Leader check valve spiles

[northwoods_forestry]

5/16th Canadian tapping bit and generally drilling while the trees are frozen. Spiles are tapped in until vibration ceases. Leaks are suspected when a continuous series of air bubbles are observed coming from the spile and entering the drop line (sap racing into mainline manifold leads alerts me to the problem lateral line and hence to the leaky tap hole). Once the spile is reseated, the air bubble formation either ceases or is slowed.

[Russell Lampron]

I have used the CV2's 100% for 2 seasons and 100 the season before to check them out. I have had 6 or so out of 1500 break when installing them and also tap when the trees are frozen. I tap mostly red maples and do have to go back and re-seat some of them after the trees thaw. After they have been re-seated I haven't had any loosen again. I tap them in with the flat side of a pair of linesman's pliers and tap them in until the tap tap tap sound changes to a thud. I had the drop line come off of one yesterday after a tree fell across the lateral. The spout didn't break or loosen in the tree.

[treehugger]

5/16th Canadian tapping bit and generally drilling while the trees are frozen. Spiles are tapped in until vibration ceases. Leaks are suspected when a continuous series of air bubbles are observed coming from the spile and entering the drop line (sap racing into mainline manifold leads alerts me to the problem lateral line and hence to the leaky tap hole). Once the spile is reseated, the air bubble formation either ceases or is slowed.

I ditto what you said. Same symptoms and problems.

[DrTimPerkins]

I ditto what you said. Same symptoms and problems.

Two thoughts:

1. They were not seated properly the first time or the hole had some flaw. The best way to know whether a spout is in deep enough is sound. Tink, tink, tink, thud - stop.
2. Trees that are running always also produce gas. These start as very small bubbles, but quickly grow once they get to the tubing.

In either case, the problem with overdriving spouts is that it leads to microleaks at the tree-spout interface. Hitting them again will help temporarily, then they'll begin to leak again, hit them again, etc.