Troubleshooting 3/16"

[MDR Maple]

This is my second year on 3/16". Last year I installed a single 2,000' long line and 41 taps along an open pasture on some road side trees with about 60' of elevation drop, southern exposure, lots of sun. I realize this is probably longer than suggested and with more taps than suggested, for the same reason this post is being written, it's harder to troubleshoot.

The line performed well last year and I did an end of year rinse with hot water. This year new spouts were installed and a vacuum gauge was installed at the top of the line. It had intermittently weeped about 7 gallons in the past few weeks when it warmed a little past freezing. Thursday and Friday were the first days I would have expected a run as the average daily temperature rose above freezing and the highs were in the 50's. There were plenty of bubbles in the line moving very slowly. The end of the line was dripping into the collection tank at a 2 gallon per day rate yesterday morning with 13.5" vacuum and a 1 gallon per day rate with 12" vacuum in the evening. I never really saw the line "flowing". It was never more than a slow drip, 1-2 drips per second. At first I thought the trees just haven't thawed yet, but I was expecting a much higher flow. A neighboring producer had collected a gallon per tap and was preparing for first boil. I saw another neighbor producer sugarhouse with steam rising. The UVM PMRC was preparing for the first boil on a good run and we are usually a bit warmer than that location. I'm thinking this morning that I must have a line problem and I think it's a clog, my first clog to locate and repair.

Yesterday I walked the line, glancing at each fitting for problems and checking the spouts. The spouts seemed secure. None were hanging. But although I glanced at each fitting, I was looking for signs of leakage. I stopped at one fitting for a while and observed the bubbles flowing ever so slowly towards and then finally through the fitting. That fitting seemed normal.

How do you locate a clog? Now, as I reflect on how to track down this suspected clog, I figure I really need to stop at each and every fitting and observe the bubble flow to try to see a backup of bubbles that will not flow through the suspected clogged drop tee fitting. Unfortunately, I think the run has been shutoff by the warm weather. It didn't freeze last night. Do I need to wait for the next run to troubleshoot, or are there other 3/16 troubleshooting approaches when the line is not running to solve a line problem?

What are others doing, observing, when they are checking there 3/16 lines?

[MDR Maple]

Another thought I had was that the trees haven't started to run, still thawing. I've always understood that the trees start to run when the average daily temperature, and so the tree trunk and branches temperatures have risen above freezing. But does it also have to do with the ground temperature? When people speak of the trees thawing, I always understood they were referring to the trees and branches, rather than the roots and ground around the roots.

The trees are within about 10' of the road, which is plowed, and so the ground is much colder, than in the woods, where there is currently pretty significant snow cover, maybe 12" of old snow. There may actually be little or no frost in the ground in the woods. The road surface is starting to thaw, but the road bed is still frozen.

Would road trees like this typically wake up later than woods trees in the same local due to the frozen ground?

[Daveg]

You could tap a couple of random trees and use buckets to see if it's running, then if it is, continue sleuthing for a clog, perhaps by bringing 5 tubing repair unions and cutting your 2000' mainline, starting at the top, say, at the 10' elevation drop and then, if it's good flow, then another at the 20' elevation drop.........

[Daveg]

Another thought I had was that the trees haven't started to run, still thawing. I've always understood that the trees start to run when the average daily temperature, and so the tree trunk and branches temperatures have risen above freezing. But does it also have to do with the ground temperature? When people speak of the trees thawing, I always understood they were referring to the trees and branches, rather than the roots and ground around the roots.

The trees are within about 10' of the road, which is plowed, and so the ground is much colder, than in the woods, where there is currently pretty significant snow cover, maybe 12" of old snow. There may actually be little or no frost in the ground in the woods. The road surface is starting to thaw, but the road bed is still frozen.

Would road trees like this typically wake up later than woods trees in the same local due to the frozen ground?

It's March 16, so there's another month left of possibly great syruping weather and conditions. Roots thawed, overnight 20°s, daytime 40°F

[buckeye gold]

My guess is you r trees aren't running good yet. Most clogs are pretty easy to spot. If you did not install new drops and tees you may have one clogged you can't see. Try going to the highest tap and take the line off the tap and see what happens to the sap in the line. If you have vacuum and no clog your sap will run away from the tap you just pulled the drop from and you may even hear a hiss. If it's static and the sap doesn't move go down the line a few taps and repeat. When you find a tap that sap runs away from the clog is above that. If you have a squeeze bulb ( like a turkey baster ) try hooking that on your line at the top tap and see if you can move the sap. Trees won't usually run on the first warm day. I have seen them take 2-4 days to run. Like Dave said, put you a test tap somewhere. I still would give them a chance to warm up and start. Did you clean or blow out your lines last year? If you want to be sure, Tees and drops are cheap, put all new in.

[Cedar Eater]

Lots of people have had slow runs lately, so that's a possibility, but I routinely walk my lines from the bottom tree and watch bubbles go through tees. It isn't always obvious if the drop leg of a tee is plugged, but the pass through legs are pretty easy. Some clogs are easy to clear by just rapping on the tee with a pair of pliers or a jacknife. Usually when that clog clears, it does not plug a downstream tee. Sometimes, if a line is flowing slowly at the bottom, I just go straight to the top tree and work my way down. The bubbles should flow slower at the top, but they should flow. If not, head downstream and look for a clog.

[MDR Maple]

Thanks for all your replies. From my observations over the last few cold days, I believe the trees just haven't really started running but will soon. Many producers in the woods within a half mile of my location have boiled already. I attribute my line late start to being immediately adjacent to the plowed road and frozen gorund.

Yesterday the high temperature was only 34 F, but sunny. Late in the afternoon the line appeared to be flowing the most I've seen this year, but still just barely a trickle at the tank. The upper part of the line, in the shade, still had some ice in the line and only 4" vacuum, presumably hindered by the ice. The forecast is calling for a high of 38 F today and 48 tomorrow, so I anticipate it should flow better tomorrow, or I'll have some more troubleshooting to do.

[MDR Maple]

My roadside trees seemed to wake up yesterday. With 41 taps, the line gauge was showing 22" vacuum and was flowing at about 1.5 gph last night and maybe 1 gph this am. From my line checks I know I have some connections that are not fully home because I do not have a tubing tool. I'm ok with 22" vacuum this year, but I'll plan to get a tubing tool for next year.

My yard tree taps produced about 1 gpt this run and had pretty much slowed to an occasional drip.

[MDR Maple]

We called it a season last weekend with 8 gallons of syrup produced even though the forecast was calling for good run weather today and tomorrow. I was surprised to see 26.5" Hg vacuum on my line this afternoon, the highest I've seen it. Past good runs were pulling 20-24" Hg. This is a curious thing since it doesn't seem like this is the biggest run of the season.

Regardless, I think I'm pretty pleased to have a sound essentially leak free line.

[sg5054]

Collected a 100 gallons today and it’s working it’s way through the ro as I type. Made 60 gallons of concentrate last night so I could boil tonight. I’m gonna pull the plug this weekend as it’s getting harder to stay ahead of the sap spoiling. Saturday in the 60’s isn’t going to help.
Best moves I made this year are the ro, 3/16 tube and the shurflo pumps.