Hi Everyone,
I'm going to plumb in a 150 gallon poly tank, outside the shack. I want to move sap from the 150 gallon tank to a 15 gallon tank that feeds the evaporator. Should I use copper, pvc, or maybe something else? Thanks, Ted
Plumbing a tank
Hi Everyone,
I'm going to plumb in a 150 gallon poly tank, outside the shack. I want to move sap from the 150 gallon tank to a 15 gallon tank that feeds the evaporator. Should I use copper, pvc, or maybe something else? Thanks, Ted
Any food grade pipe will work fine. For larger pipe I usually use pvc. Smaller pipe I usually use a flexible pipe like mainline or similar just make sure it is rated for potable water.
Camp Wokanda
Peoria Park District
2023 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, sap storage shack w/ 1100 gallon tank - 123 gallons
2022 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, homemade vac filter & water jacket canner - 104 gallons
2021 - 215 on 3/16 shurflo, added 2nd membrane to RO - 78 gallons
2020 - 210 on 3/16 shurflo, upgraded hp pump on RO - 66 gallons
2019 - 150 on 3/16 shurflo, Deer Run 125 dolly RO - 73 gallons
2018 - 120 on 3/16 shurflo, 2x6 raised flue w/hood, homemade arch w/ AUF & AOF - 34.5 gallons
As said, most any potable water hose. Most I think use something like Spiroflex, but many use blue mainline. When you run the line, consider using a good quality heat tape and foam insulation. I have 1.5" line from a manifold that connects 3 tanks and I used 2" pipe insulation with contractor grade heat tape in it. I only plug it in if I get a frozen line and some years I never need to plug it in, like this past season. A good grade heat tape will thaw a frozen line 1.5" diameter in about 30-45 minutes. The good grade tapes are 7 watts per foot, the big box store tapes are 2 or 3 watts per foot. The good ones will last far longer than the cheap ones. When you need it, you want to be able to depend on it. If you have a dependable way to completely drain the line, and empty it every night, you might need no heat tape, except I've heard of a feed line freezing during use, that can be a huge issue.
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.
I'm one of the "froze during use" people. Really crazy. 1" line feeding a 125 gph RO. Temp plummeted and froze so quickly and clearly I couldn't even tell what was wrong. I kept looking at the line and ruled out the possibility I was out of sap. Then I moved the line and it was solid as rock. Like I said - really crazy.
That said, I'm a big fan of flexible hose with quick connects. That way I can open the system and rinse it out every night. The line that goes from the head tank to the float box disconnects, gets pointed down into a 5 gal bucket then I disconnect it from the bottom of the head tank and hose water through to clean it out. I also like being able to see there isn't any crud in the lines.
Lastly, flexible hose allows for new configurations. I'm always reinventing the wheel and it's good to have the (no pun intended) flexibility.
Sean
Woodville Maples
www.woodvillemaples.com
www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
Deer Run 250 RO
Ford F350
6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.
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