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Thread: Cleaning your lines on shur flo

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Bishops Mills Ontario
    Posts
    58

    Default Cleaning your lines on shur flo

    My partner and are are planning on going with the shur flo method next year put we are wondering how how we clean our lines at the end of the year

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Princeton, MA
    Posts
    495

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    Here's how I did it - all short runs of 3/16 tubing, 3/16 or 5/16 drops, 20-40 taps per run on a shurflo pump or gravity. I am not sure it is the best or most effective way but here is what I did this past season. At least I know that there is no old sap left in the line to spoil, only a very dilute bleach solution.

    1. Connect Shurflo pump and turn on. Lines should be intact and a good vacuum is built up.
    2. Prepare a bucket of water with very small amount of bleach. About a capful or two per gallon.
    3. Start at top of line, remove tap from tree.
    4. Dip in bucket for about 20 seconds. You should see the liquid suck into the drop.
    5. Pull out of bucket, wait for liquid to clear our of drop, and secure tap into cup in tee. It should not leak. Might need to twist slightly. I use the CDL tees with the cup. If you use the pin type you can cut tap off and insert on pin.
    6. Repeat for each tap.
    7. When all are done, remove end tap and let pump run for a while to suck any remaining fluid out. You will never get everything out.

    You might need a recirculation line on the pump so that vacuum doesn't drop as it sucks air in. The Shurflo pumps won't pull good vacuum when running dry.
    If you are worried about the dilute bleach solution, you can repeat the process with rinse water. But it takes twice as long.
    Let sap run on the ground for a day when new taps are installed next season, to flush everything out.

    Dave
    Mountain Maple farm
    2022 NAMSC award winning dark amber syrup
    2023: 320 taps, 70% red maples. Mountain Maple S4 diaphragm pump controller with automated sap transfer and text messaging
    Website:
    https://www.mountainmaplefarm.com
    https://www.facebook.com/MountainMapleFarm/

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Bishops Mills Ontario
    Posts
    58

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    Thanks that gives me a start

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,547

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    The steps are good as shown above, but I prefer food grade hydrogen peroxide. Squirrels love the salts left behind when you use bleach, but H2O2 leaves just water and oxygen. Food grade is by far best because medical grade has additives (preservatives) which are not good in a food product.
    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Bishops Mills Ontario
    Posts
    58

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    Thanks from the info

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Eden Prairie, MN
    Posts
    1,636

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    I second the use of peroxide. But I reverse the flow and pump into the line at the bottom with the shurflo. Then from bottom of line I pull the tap until it flows out and plug into the tee. Move up the line This lets the h2o2 to sit in contact in the drop.
    John
    2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
    180 taps on sacks
    75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
    Eden Prairie, Minnesota

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    That would work well as long as you don't exceed the head of the pump (it's max ability to push to a higher elevation).
    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.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Princeton, MA
    Posts
    495

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    Quote Originally Posted by RileySugarbush View Post
    I second the use of peroxide. But I reverse the flow and pump into the line at the bottom with the shurflo. Then from bottom of line I pull the tap until it flows out and plug into the tee. Move up the line This lets the h2o2 to sit in contact in the drop.
    Nice, sounds like a good way to get a longer soak and do a better job of cleaning. How long do you let the peroxide sit in the line? Do you go back later and pull taps to drain the lines?

    I take down my lines every year so no issues with squirrel chews off season.

    Dave
    Mountain Maple farm
    2022 NAMSC award winning dark amber syrup
    2023: 320 taps, 70% red maples. Mountain Maple S4 diaphragm pump controller with automated sap transfer and text messaging
    Website:
    https://www.mountainmaplefarm.com
    https://www.facebook.com/MountainMapleFarm/

  9. #9
    Haynes Forest Products Guest

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    If I were taking my lines down every year that makes it a different ball game.

    Fighting gravity to clean lines is the biggest obstacle, second is walking the woods. I would roll up the lines into 4'rolls with taps off and bring back to the back yard. I would make up a simple pressure vessel that you could hook up to the end of the line. Old beer keg' 6 " PVC pipe with air chuck whatever works and fill with cleaner and connect to tubing. pump up to whatever makes you happy. As the cleaner starts to flow out the taps cap they until the next one squirts. Do this until the last one and then start over with rinse water. Then clear the liquid with air and store in cool dry area. Now they ain't sterile and if you use air from a oil type compressor there can be residue.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Barnet, VT
    Posts
    2,580

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    Quote Originally Posted by Haynes Forest Products View Post
    If I were taking my lines down every year that makes it a different ball game.

    Fighting gravity to clean lines is the biggest obstacle, second is walking the woods. I would roll up the lines into 4'rolls with taps off and bring back to the back yard. I would make up a simple pressure vessel that you could hook up to the end of the line. Old beer keg' 6 " PVC pipe with air chuck whatever works and fill with cleaner and connect to tubing. pump up to whatever makes you happy. As the cleaner starts to flow out the taps cap they until the next one squirts. Do this until the last one and then start over with rinse water. Then clear the liquid with air and store in cool dry area. Now they ain't sterile and if you use air from a oil type compressor there can be residue.
    If I was taking down lines I would wash after removing also. I do not take down or wash. I turn on vacuum pump and pull taps. I see no more residue in the lines now than when I washed with air/water or peroxide.
    William
    950 taps
    3 X 12 Thor pans on a Brian Arch
    CDL 600 expandable

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