Which is best sap ladder install, more or less?
Didn't know quite how to title the thread. I currently have four 6 foot sap ladders in a row lifting a section of woods. I have an idea to increase tubing size from 3/4" to 1" and go from four to two 12' ladders. Is there a formula for efficiency or does anyone have experience doing this. These ladders have been in place at least 10 years but looking for efficiency upgrades.
Thanks in advance for the input.
If you are saying you will use 1" vertical pipes to climb I think it will not work as well as 1/2 or 3/4" risers. However I have never tried using 1". It just seems you will have too much slipping back down and not efficiently climbing the ladders.
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.
Well i guess i worded it wrong. there are currently four separate sets of stars that are 6 feet tall. I just want to go to 2 ladders (stars) at 12 feet tall. I was thinking less vacuum drop due to less ladders. And using 1" main in between instead of 3/4".
12' ladders are not a problem, except to get up to make one. Over the years I've only made 3 sap ladders using star fittings, but they should do well. My highest star type ladder is only about 10', another is about 4 feet and the third about 6'. All 3 seem to work equally. The rest of my sap ladders are all using 2- 3/4" risers and they are anywhere from 8-10' high.
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.
Do you find the 3/4" risers out preform a star type ladder? Also on a 3/4" pipe ladder do you have to create a leak in order for the sap to rise?
vacuum
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http://s712.photobucket.com/albums/ww123/jtrap/
I do find they work better and I do need to create a micro leak about 30-40' before the ladder. I have just 3 such leaks and when I close all 3 the vacuum does not go up, I get 27" vacuum either way using a BB4 on 225 taps. This year to be about 275-300 taps.
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.
Correction, I just thought more about it, those leaks are all on the stars type ladders, The ones I have at my lease are where the ones with 3/4" risers are. I think I had 2 micro leaks in the lease 2 years ago. I will be adding some more micro leaks there this year, but only on ones that appear to need help. Will figure that out later this month. The ones around my sugarhouse were all there before I made my first ladder with 3/4" risers. I'm also thinking I may try a new ladder or 2 using 1/2" risers. I read that they may even prove the better yet, but have not made any yet. I have one section on one (1") main that has only 1' drop in 270 feet and I have a hard time preventing sags there. After that 250' the slope increases to about 1% and then joins a wet/dry conductor headed to the tank. Without a ladder there is no way to raise the high end to give enough slope in the 250' streatch, it needs a ladder or 2.
I like the ladders with 3/4" risers better than using stars on ones needing more that 4 risers of 5/16 because they work well and are easier, faster and less costly to install.
Last edited by maple flats; 01-01-2019 at 09:40 AM.
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.
We have 600 taps on a sap ladder that rises 40 feet. We had 2x20 to start, but that was not working well, so we changed to 4x10, with great success.
We use 4x 1/2" rises on the ladders. breezyHill has a lot of experience with ladders, and he has done lots of trial and error and has found 1/2" to be the best size (better than spiders and 3/4" risers)
Tony
PCFarms - Producer of Maple Syrup and Distributor for H2O and DSD
2019 - 30,300 taps
2020 - 34,000 taps
2021 - 38,000 Maple taps, 1000 birch taps
Could you post a picture of the 1/2 inch riser? New to me.Originally Posted by PCFarms
2 x 6 W F Mason arch, Leader WSE AUF drop flue pans
40 taps 2009-
New 16 x 16 sugar shack 2010
180 taps 2012 -
200 taps 2013 -
220 taps 2014 -
250 taps 2015 -
300 taps 2024
shurflo pump 2016 -
new mainlines and saddles 300 taps 2017-
added Deer Run 125 RO, Lapierre 7 inch filter press and CDL water jacket canning unit in 2019
Bombardier 400
BX 22 Kubota
2024 is our 29th year making the " nectar of the gods"
Just a hobby
Hi Tony
Do you have any pictures of this? Do you have a stats sheet on the ladders you use? I am looking at installing a 25' ladder here on my sugarbush and would like specs for the most efficient way of doing this. Any suggestions you have would be appreciated.
Thank you!
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