DIY or Buy
Couple of questions if some folks can help me out here!
First up, can you just purchase the reverse osmosis systems they have at Lowes or Home Depot and use them for sap? Will they work?
Secondly, if not, if building, does anyone have a good product list? Looking to support roughly 150 taps...
Thanks!
With 150 taps you will absolutely appreciate having an RO. It’s a game changer.Originally Posted by mwpreston
I would say no on the first one. The membranes you want to use are probably higher gpd than what you get at the box store and you probably need a stronger pump. D.Roseum has a great page on his website that explains the how and why of DIY RO.
http://https://www.roseummaple.com/2020/01/diy-2-stage-portable-hobby-ro.html
I built a 4 membrane RO with 150 gpd membranes that worked great till I hit over 100 taps. I’m in the process of building his 5 x 400 gpd design right now.
Speaking of which, D.Roseum I have a few questions if you don’t mind answering….
Sugaring since 2000.
2022 - 113 taps on tubing and gravity. Homemade wood fired evaporator and homemade RO.
2023 - 120 taps on 5/16 and gravity added a float to the pan. built a new 5x400gpd RO. Still use the old one too!
2024 - 125 taps still on 5/16 tubing and gravity, two home made ROs.
If you haven’t already, check out The RO Bucket website. Carl sells very affordable ROs in many configurations. He uses equipment that he has checked out to work well with maple. I have the RB25.
https://robucket.com/
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
I would steer away from the little membranes. They are really meant for water purification not sugar and do not wash out that great in my opinion. Once you ro 150 gallons to 35 gallons you’ll want to expand.
My opinion do a single post 4040 membrane from eBay Amazon what ever with a filmtec membrane. Uses a 3/4 feed drain setup. I then would use a 260 stainless procon this will let you add 2 more vessels if you decided to grow you can add a recir pump for even higher efficiency rates.
30x8 oil fired
1800taps
Lapierre 2000 series ro
20x30’ sugar house (originally)
John Deere 3005
Bobcat 753
Kubota excavator
2 ram 3500s
150 is a LOT of taps! I tapped 24 trees last year and loved the time-reduction offered by a RO machine (this was only my second year of making syrup). Below is a picture of my RO machine setup but this is not suited for the volumes of sap from as many trees as you wish to tap.
IMG_20210922_162227931.jpg
Depends on where you are located but there are numerous people/companies building small ROs
12 x 16 Sugarhouse, 12 x 16 Woodshed
2 x 8 “The Mutt” Evaporator with Marcland Drawoff
Leader oil fired arch, Dallaire raised flue, Smoky Lake syrup pan and hoods with pre-heater
New Leader Clear Filter Press/Air Diaphragm Pump
5” Hand Pump Filter Press from Daryl-One of the first three! On loan to a friend.
Deer Run 250 gal/hr RO
A Very Understanding Wife
"At any time during the day you're only 10 seconds from disaster!"
Fireant911,
That is a very clean looking small RO setup. I noticed you have an elevated feed bucket that is probably not necessary. Your diaphragm pump will self prime and can pull liquid on the suction side up several feet without a problem.
Looks like you are a little north of my woods. Have you started tapping and collecting yet? I wanted to go up this weekend and tap but after taking to neighbors they said my woods still had quite a bit of snow. My woods tends to run later being on a north side of a hill. I haven't seen any posts on any collections going on in northern WI or the UP. Last year my first boil was March 21st.
Dan of Jack & Daniel's syrup.
2021 - First time tapper, 40 TAPS, 7 GAL syrup, 400gpd RO
2022- 105 taps, 17 gal syrup, 2x 400 gpd RO
2023- 143 taps, 27 gal syrup New 12x16 shack. Lost my father in law Jack who helped me build it. New Badgerland filter press.
2024 - 210 taps, 37 gal syrup, 6x 400gpd RO Procon pump
Hey MajorWoodchuck!
No, I haven't tapped anything yet. Although we have had a couple of days above freezing, the forecast is showing a few days where the high temperature to still be below freezing. In fact, I just ran my snowplow on Thursday as we had several more inches of snow. Last year I did not tap until the end of March and it looks like it may that way this year as well. My plan is to tap one of my known good producers as the weather starts indicating that sap season is approaching and watch that bucket.
Yes, the elevated feed bucket might not be necessary but I am new to this northern activity (I just moved here from Alabama in 2020!). I read somewhere that providing a gravity feed was helpful to the overall output of a reverse osmosis setup... but since then I have also read things that I now know are not always true. That setup worked well last year (my first year of using an RO) and having the bucket elevated had no downside so I will keep it in that configuration.
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