Sap Ladder/Lifting sap on a lateral line?

[Super Sapper]

I was just relaying that 3/16 transfers vacuum better than 5/16 whether you use gravity or from a mechanical source. The source of the vacuum in this case is the mainline and what size lateral will transfer the vac better to the tap hole in this situation. The strive for 5 in 5/16 is do to the fact that longer runs with more taps do not transfer the vac as efficiently as shorter runs with less taps. This is less of a problem with 3/16. My experience and opinion in this situation is that the 3/16 will transfer more vac to the end tap hole than 5/16 would.

[blissville maples]

I was just relaying that 3/16 transfers vacuum better than 5/16 whether you use gravity or from a mechanical source. The source of the vacuum in this case is the mainline and what size lateral will transfer the vac better to the tap hole in this situation. The strive for 5 in 5/16 is do to the fact that longer runs with more taps do not transfer the vac as efficiently as shorter runs with less taps. This is less of a problem with 3/16. My experience and opinion in this situation is that the 3/16 will transfer more vac to the end tap hole than 5/16 would.

Not the case! 3/16 will generate more natural vaccum, however it will not transfer vaccum better but actually worse. If you have two hundred foot runs with sap in the tubing, you'll have more cfm and more vac at the end of the 5/16 without a doubt

You talk shorter runs with less taps, this is recommended because you have more inner volume to exhaust the air and sap from tree to mainline . With 3/16 you would have less inner volume therefore not conducting vaccum as well. For optimum vaccum levels you want air in lines not sap.

[DougM]

If you can find it, see the March 6, 2021 edition of the Maple News. The is an article about a demonstration trial of a scenario similar to yours on page 6.

[DaveB]

If you can find it, see the March 6, 2021 edition of the Maple News. The is an article about a demonstration trial of a scenario similar to yours on page 6.

I'll try reaching out to them and see if I can get a copy. Thanks for the tip!

[DaveB]

I just wanted to follow-up as I'm going to wait till next season to try and do anything with this. I have too much on my plate but I'm interested in pursuing an option to tap trees below some of my mainlines and see if I could bring that sap up to the mainline. I have a couple of lines that I could add and I think it could be worth it. I just don't have the time to do that this year but I appreciate all the responses.

[Rselleck91]

I looked over comments quick and feel like I’m missing important info. How high from the bottom set of trees to the main line under vac? One thing I’ve learned is the fewer lifts the better outcome. In a situation like the drawing I would put my lift by the lowest tree and lift it from there. I believe a homade lift out of stars will get you 1’ every 1” of vac.

[DaveB]

I looked over comments quick and feel like I’m missing important info. How high from the bottom set of trees to the main line under vac? One thing I’ve learned is the fewer lifts the better outcome. In a situation like the drawing I would put my lift by the lowest tree and lift it from there. I believe a homade lift out of stars will get you 1’ every 1” of vac.

It would be a single 5/16 lateral line with 6-8 taps on it. My understanding is that in a star ladder that you have one 5/16 for more taps than that. Are you suggesting that I create a mini mainline at the end and have multiple 5/16 lines going up and then back to my real mainline in another 5/16 line? It just seems like a lot of tubing to be for so few taps taps.