Checking what VT sugar makers are doing

[Super Sapper]

There should never be anything in your lines that would hurt the pump. I have been in wastewater for 29 years and you would be amazed at what a pump will pass unless it is a positive displacement pump. You would be more amazed at what actually goes down the sewer!

[spud]

I'll start by saying that my opinion is that releasers are the weak link in the system regardless of what brand or style. We used mechanical releasers for years, and they work, but aren't really designed to handle high vacuum. So they essentially slammed around when operating above about 24" Hg, and to be sure they worked we would have them all serviced each year.

Last year we tried a different style of mechanical releaser and were not real happy with it. So this year we went with an electric releaser. Supposedly electric releasers have less pulses of backflow -- so we though that we'd give it a try. In some of our surveys, use of an electric releaser was associated (correlated) with higher yields (~10%), but that is a correlation only (which doesn't mean that is what necessary causes the higher yields...it might just be that people using electric releasers are doing other things right too). In any case, two major styles of electric releaser....those with the pump on the inside and those with the pump on the outside. ANY air leak in the line going to the pump will cause the pump to fail, so given our high vacuum (26"+ Hg), we figured we'd go with a submersible pump on the inside of the tank. What appears to be happening is that as the lines flush out on the first hard runs, or after a hard freeze when ice scours the mainline, the debris from the lines causes the screen protecting the pump to clog. It takes very little to clog it due to the low margin we have with our high vacuum and elevation, which means we're stuck breaking down the releaser and cleaning it each time. Otherwise the pump fails to keep up with the flow and the sap goes up the vacuum line and shuts off the moisture trap, stopping the vacuum and stopping the flow. Definitely a real PITA, and the real problem is what happens if this occurs at night when we're gone? Still working on a solution to that one....not sure there is a real good answer.

Anybody know how much debris a submersible well pump can handle? We're tempted to take off the screen and see what happens....maybe get a spare pump to have just in case Most of the stuff we see is the skin of very fine floaters....maybe dime to quarter size, but very thin. Plugs up the screen pretty fast, but I'm betting the impeller will make short work of it and chop it to tiny bits very fast.

Thanks Dr. Tim and J. Hutchins for the information. It sounds like I should keep using my mechanical releasers for now. Ever since I put my releasers in a heated room I have never had a problem with them. I spray my releasers everyday when they are working. I use the food grade silicone spray that CDL sells. I run 28 inches at both releasers and never had an issue yet. So is this not common?

Spud

[DrTimPerkins]

I run 28 inches at both releasers and never had an issue yet. So is this not common?

Given our experience with releasers over the past few years, I'd say, ....if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[GeneralStark]

Another exciting night here with heavy winds blowing roofing, stainless barrels, and anything else not tied down all over the place. I'm sick of this weather... I don't think the forecasters have a good handle on what the models are saying.

I did pull in a little sap this morning when it went above freezing for a few hours but it looks like it's freezing up now. I need to can a bunch of syrup for orders so going to work on that today.

The Goulds deep well submersible I am using in my electric releaser does not really have a screen. It does a have a plate with many larger holes (3/16") punched in it at the inlet of the pump. I have not had an issue with it. I have seen ice come down the lines and fill the releaser and keep the float up despite no liquid for the pump to move. I know some use a coarse ss screen in the releaser manifold to catch ice and keep it from filling the releaser.

[billyinvt]

YIKES! Is this for real?? I should know better than to give too much credence to the "10 day outlook" no matter which source it comes from......but.....HOLY CRAP!!!!! Next week looks to be a HUGE warm up with insufficient cold at night.

[smokeyamber]

Next week looks kinda iffy... Accuweather is showing temps "might" get below freezing at night, weather.com is much warmer. I am hoping it stays a bit colder ... either way it will run next week for sure. I am ready for some boiling !

[WMF]

I know some use a coarse ss screen in the releaser manifold to catch ice and keep it from filling the releaser.

releaser ice.jpg

This is what my releaser looked like the other morning. There is a 1.25" wet line and a 1.5 " air line to the left above the screen. The screen does keep a lot of junk away from the pump. The pump I am using is the StaRite dominator and it has the fine screen that will plug up . Usually not a big problem after the lines clean up after the first run.
This has 1700 taps and a single pump which can get flooded with sap when lines are thawing and huge surges come quick. Two pumps with separate level control will be a future upgrade.

[spud]

Why not box in your releaser and have some heat? Are you far from power?

Spud

[blissville maples]

ditch the screen, the slush will go right through, if it doesn't its too cold to have pumps on anyways and will likely be a very marginal day

[sapman]

Anybody know how much debris a submersible well pump can handle? We're tempted to take off the screen and see what happens....maybe get a spare pump to have just in case Most of the stuff we see is the skin of very fine floaters....maybe dime to quarter size, but very thin. Plugs up the screen pretty fast, but I'm betting the impeller will make short work of it and chop it to tiny bits very fast.

I've got 27 years of working on submersibles, and they can take quite a bit. At least a Goulds is pretty tough. The stuff we see floating down the lines reminds me a lot of iron bacteria, or properly termed "iron polysacharide". We pulled lots of screens off because of this stuff. Although it was usually still quite permeable. On newer Goulds, I think the screens are built in, but one could cut them away I think.

What brand pumps are they using in these releasers?