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I did add a Goulds SS 1/2 hp jet pump as a feed pump today, and my wash and rinse worked well on the RO with no weird noises from the Procon, and no bubbles between the prefilter and the Procon....

I experienced a situation very similar to yours and it happened at the end of last season for me as well. I'm guessing the pump was experiencing cavitation. I'm going to try using a feed pump to my...

Thanks for the reply!

My thermometer may be more accurate than initially thought, as the syrup I've been getting has definitely been on the heavy side. I'll take a closer look at it in the coming boils and comment on what...

How should I go about pan cleaning during the season with white vinegar? Does the white vinegar/water solution need to stay in the pan for many hours, or does it work in a relatively short time...

I am aware of that possiblity, but in my case I think it is so remote it isn't even worth considering, as I have tried this twice and had syrup ready or almost ready to draw off in less than 2 hours...

Yeah I tried that. When I installed it back in my pan and started boiling, the sap was not syrup at 7 degrees, it was more like 11 or 12 above the boiling point of water.

My pan is not compatible with a long stem because of the position of the bung on the pan. My thought is if short stems didn't work they wouldn't design pans to only be compatible with them.

I don't know exactly, but I suspect the thermometer may have been dropped and therefore something internally has lost calibration.

Threads did seal fine once I taped them up. This is so much easier than using 5 gallon buckets to drain my back pan into on cold nights.

I should have been more specific. I'm referring to the syrup thermometer in the front pan.

It appears my short stem dial thermometer is wildly inaccurate (even after attempting to calibrate it as specified in the directions) and I'm considering either replacing it directly or trying a...

From the picture it looks like you're using plastic drums. While the number of threads per bung may be very similar, I'm thinking sealing SS threads may be more difficult.

I'm considering using a SS drum to drain my 2x4 back pan into on cold nights. My question is, are there enough threads on the 2" bung to seal to a threaded ball valve? The bungs don't look like they...

If you haven't tried an inline strainer for your pump to protect it from ice I'd suggest it. They seem to work well for me, and I mount them with the strainer and bowl up.

I had an experience similar to yours this season with an older red maple. It didn't look like the healthiest tree (as evidenced from it not healing very well from prior taps, though the crown looked...

Thanks, I'll see what I can find.

I've read soft water is ideal if permeate isn't available, and clorinated water is ok if you let it sit for a few days in the sun. I'm thinking water that's treated with salt might not be ideal as it...

You might find this VacMotion site helpful.

So true, I couldn't agree more!

I've used the Munro pump a few times now and have had some trouble with airlock. I'm using a check valve after the pump to keep the sap in the hose when I unplug the pump. The way I've overcome the...

I managed to adjust the pan gap slightly. I got it down to just about 3/4". I used an old piece of rebar and slid that through some rope gasket I had. The seal isn't 100% but significantly better...

Loops are fine, just keep them below the tap hole.

I wouldn't worry about sanitizing the bit between taps. Even if the drill bit is sanitized between each tap hole, the bark you're drilling through when tapping any tree isn't sanitized.

I have yet to try the two ball valve idea, but I really like it and will keep it in mind for future setup.