Quote Originally Posted by Maple Hobo View Post
Is it black maple line or the thinner walled water (irrigation type) lines?
They used to have the black irrigation water lines up here and it didn't work too well from what I heard. Someone else told me a similar story from their camp too.

I've seen new and old of the actual maple line that pulls itself apart from season to season.

Might depend on your seasonal temp variation too. Install plastic when its 90 plus out and it pulls apart when its -12 with wind chill. I'd say 6" per 200 feet average.

I've seen the thicker maple lines suck collapsed at slight kinks and at a taped off hole for a sap line connection that was moved.

Just my experience.
I run 26" vac on 100 psi black mainline with no collapse. I have tried running heavy wall 6" lengths of clear tubing between fittings just to see sap running - that has partially collapsed.

Regarding when to run tubing, I like to run it in the dead of winter, but that's just me. Last place I want to be in the heat and bugs of summer is my sugarwoods, Fall is out due to hunting and I'm totally comfortable running line in below freezing, snowy days.