No more 3/16"- problematic

[BSD]

it takes at least 20 minutes for my lines to recover if i have to open the system to swap a plugged T. my runs are average 500' long, some are 800. put a vac gauge at the top of each line. it costs me $8.50 to put a gauge on each one. $7.50 for a gauge and $1 for the little 1/4NPT to 3/16" adapter. you can make $8.50 of syrup in one collection if you can identify problems on your lines quickly. If you should be making 20" of vac due to your elevation loss, and the gauge is reading 10.... start looking about half-way down the line. I read all these horror stories about vacuum pumps failing, releasers sticking, main lines breaking, etc and i'm glad that i have 3/16 instead. both systems have their quirks, i'd rather have free vacuum, it never quits!

[gfm]

This is my second year with 3/16 and im very happy with its performance. Last year I had individual lives running into multiple collection points and was very please with amount a sap I collected. This year I put in (2)1" main lines with 2088 shurflo pumps. Each mainline having about 90 taps per main. I have vacuum gauges on the ends of the mainline and I get a steady 20"-22"vacuum when sap is running. All my laterals have 10-30 taps per run.

[peteinvermont]

Indeed I have permanent qauges on my lines. If I pulled the top tap, it would take quite a while for max vacuum to restore

If I get a leak on 3/16, the gauges read real low after fixing the leak, but I never stood by to time how long it took to get back where it should be. I have a few times, on a return trip back across the hill maybe 30+ minutes later and it's back up however.

I experimented with a single but accurate gauge last year, and if it was running hard, it was atleast 20 minutes to build vacuum again.

I don't post a ton in this forum and screwed up the quoting feature....basically I was trying to agree with everyone, including BSD below. Sorry for the bad post.

[wurmdert]

This is my second year with 3/16 and im very happy with its performance. Last year I had individual lives running into multiple collection points and was very please with amount a sap I collected. This year I put in (2)1" main lines with 2088 shurflo pumps. Each mainline having about 90 taps per main. I have vacuum gauges on the ends of the mainline and I get a steady 20"-22"vacuum when sap is running. All my laterals have 10-30 taps per run.

Does sags your mainline effect vacuum with the surflo or does it keep the pipe clear.

[blissville maples]

If I am reading this correctly, you are pulling the spout at the top of a line and then testing vac. by slipping the tubing on the gauge over the spout tip. If this is correct then you are likely getting an inaccurate reading and this is why. When you pull the spout, you introduce air to the system and have disturbed the column of sap in the line. It is this column of sap flowing downhill that creates the vac. in a 3/16 line.

If you were to crimp the drop on the line you are testing with visegrips with tubing on the grips (to protect your tubing), then pull the spout and attach your gauge and release the vise grips you would get a more accurate reading. Or better yet, T the vac. gauge into the top of the line at the end tree so you can see what the vac. is under normal sap flow conditions.

If I have your methodology correct and you are allowing air to enter the system, then your test is inaccurate, and your results are flawed.

I dont bring pliats, I simply kink the flexible drop line this stops vaccum completely to the line as so no air can get to thru line The only positive pressure I introduced Is about 3in from where I kink the line to the tap after I attach my gauge I then let the Kink go.... You can watch it Evacuate the air after I let go of the kink you have 17" after a couple minutes you might get 18 or 19. believe me I completely understand what you're saying and this is not flawed...... Just so you know out of my dozen runs two of them tested 25" so I am testing them correctly the other eight to ten or less than 20. I converted a hundred Taps back yesterday to 5/16...... At least with the 5/16 the leaks are easier to find because you're not running a 300-foot line and you're losing far less taps sometimes up to 20 on 3/16 lines when something happens

[blissville maples]

Next time to verify I will attach gauge, check rest of bush and then go back 20 mins..... However the fact that I've already checked one and it was 25-26 in and 5 minutes prior I checked a different one of them and it was 18" I don't think I am doing it wrong....I have enough common Sense to avoid that amature mistake, and I've already thought of the introduction of air reducing my reading....... something isn't right, and it may have to do with the fact alot of these older trees are hollow or have air in them( I've had pull6-8 spots from hollow spots brown gunk and air coming out this year) and it's Introducing too much air for the 3/16 to handle. I wish I had more time to diagnose up there( I've already spent a few hours trying to pinpoint exactly what is wrong, but I'm not the type of person to spend a lot of excess time on something I don't have time for that I change things to what i know does work, and I know with 28 almost 29 in at the pump that's the ticket......

[blissville maples]

So if I have a 300-foot line of 3/16 with 28in where it meets the main line and I go up three-quarters of the way or all the way to the top I see full column of sap bubbles full column of sap bubbles full column of sap moving at I don't know the pace of a turtle, this tells me I have no major air leaks would you not think there should be more than 28" up there? This is what baffles me if there was an air leak there would be no full Columns of sap.....

[wnybassman]

Has this particular pump ever been on a system getting more than 18"?

[twitch]

You guys got any suggestions on gauges to use ?

[jbutton]

You have 300 feet of 3/16? Is this 1 line? If so it might be to much line. Also I've checked my lines and noticed 1 line with bubbles I know there is a leak . Another there is no bubbles and flows a full stream. No leaks