The guzzler

[donniet22]

yes the sap will run through the body if the pump is not running, I don't start mine until the sap is flowing through it so I dont waste a diaphragm

[NTBugtraq]

yes the sap will run through the body if the pump is not running, I don't start mine until the sap is flowing through it so I dont waste a diaphragm

So, firstly, my first diaphragm died today, after ~ 100 hours of operation. The fail was a vertical cut ~ 1" long, strange since its not in a part that would apparently be fatigued. Since that was the boot that came with the new pump, I wonder if it wasn't damaged in installation (at the factory). I ran it dry, wet, but never with any ice reaching it (there was an ice filter and a 100w bulb to prevent ice.)

While I was replacing the diaphragm, sap still flowed through the body of the pump, so definitely it will let sap through when its off.

Finally, part of the point of any vacuum is to get sap at times that gravity might not give you sap. To wait till sap is flowing before turning on the pump, is, imo, losing some of the value of the guzzler. I'd love to hear from anyone who has a thermostatically controlled electrical outlet that you can set to whatever temperature you want. I have thermo cubes, but for the pump's purpose I'd like it to come on when the temp gets to 30F, to allow the vacuum to be up to speed by the time the temp gets to 33-34F. That would get me sap I might otherwise not get. If vacuum is not expanding the range of temperatures to get sap, what is its point?

[Camp]

Any updates on how the season turned out running one of these? I am looking at getting one of these for next season and wondering if it would work on my set up?

2000' of mainline up to my bush which will have 350 taps (200 this year on gravity)

I was looking at the 12v option and running a deep cell which I could turn on in the am and shut off in the pm

I'm really hoping that this will work, the added sap would be awesome. Thoughts?

[adk1]

They work but any leak will reduce the vac much more than a vac with a released etc. be prepared to spend more time walking lines and fixing leaks

[wrushton]

I just got one of these pumps and was hoping to hook it up to a 12 volt windshield motor no sure if it will handle it due to the pressure ( when I put my hand in front of the inlet its hard to pump)