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Thread: Diaphram "sapsucker" pump?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    Default Diaphram "sapsucker" pump?

    I recently picked up a double diaphram pump with 8" diaphrams. I think I remember these can be used directly on a mainline to create vacuum and pump sap up into a tank. Anyone have any experience with this type of setup? I have 2 locations that I could use it on, but have no idea of how many taps it could handle.
    Tons of trees. No taps, No evaporator
    No wife, No Kids. Nothing left but Dreams

  2. #2
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    Aug 2006
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    Andover NH
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    Default no diaphram on my sapsucker

    There was no diaphram on the "sapsucker" I used last season...who makes your pump? Any numbers on the pump?

    The sapsucker pump I have used consists of about a two foot length of surgical tubing that is run through a clear plastic "head" that has three rollers in it...as the head spins, the rollers pinch the tubing and roll forward creating vacuum.

    The one I had only pulled a little vacuum (5" at its best) on a one line ( one 3/4" pipe only) tubing set up.

    Are you using it to pull vacuum on a tubing set up or to transfer sap between tanks? The one I was using would have been painfully slow if used to transfer sap between tanks...

    -tuckermtn
    Eric Johnson
    Tucker Mountain Maple Co-op
    1400 taps in 2013
    2.5 x 8 CDL pellet arch and Smokey Lake pans
    Lapierre 600 RO
    Member of Andover/Salisbury Maplehaulics anonymous
    www.tuckermtn.com
    pALS

  3. #3
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    Salisbury, N.H.
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    Default

    Diffrent type of pump,,Eric- I wonder if you had a leak somwhere or if your tubes are worn out in that pump?? Really that thing should pull 12" from what I have heard????

    Ibby from what I have read/ heard the diaaphram pumps will take care of 400? taps,,but they have to be tight,,no leaks,,they dont pull very many CFM's so they are easily defeated by even small leaks

    Agine, I have never run one,,just what I have been told
    Salisbury Sugarworks,,Parker Rowe, and friends
    Salisbury, N.H.
    1988 taps in 09
    over 2500 on vac in 2010
    no buckets in 2010
    2815 taps in 2011
    shooting for 3000 in 2012
    4000 taps? In 2014
    5x16 wood fired "Mighty Marvin"
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    Old, old R.O.
    Charter member Andover/Salisbury Mapleholics
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  4. #4
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    Nov 2005
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    Default

    Ibby - I think what you're talking about is a Sap Puller rather than a Sapsucker. The Sap Puller comes in two sizes, the smaller one (I used one last year) will handle up to 800 taps, according to Glenn Goodrich.

    Parker hit it right on the head - those diaphragm pumps move no CFM at all and they're really susceptible to even small leaks. I had mine up to 18"(that's its max, per GG) for a few days but it was tough to keep it at that level because of leaks. Despite having to walk my lines endlessly it seemed, I still got about twice as much sap with it as compared to gravity.

    If you're willing to put in some time to tighten up your lines and keep 'em that way, a Sap Puller will definitely increase your sap yield.

    BTW, make sure you tip the pump on it's side every freezing night and drain the sap out of it.

    PM me if you have any other questions.
    Lance

    Lookin' to get educated.
    Waterbury, VT

  5. #5
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    Feb 2006
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    Northern NY
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    Default

    Thanks for the info. This pump is an air operated, 8" diaphram pump with no name or numbers on it. I used a smaller one just like it in the plant where I used to work to pump chemicals and know it'll suck like crazy, but never checked what vacuum it would draw.

    The pump needs new diaphrams, but cost me nothing, so I can't complain. I don't have ANY lines up yet; I'm just exploring possibilities.

    I also can pick up a dairy vacuum pump (functional) for little or nothing, but that gets me into releasers, etc. I'm just thinking about tubing and vacuum without spending too much time or money.
    Tons of trees. No taps, No evaporator
    No wife, No Kids. Nothing left but Dreams

  6. #6
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    Default

    Pick up the dairy pump, regardless if you use it right away or not. When you want it down the road, they will have sold it or thrown it out.

  7. #7
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    Default

    grab the dairy pump. it doesnt eat anything and i would bet some day you will use it

    RICH

  8. #8
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    A, A shrewsbury vt
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    Default pump

    the pump at the dairy you should grab and ask what kind of milk tranfer he did you might stumble onto a releaser if he used the roll out dumping station. might have a bender releaser. the diaphram pump is the same air powered one i have on my filter press. you can get the kits thru a d and g dealer they are in the catolog
    10,000 taps and adding on vac.4 liquid ring pumps, lapierre 5x14 thunderbolt, 1800 R/O

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  9. #9
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    Dec 2002
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    Default

    Most definately grab the dairy vacuum pump. Once you see how much more sap you will get with vacuum you will want to buy the releaser and run a bunch of tubing. It will pay for itself real fast.

    Russ
    Russ

    "Red Roof Maples" Where the term "boiling soda" was first introduced to the maple world!

    1930 Ford Model AA Doodlebug tractor
    A couple of Honda 4 wheelers
    Four chainsaws and no chickens!

  10. #10
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    Feb 2006
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    Northern NY
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    Default

    I'll check into that dairy pump. I know he used the wheeled dump station, so must have a releaser somewhere.

    I've also thought about trying to build a releaser. I have several fiberglass cylinders that are 16" diameter with 3/8" walls x 3 foot long. I can machine out some heavy plexiglass for end caps. Just gotta figure out the mechanics of the things.

    I be more enthused, but the biggest "bush" that I could put vacuum on would be 300 taps. It's hard to justify the time, effort and expense for such a small setup.
    Tons of trees. No taps, No evaporator
    No wife, No Kids. Nothing left but Dreams

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