any preference on the type of check valve spouts? does one have an advantage over the other?
Thanks
any preference on the type of check valve spouts? does one have an advantage over the other?
Thanks
I had used some check valves in the past and never saw much of a gain. But this year I converted all my line spouts to clear check valve with clear stubbies and I have never got so much sap from my lines. I am still boiling but I estimate I will be up around 40% in sap with 15 fewer taps.
110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing
2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144
I've used check valve taps since the second year they were made. At first I used the adapter type because that was the only way they were made, then when the complete tap version came out I switched to them because I didn't like the distance the adapter version with a stubby stuck out from the tree.
The real advantage likely goes with the adapter/stubby version for price. They cost more in year one, but after that you only need to replace the adapter, not the stubby. If you change drops every 3-4 or 5 years you just need to do the math and decide. The CV spouts should be changed every year, if you use the stubby version the stubby is used for 3-4 or 5 years when the whole drop should be replaced
This year about half of my taps were the check valve taps (CV2) but the other half I tried the Zap Bac spout. They are supposed to be good for 3-5 years depending on who you get your info from. They cost $.05 more to buy (compared to the CV2 spouts) but that gets divided by 3,4 or 5 depending on what your replacement program will be. Being my first year on them, I have no data or comments yet.
I change all drops every 3 years.
Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.
I like the CV2 spouts better than the stubbies and adapters. There's one less place to leak and they don't push apart when there's a hard freeze. Micro leaks are practically non existent with CV2's too.
Russ
"Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!
1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
Four chainsaws and no chickens!
I switched from cv2 spouts to stubbies and adapters, I like it way better.
This is my first year with cv adapters and stubbies. Not much data yet as well. Had 4 or 5 stubby pop off in cold weather, but that is about the same as the old spouts I was using.
2008---35 buckets--3 gal syrup
2015---150 on 3/16 gravity&50 Buckets
2016---350+/- on 3/16
2017---700+ on 3/16
2018---700+ on 3/16 added 500gal milk tank
thank you all for your input. it is appreciated
Who makes zap back spout how did it produce for you?
110 taps W.F Mason 2x3 and two turkey friers for finishing
2011 expanding to a Mason 2x4 with a blower increasing taps to about 200
2011 Hurricane Irene rips thru my small sugar bush cost me to lose 20% of taps
2014 I have reworked my lines for 2014
32 taps on 5/16 line with check valves
57 taps on 3/16 line with check valves
55 buckets with total tapped trees of 144
Have been using the stubbies and cv's and last year decided to switch over to the cv2's and at 1st they seemed the best thing since sliced bread but then found that at the end of the season when I removed the cv2 and just had the bare end of 5/16 tubing I had no way to plug some of them.
You may say that that is what the T fitting is for at the end of the drop where it connects to the Lat, well I can tell you that some of the T's must have been an older version because the 5/16 tubing would not stay on the pin.
Also you will have to plan on the 1" or so of lost length on the drop every season when you remove it. SO make them longer than normal unless you plan on changing out the drop every 5 yrs of so.
Needless to say I went back to the stubbies and CV's for this season.
1st Generation Hobby Maple Producer, you got to start somewhere.
222 Taps, all on Vacuum! No more buckets.
Lapierre 2'x5' raised flue w/Hood and Preheater
Surge SP11, Lapierre Hobby Releaser
Modified 5" Filter Press made by Daryl with a Gear Pump
Homemade 2 membrane RO
Kabota RTV Sap Hauler
Hardy's Maple Syrup on Facebook
Where your really see the advantage is late in the season. My own observations plus the research I've read show a slight divergence in yields as you get later and later in the season - with the CV's out producing the standard 5/16" taps. When standard taps start to shut down is when the CV effect is really noticeable. The 1st year we used CV's (2010?) we only did a small 400 tap section of our woods. Over the last 3 or 4 days of the season those 400 taps out produced the 1300 taps that were on the same hillside but drained to a different tank! That extra few days of good runs more than made up for the nominal cost of the CV.
4,600 Taps on vacuum
9,400 gallons storage
3 tower CDL RO
3.5'x14' Lapierre Force 5
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