Sap ladder

[Wanabe1972]

I know im going to open a can of worms with this but what is the best ladder for lifting 150 to 200 taps to about 9 feet? I am leaning toward a single pipe ladder the same size as my mainline (1inch) due to its ease to construct. This bush was set up for gravity but this year is going to be vacuum and I want to pull the sap up a ladder instead of pumping the tank up the hill every time. Thanks Jeff

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

If you are going to use a pipe ladder, I'd recommend the double pipe ladder. Not much harder to construct and it will insure better vacuum transfer.

[Wanabe1972]

Would I use 2 1 inch pipes or down size it to 3/4 or 1/2?

[sapman]

I think generally they keep the verticals the same size as the horizontal, which I did. But two 3/4 lines should work also, on that number of taps I would think.

[Russell Lampron]

I built my 2 pipe sap ladder with 1" mains and 3/4" pipes for the ladder and it worked good. I changed it to all 1" and added more taps and it works equally as well. It will be easier to build if you use 1" for everything. Adapting down to 3/4" can be a pain. They don't seem to make tees that go from 1" to 3/4". I had to make my own.

[red maples]

Russ I have a question for you.

I am buying josh's (amber gold's) 2 pipe sap ladder and he has his set up like yours (pic in photobucket) with the 2 tee's in-line on bottom. and 90's on the top feeding the mainline out of the middle. He recommended putting a cross fitting on the bottom so there is equal vac pressure on both tubes. now what I was thinking was instead of a cross would it be better to have 2 combination threaded /slip tee's(the same ones you would use for a star lift) put together with a threaded coupler, so it would be more similar to a star lift set-up. or will only be a small percentage of a difference??? I have no experience with the lifts so just curious???? what do you think.

[Wanabe1972]

Thanks for all the input I think I will use the 2 pipe system.

[Russell Lampron]

Just put a tee in the middle of the bottom pipe so that the vacuum is distributed equally. You may want to put a valve for an air vent on the bottom too. I think that Joshes ladder might already have one. I found that my ladder will flood and not lift if I don't introduce a small air leak.

[red maples]

OK thanks russ