Mainline spacing for high production.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

What are the most recent mainline spacing recommendations from UVM? Does anyone have a link to recent research?
Thanks in advance.

[Kh7722]

We have been installing very close on our 1” mainlines. The go to was always 150’ so the laterals could go 75’ each way. When doing that the rolls of 5/16” would go fast. Now we have switched to installing more mainlines much closer together. It all depends on layout of the woods but on my woods and a recent other install, we went with 75’ apart. This helps keep the lateral runs straighter, shorter, and we only put 2-3 trees per lateral. We dont have any official research or calculated numbers comparing it, but the results and sap output have been amazing. The money saved on shorter runs of 5/16 offset the price of the extra mainlines.
Kevin

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Look at your woods and do some tap counts. Check distance for 5-6 taps per lateral on each side. A dense area could be less than 100’ but it might make sense to spread that out if the maples are spotty. Definitely better to be too close than too far apart. You’ll probably find it will vary some and you won’t have one number for all areas if it is a sizeable bush.

[lmathews]

If you research current standards the goal has been changed to 3 taps per lateral run for the efficiency of high vac transfer to the tap. However there is always a couple of runs with 4 or 5. I am currently setting up a new woods and running app 90' between 1" lines with1 1/2 wet dry. 3 taps per lateral.

[DrTimPerkins]

The replies already given are correct. Mainline spacing is dictated by the woods (density and distribution of taps and the lay of the land), with a goal of keeping laterals straight, tight, downhill and with 3-5 taps per lateral, keeping in mind the "strive for 5 (or even better "3"), no more than 10 taps per lateral line." Typically the wet/dry lines run straight up the hill, spur mainlines run off across the slope (maintaining a 2% slope on them), and laterals mainly run mostly downhill. This is for a pumped vacuum system.

[Ultimatetreehugger]

Thanks for confirming what I was thinking.

[JoeJ]

When I was getting organized to set up 2,200 new taps at my remote woods, I had a survey map that I used to analyze both types of mainline layout. The traditional layout required 12,600 feet of 1"mainline up slope
off the wet dry system. These 18 main lines were space 150'-160' feet apart to allow a maximum 75' lateral length. The recommended system of main lines (which I wanted to install) running across slope with laterals running down slope into the 1" mains would have required 19,800' of 1"mainline with 52 cross slope lines 280' long with 100' spacing. I installed ball valves on each of the main lines with vacuum gauges to check for leaks. So because of the expense of the all the extra 1" main line, wire, ratchets, tension grips, valves, vacuum gauges, ss fittings, and labor, I went with the traditional layout.

Joe