5/16 on semi flat land. Vac or no vac?

[needmoremaples]

I found 2 stainless tanks I'm going to pick up this weekend. They are roughly 500 gallon bulk tanks where there is 2 covers on top. They only sit 2-3 ft high so that should help with pitch.

[mike103]

Chiming in on another 3/16 5/16 dilemma. I have 30 taps I wanted to put on shurflo and 3/16, 600' run. Slope is negative 1% or flat in bush, and 300 ft towards pump changes to positive 2%. I was going to changeover to 5/16 at elevation change, tight, straight, slight downward to pump 300' to cut down on friction with zero laterals. Would it be worth the changeover?

[n8hutch]

Raise your lateral to maintain 1% or better slope and run all 5/16. Avoid 3/16 . 3/16 is best suited for 10% slope or more you are going to get less sap with the 3/16 even with vac, keep the 5/16 tight and a nice slope to your shurflo pump, keep the pump wet and you will get the most sap your going to get, , 2- 15 tap lines would be better .

[Russell Lampron]

Chiming in on another 3/16 5/16 dilemma. I have 30 taps I wanted to put on shurflo and 3/16, 600' run. Slope is negative 1% or flat in bush, and 300 ft towards pump changes to positive 2%. I was going to changeover to 5/16 at elevation change, tight, straight, slight downward to pump 300' to cut down on friction with zero laterals. Would it be worth the changeover?

Yes it would be worth the change over. Scrap the 3/16" and use 5/16" for everything. Create as much artificial slope a possible by tapping the end trees away from the pump as high as you can reach and tap the ones closest to the pump as low as possible. The 3/16" creates a natural vacuum when there is good slope but won't do the same on flat ground. There will be less friction loss with 5/16" and you won't have to worry about fittings clogging up which is happening with 3/16" after the first season.

If you can do so run a 3/4" mainline and then 5/16" laterals into that. If you go that route limit the number of taps per lateral to 5 but not more than 10, you'll get the best vacuum transfer and the most sap.