out my door is wide open.