Shurflo for vacuum?

Hey all,

I've tried multiple ways to create a decent vacuum system without success. I've seen many different types of Shurflo pumps for around or under $100 on the internet, but I have tons of questions.

These are basically RV water pumps. Are they capable of pulling decent vacuum?

Can they run all day without burning up?

I've seen some posts indicating they shut down when the sap freezes and start again when it starts to run, how does this work?

Lastly, there are DC and 115V AC models. Is one type better than another.

Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I use a model 2088 shurflo and consistently pull 20" of vac. I was getting around 16 but I added a recirculating line on a valve out of my tank to constantly keep the pump wet and that bumped it up to 2-24..I have run mine for 4 or 5 days and nights straight following a decent run. If there is a deep freeze I'll unplug the pump and let the sap run through a bypass line that goes straight to my tank. So far my shurflo has made my season...without it I wouldn't have gotten 1/2 the sap that I have..there are some very helpful threads on these pumps in the vaccum section

Thanks for the info, that sounds great. I see there is a DC and AC 2088 model. Which do you use?

Also, your sugar house is awesome.

Where my setup is I am lucky enough to have an outlet about 70' away, so I was able to run a few extension cords to the pump and plug it in. It took me a while to get everything right on the initial setup. You must have a decent slope in the line coming into the pump. I also am using a larger strainer to keep ice and junk out of the pump and at first, I was get air locked in the top of the strainer and the pump was stalling. I turned the strainer upside down, so the liquid was always covering the outlet and inlet and it fixed the issue...I also added inline valves on different mainline runs in order to find leaks easier

I started out with one AC and one DC. I let mine run 24/7 before I heard about hooking up thermostats on the forums here and then they only ran during the warm temps. What I also discovered was that the AC pump brushes only last 1-1500 hours, where the DC should run 5000+ hours. Apparently the AC is more harsh on the brushes. Although I then went to all DC pumps, the 2088, I did have one where the end cap bearing went out on me. At least I could find the end nearing caps with new brushes for about $35 each. Not sure what kind of vacuum I am getting yet, but might put some gauges out next season. I do agree that we seem to get a lot more sap then without vacuum.

I am running a couple of 12 volt 4008's which go for around $60 (plus a little plumbing). Then can run continuously. I am pulling 28+" of vacuum on one line. Vacuum is better once sap is flowing. My setup has a deep cycle marine battery, solar battery charger, and programmable controller which turns it off when below freezing. It's a great pump for basically doubling your sap production at a low cost.

Dave

Thanks for all the info! I love these forums....so much experience and knowledge out there!

There is slight design differences in the different Shurflo models, is any type better than the other, or are they basically all the same? I think due to the remote location of my woods, i'll go with DC pumps rather than AC and swap out batteries as needed.

I saw an interesting comment about bypass lines so gravity will run when pumps are shut down and recirculating lines to keep the pump wet for max vacuum. Anyone out there have pictures of this?

Again, thanks for all the help.

Attachment 13919

This is my setup..

The shurflo pumps make a big difference ,I used one most of the season and am sure it doubled the sap

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Thanks for the picture. I clearly see the bypass and separate line to the pump. I can even clearly see the recirculation line you mentioned. How does this work? I. Ant wrap my mind around what this is doing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by derekp

This is my setup..

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Would a check valve on the bypass line work instead of using a ball valve? Just looking at ways to reduce my daily visits to the pump.

Wow. I just hooked up some re-circulation lines for 3 of my pumps and can't believe the difference in the sap flow now. I use to have the surges all the time and now it is a steady flow all the way to the pump. Great idea guys.. Thanks