Cleaning sap lines

[UB29]

I am a small producer, and have the time to do this. The following works well for me and my tubing stays clean as a whistle year after year:
1. After pulling taps, leave all lines open, including drops, to let entire system drain.
2. I use a 65 gal. leg tank, and fill it up with a solution of water and Calcium Hypochlorite. Smells like a swimming pool.
3. Using one of my 12V shurflo systems strapped to the tractor with the tank, I visit the bottom of each tubing run, connect to the shurflo pump output and pressurize the run.
4. Starting at the bottom of the run, I visit each tap, let a good flow of solution squirt out for a minute or so and plug the tap into the tee to seal it. On to the next uphill tap, and same process. By the time I reach the last tap at the top of that run, I know entire run including drops is now filled with the water/Calcium Hypochlorite solution.
5. That's it for the Spring. I let the solution soak in the lines for the summer. Squirrels don't like the Hypochlorite, so no chews. The Calcium Hypochlorite dissipates as time goes on; and no more smell when I drain the lines down in the fall before winter.
6. First run of the next season, I let run on the ground for a day or so, to give the lines a good flushing.
Hope this helps out. I have had great results with this method. By the way, that little Shurflo pumps all the way to the top of my hills (2-300 ft elevation changes) with no problem.

Thanks, Bill

[SeanD]

There are alternative approaches to maintaining high sap yields in tubing systems. There's been a tremendous amount of research on this in the past 15 yrs.
https://mapleresearch.org/pub/1019sanitation-2/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z35z...5&index=4&t=8s

Many people don't sanitize tubing lines at all.

The conclusion I drew from this research was that a combination of annual replacement with CVs and long contact time with a bleach-family sanitizer provided the highest sap yields over a 10-year period. For my small operation, sanitizing works out to be about < 1 additional day in the woods, so it's not "costly" in the way it might be for bigger operations. That said, I have to take all my tubing down which is additional work that provides zero cost benefit, so it's all relative! If I were lucky enough to leave all my lines up each year, visiting them with a squirt of sanitizer in the fall would be a no brainer.

[DMF]

I am a small producer, and have the time to do this. The following works well for me and my tubing stays clean as a whistle year after year:
1. After pulling taps, leave all lines open, including drops, to let entire system drain.
2. I use a 65 gal. leg tank, and fill it up with a solution of water and Calcium Hypochlorite. Smells like a swimming pool.
3. Using one of my 12V shurflo systems strapped to the tractor with the tank, I visit the bottom of each tubing run, connect to the shurflo pump output and pressurize the run.
4. Starting at the bottom of the run, I visit each tap, let a good flow of solution squirt out for a minute or so and plug the tap into the tee to seal it. On to the next uphill tap, and same process. By the time I reach the last tap at the top of that run, I know entire run including drops is now filled with the water/Calcium Hypochlorite solution.
5. That's it for the Spring. I let the solution soak in the lines for the summer. Squirrels don't like the Hypochlorite, so no chews. The Calcium Hypochlorite dissipates as time goes on; and no more smell when I drain the lines down in the fall before winter.
6. First run of the next season, I let run on the ground for a day or so, to give the lines a good flushing.
Hope this helps out. I have had great results with this method. By the way, that little Shurflo pumps all the way to the top of my hills (2-300 ft elevation changes) with no problem.

Thanks, Bill

I do the same thing except I use homemade "lunchbox" pumps. I have an 800' elevation change and the last few trees the cleaning solution comes up slowly but it makes it all the way up!

[DMF]

Dr. Tim - Did you get a chance to look at my questions on post #28?

I'm curious to get your input.

Thanks!

[DrTimPerkins]

Year----CV cost----ZB cost
1-------$0.45------$0.60
2-------$0.45------$0.00
3-------$0.45------$0.00
TTL:---$1.35------ $0.60

After year 3 drops are replaced for both scenarios…

No, not correct. First, some versions of the ZB are rated for 2 yrs, some for 3.

Second, there’s no need to replace drops with CV spouts. We’ve gone out to 11 yrs without any loss in yield.

[82cabby]

there’s no need to replace drops with CV spouts. We’ve gone out to 11 yrs without any loss in yield.

Are you replacing the CV spouts yearly in the setup above and just keeping the drop lines? Or keeping the CV spouts in place year to year too? Is it safe to assume the above holds true for 5/16 as well as 3/16? Sorry for the questions but anything I can do to cut down on the maintenance and replacement regiment is tremendously helpful.

[DMF]

No, not correct. First, some versions of the ZB are rated for 2 yrs, some for 3.

Second, there’s no need to replace drops with CV spouts. We’ve gone out to 11 yrs without any loss in yield.

OK, so at two years you are still ay $0.90 with check valves and $0.60 with Zap Bac but you have the added labor of replacing the check vales every year vs. 2-3 with Zap Bac correct?