Distance between vacuum pump and releaser

[Atgreene]

I've got a sugarbush with 350+ taps, no electricity . We've tried running shurflo pumps etc off batteries, but they aren't big enough. Although when the sap wasn't running it was pulling 13"+.
I could try a bosworth, but diaphragms and tap numbers seem problematic.
I can run electric 600'+ from a relatives house.
I can use a generator.
Or I could put the vacuum pump at our barn and run pipe 1000'+ down to the releaser.

If I run a vacuum pipe 1000', how big does the pipe have to be?

I'm looking at a new gast 2565 1 1/2 hp and have secured a used Lapierre 4000 tap mechanical releaser.

Thoughts?

[wiam]

I have 950 taps 1600' out. 1 1/4" vacuum line. Most of the time I have about 22" at the releaser. Drops fast when I have leaks. Kind of wish I had gone 1 1/2.

[JoeJ]

According to the NY State Vacuum book, you could easily run 1,000' of 1" pipe and have great vacuum for 350 taps (assuming a vacuum pump that puts out 15 cfm). The vacuum book chart states that at 2% slope, you could have 513 taps as a maximum. I personally have a releaser 1,100' away from my vacuum pump with a 1" line. There is only 160 taps on that releaser and the vacuum runs 26.5".

[Atgreene]

Thanks for the info. Looking at a leader vac as well. My bush has 3-7% grade throughout. Not sure if I should pursue the used leader or buy the new gast.

[hogisland42]

I run a line about 850 feet to 1 of my 2 releasers. I only used 3/4 inch line and was told it was way to small by a dealer. Well I pull 26-27 all day long with no problem.

[GeneralStark]

The vacuum level at the releaser is not the point. The goal is to have adequate air transfer through the system so the vac. level at the taphole is the same as it is at the releaser. Without enough CFMs to the releaser, the vac. level may still appear high there while it is considerably lower throughout the system.

[Atgreene]

The used leader flood shows 15 cfm.

The gast is 21 cfm.

I'm leaning toward a gast, all things being equal, it's more cfm.

[jetdoc]

We use a Delaval 76 Pump and are line is 1 1/2" that pulls a vacuum to our vacuum zero milk tank. It runs about 900' to our tank. Works great.

[maple flats]

Are they both rating at the same vacuum level? The only CFM that counts is the CFM at whatever vacuum level you will have. While 1" may work, 1.25" will give you more vacuum to the end of the lines. Remember, for a vacuum transfer line black tubing is as good as any other and cheaper too.

[BAP]

For a vacuum line, you can use black plastic water pipe which you can get from a plumbing supply place cheaper than mainline.