I tried one of these cheap diaphragm pumps and didn't have good luck with it. With no flow, the vacuum is very low; with flow the vacuum was erratic. For 40 bucks more, the Shurflo 4008 is a much better buy IMO. But perhaps I should revisit them, maybe I was doing something wrong, cool that you were able to make it work!
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/
A recirc line seems to make all the difference with the cheap two-diaphragm pumps. By keeping the diaphagms wet I could get a consistent 24" Hg with them.Originally Posted by Biz
CE
44° 41′ 3″ N
2019 -- 44 Red Maples - My home and sugarbush are for sale.
2018 -- 48 Red Maples, 7 gallons
2017 -- 84 Red Maples, 1 Sugar Maple, and 1 Silver Maple , 13 gallons
2016 -- 55 Red Maples, 8 gallons
2015 -- 15 Red Maples, 6 Birches - 3+ gallons maple syrup
An awning over my deck is my sugar shack.
An electrified kitchen sink and an electrified steam table pan are my evaporators.
That is the pump that I have and I did run it for a day with the lines slowing running and it didn't seam to bother it wasn't even warm when I shut it off. Then when I heard about the recirculating line I put one on it so it is always drawing liquid through the pump. That evening when I went and collected the sap had almost stopped running so I decided to leave the pump out over night to see what it would produce overnight. The two lines with the pump on it had more than double what the other 4 lines produced and with the recirculating line you don't have to worry about the line freezing. There are others on here with way more experience than me this is where I got the idea. The pump is quiet and works great.
Sapman
How do you hook up your recirc line? Do you use a small diameter hose tee'd into your incoming sap line with the other end in your gathering tank?
Gary
85 taps on tubing
2x6 Small Brothers w/tin pans
Homemade releaser in 2019
that's what I done
Sapman
Wouldn't that cut the vacuum pressure to the sap line in half?
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup
Yes and no.... It might use up some of the flow capacity of your pump, but it actually improves the vacuum level, or helps maintain it.
These little diaphragm pumps only seem to generate a decent vacuum when they actually have some liquid running through them.
(I'm guessing the tiny check valves need some liquid to seal them off.)
If they run dry, (even for a few seconds), the vacuum level drops way down... (this can happen easily, depending on number of taps and sap-flow conditions)
The bypass/recirc line ensures that some liquid will always be coming.. to give that vacuum its needed boost, when the trees dont flood it.
A needle valve on the bypass line will allow you to fine tune it. if you want.
Interesting. Thanks for the response. I'll have to give that some thought! Sounds like a great way to get a budget vacuum system going...
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2023 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,845 L sap; Syrup count: 49.25L
2022 -30 trees -24 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1,530 L sap; Syrup count: 48.65L
2021 -29 trees -23 vacuum, 6 buckets. ~1240 L sap; 34.5L of syrup
2020 -30 trees 32 taps. ~900 L sap; 27.1L Syrup.
2019 -27 trees 31 taps. ~725 L sap; 22.2L Syrup.
2018 -19 Trees 20 taps. ~750 L sap; 18 L Syrup
2017 -4 trees 4 taps. ~60 L sap; 1.5 L Syrup
I sure don't regret it. I have about 90 taps at a friends bush, a couple miles from my house on 3/16" lines split on to 2 little 12v pumps. (not sure if I really needed 2 or not?) ... A decent truck battery will run those 2 pumps for at least 24 hours straight. With my work schedule I couldn't even think about collecting those buckets by hand. and I've found that the 3/16" system to outperform buckets, for sap per tap as well.
Can someone explain how to set one of these systems up? I'm completely new to tubing. How much slope is required. Thanks.
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