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Thread: Wye in 3/16 tubing.

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
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    Freeport,ME
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    78

    Default Wye in 3/16 tubing.

    After multiple failed searches I’ve decided to post here. I’m running 3/16 tubing to some trees on a hill behind my house. Total run to the tank is about 500 feet. At the very top of the run there are 4-5 trees off to the far left I’d like to tap. Can I use a wye fitting and a short run of 3/16 to grab those trees. Unfortunately the layout doesn’t let me run the line over to grab them, and it’s not feasible to run 500’ of tubing for a few trees.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southern Ohio
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    1,349

    Default

    A "Y" is not recommended and will interfere with your flow, but you can do it. Is there a way to incorporate them into the run in any way. If they are at the top the lateral can be even or go slightly up hill. The natural vacuum will pull the sap. If they are way off the grid then you have two options: Run a new lateral to them or run a lateral from them to a mainline catching both runs at a downhill point (probably 5/16th would do.). The third option is buckets, but that defeats the idea of a line. One question is; how important are 5 trees to your production? You don't say how many taps you have. I have multiple situations like this and simply pass those trees, a few trees here and there aren't going to change my production that much when weighted against the effort to collect them.
    125-150 taps
    Smokey Lakes Full pint Hybrid pan
    Modified half pint arch
    Air over fire
    All 3/16 tubing
    Southern Ohio

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Walpole, NH
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    1,363

    Default

    It will work. It is not the “Ideal” way, but sometimes you have to do what you need to do to get the trees on the line. You may get a little bit less sap than running a separate line to them, but you will definitely get more sap than not tapping them at all.
    Sugaring for 45+ years
    New Sugarhouse 14'x32'
    New to Me Algier 2'x8' wood fired evaporator
    2022 added a used RB25 RO Bucket
    250 mostly Sugar Maples, 15% Soft Maples. Currently,(110on 3/16" and 125 on Shurflo 4008 vacuum, 15 gravity), (16,000 before being disabled)
    1947 Farmall H and Wagon with gathering tank
    2012 Kubota with forks to move wood around

  4. #4
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    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    As long as your main 3/16 line has good drop in elevation, just tap those 5, run to the uphill start of the rest and have it just be a longer single line. The exception might be if you are up over 35 taps doing that on one line, then find a way to split it into 2 lines, about half on each.
    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Upper Valley, NH
    Posts
    146

    Default

    I second Dave's suggestion. I have this exact situation, it pulls a high vacuum on the "downhill" taps. The most taps I have on a single 3/16" run is 32, and when I run the numbers, I haven't noticed any drop in production of sap/tree/season over those runs with fewer taps but same vertical drop.
    2023: Award Winning Maple Syrup and Honey!
    2023: 200 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: 150 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: Lapierre Vision 2x6 with Preheater & Marcland Autodraw
    2022: Brand new post and beam sugar house
    2022: 4"x40" RO
    Kubota L4701, Kubota BX2380
    2 Black Rescue Dogs, 2 Livestock Guardian Dogs, Many Bee Hives, A Flock of Icelandic Chickens
    30 Acres of Wooded Bliss
    vikingmadeforge: Artist Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing
    https://blackdogbeesandmapletrees.com

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Freeport,ME
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    78

    Default

    Thanks for the replies everyone. We’re a very small first year operation, and the slope is super aggressive. ( Greater than 45 degrees in some areas) It looks like I’ll skip the “y” and see if I can grab those trees with one line.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Covington Twp. Pa.
    Posts
    580

    Default

    I have read that y's shouldn't be used and have tried them. They didn't work very well for me. Now can someone explain the reason that they don't work very well? Sap being pulled down the main lateral by vacuum should naturally pull the sap from the Y. Anyone??
    2x3 Patrick Phaneuf Divided Pan
    Homemade arch
    RB20 RO Bucket
    121 taps total
    Sugar Shack in future
    Wife into it as much as me
    Also do homebrew

    http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/ZMANSYRUP/

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Upper Valley, NH
    Posts
    146

    Default

    Here is a thread from a number of years ago that begins to get at your question:

    http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...of-hill./page3
    2023: Award Winning Maple Syrup and Honey!
    2023: 200 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: 150 Taps on 3/16" "natural vac"
    2022: Lapierre Vision 2x6 with Preheater & Marcland Autodraw
    2022: Brand new post and beam sugar house
    2022: 4"x40" RO
    Kubota L4701, Kubota BX2380
    2 Black Rescue Dogs, 2 Livestock Guardian Dogs, Many Bee Hives, A Flock of Icelandic Chickens
    30 Acres of Wooded Bliss
    vikingmadeforge: Artist Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing
    https://blackdogbeesandmapletrees.com

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Covington Twp. Pa.
    Posts
    580

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by 30AcreWoods View Post
    Here is a thread from a number of years ago that begins to get at your question:

    http://mapletrader.com/community/sho...of-hill./page3
    That sort of answers that question, Thanks
    2x3 Patrick Phaneuf Divided Pan
    Homemade arch
    RB20 RO Bucket
    121 taps total
    Sugar Shack in future
    Wife into it as much as me
    Also do homebrew

    http://s928.photobucket.com/albums/ad121/ZMANSYRUP/

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Fayston, Vt
    Posts
    122

    Default

    If no “y” then what if a “T” is used instead. Would this not work?
    2020 same
    2019 RB10 26 taps
    2018 RO Bucket RB5 taps 20, leg tank in shed w/2 5/16
    2017 18 taps
    2016 20 taps
    2015 21 taps
    2014 30 2 gravity line, 2 hotel pan concrete arch 35 g leg tank
    2013 LP hook up in shack buckets 12 taps
    2 burner cook top 2012 finisher on a bbq tanks
    2011 rookie 2+ gal
    8 taps w/ milk jugs
    turkey cooker
    50-60 up back maybe

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