What to do?

[sgsommers]

I have to pump my sap vertically 160' over a 1600' horizontal distance. Was going to use 1" line as my pump line. I am having trouble finding a pump that will pump fluid fast enough (say 10 gpm). I don't have power here either unless I spend a bunch of money and that would only get me enough to run pump thats 1 1/2 hp. I figure the TDH is roughly 271'. Does anyone have a similar setup or ideas for pumps to use either gas engine or electric?

[Jim Brown]

sgsommers: have a similar situation but not at thoses distances. Mine is 100 feet of lift in 1000ft of distance. We solved ours with a gasoline high pressure fire pump.Will pump 20-25 gpm to the top of the hill in a 1 inch line. We put the 1 inch on the same main line wire. It makes the line sag a little but only when it is full of sap pumping. We put a valve system in place at the pump so we drain the line back into the stock tank after we finished pumping. The line will hold around 20-25 gallons of sap.
Hope this helps
Jim

[Fairfield Sugarmaker]

We had the same situation as you, we had about 1600 feet and 150 vertical, we did it with a 1" line and gear pump for a while then switched to a 1.5 HP booster pump running on a generator, problem was the 1 inch pipe and the friction and eating impellars on the pump. We switched to 1.5 pipe and it pumps faster and we did not eat any impellars last season. i would suggest the larger line and the pump should be fine if it makes it now.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

I'd agree with Fairfield. I don't have the head you do, only about 75 feet but I am pumping about 4000 feet. I use 1 1/4 inch and have no problems. I am using a Hydro Vac. If you get a hydr vac, they will set it up with a pump adequate enough to put the sap where you want it for the right $:rolleyes:

[sapmaple]

I have almost the same situation here and I use a 1 inch bronze gear pump with a 5 hp briggs had to set up with belt and pulley to get a 2 to 1 reduction so the motor would have enough power to push sap over the hill It pumps 15 to 16 gpm one inch pipe

[paul]

we pump 2000' with about 45'elavation. we use a 5hp pacer pump and a 1" line to the releaser at the top. works good ,but you need to keep filling the pump with gas. looking to put in electic pump some time in the future with a float system.

[maplemat1]

you can try a diaphiam pump sugar bush supply in michagan sells them just the pump head and you can put a gas eingine on it that will pump any distance up want.

[OneLegJohn]

I pump 1000' underground with 100' of lift using a 1HP Goulds Pump. I buried a 1" transfer line, the vac line, and 220V power line at the same time. I don't regret it. I also put a water meter in the sugarhouse to track sap volume. It is on a float switch and activates when the tank gets full. The releaser, tank, and pump are at the bottom of the ravine in "The Pumphouse"