500 Taps - mostly gravity....but here's my problem - what is the best plan of attack?

[TexTheDog]

First post...

So I have 500 taps that I am going to put on 5/16 tubing and run into two 1" mainlines. All flows downhill and will gravity feed into a 800 gallon tank. From there, I need to move it from the tank to the sugar shack (SS). Run is about 75' and is pretty much level. Sugar Shack is 20x30 and 10x20 is heated and has electricity.

How do I get the 800 gallons from the tank into the SS, and then pumped into an elevated tank that is going to gravity feed the evaporator.

What's the best bang for buck - I could do vacuum, releaser into elevated tank......I could do RO, but that is probably a few years off....

Thanks!

[Maplewalnut]

Vacuum would be the way go go otherwise you can consider this alternative . https://www.waterpumpsdirect.com/Hon...ump/p6298.html

[Potters3]

I used to us a plastic sump pump with no float. that way I could plug in when I needed more sap and unplug when the head tank was full. Just had to watch and not forget and run it over. Still us the pump to move water or sap around. They move liquid pretty quick and no gas motor to listen to or keep going.

[maple flats]

A sump pump can be risky. The issue with them is that they are sealed in oil, if the seal fails the sap is ruined.
Lots of pumps are suitable for pumping sap, but they need to be dedicated pumps. An aluminum housed water pump does fine for lots of producers. When I need to move sap without using my RO, I use a Honda WX15 (1.5" pump), a Honda WX10 is good too. However there are lots of lower cost pumps that do fine. Another option is to use a diaphragm pump, either AC or DC. That can give you some vacuum and it can both pull sap to it and push sap from it. They will work best if the diaphragm is kept wet. To do that use a 3/16 or a 5/16 line from the destination tank back to the pump inlet. A valve can help adjust the flow, only a small portion of the available flow in either size needs flow back thru the diaphragm.
Most using diaphragm pumps use 12V pumps, on a good 12V deep cycle battery they will run 24 hrs. For that have 2 batteries, one on the pump while the second is on the charger. The only diaphragm pump I've used is a 120V one, I use it to pump water thru my tankless water heater.
If I read correctly, you will need to pump about 75', fairly level ground, then up to your elevated head tank. A 120 V type would do fine for that, just use the right gauge extension cord. Keep the pump where you were going to put the tank, but place the tank at the sugarhouse. Then make a small insulated enclosure for the pump, maybe even with a small electric heater. This type of pump does not do well with ice going into the diaphragm. There at least 2 methods help. One could be a 1 gal or larger container on the suction side with the inlet high and the outlet to the pump inlet low. The ice will float and the liquid sap will be pulled from under it. Another method can be an inline screen to stop the ice. If you also use a heater, use a low temp thermostat. Do not heat it to over 40-42F, the sap keeps best the colder it is.