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Thread: IBC tote valve freezing problems?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Worcester County, MA
    Posts
    66

    Default IBC tote valve freezing problems?

    I haven't had any experience with IBC totes so I'm asking those of you who have them, have you had any trouble with sap freezing and compromising the valve at the bottom of the tote?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Eden Prairie, MN
    Posts
    1,636

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    I have occasionally had the valve freeze in both the open and closed position and it still works fine. I recently changed my piping so that I can drain and remove the tubing between the valve and the pump inside the sugarhouse when I expect freezing.
    John
    2x8 Smokylake drop flue with AOF/ AUF
    180 taps on sacks
    75 on 3/16 tubing with shurflo
    Eden Prairie, Minnesota

  3. #3
    Haynes Forest Products Guest

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    I have had most of mine freeze up and refuse to open or close but only one became a leaker. Having a drain is the best idea. Now I have 2 different style of valves on my collection of tanks. I have ball valves and they look more like brass gas valves with the taper style and then the butterfly type. The butterfly type are prone to failure if you stress them trying to open or close them when they are frozen. Opening a frozen ball valve wont hurt them but trying to close one with ice in it wont work because it has the sheer the chunk of ice with a plastic valve........ain't happening. I wish I could get the valves apart and grease them up so ice can't lock them up.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Rock Creek, NC
    Posts
    5,807

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    I have three totes and have had the valves freeze on all three. One valve broke and the other two still work. If the valve is frozen don't force it open or closed to prevent breakage.
    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!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Thetford, VT
    Posts
    450

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    There is a place online you can order fittings for most IBC totes. We did that for one of ours. If you could keep the valve empty then you would be in the clear. However that cannot be done easily. We adapted one of ours to 1 1/2" pipe and used a brass gate valve. This has worked well for us.

    Mike
    Tapping since 1985 (four generations back to early to mid 1900s). 200-250 taps on buckets and then tubing in the mid 90s. 2013- 275 taps w/sap puller 25 gal. 2014-295 taps w/sap puller 55 ga. (re-tapped to vacuum theory) 2015-330 taps full vac. 65 gal, 2016-400 taps 105 gal, 2017-400 taps 95 gal. 2018-additional 800' mainline and maybe 400 new taps for a total near 800 taps. 2x6 Leader WSE (last year on it) supported by a 250 gph RO.

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