Maple farm vacuum system applications, tips to get more out of your money! part 1
Your most important piece of equipment on the farm!
The most common misconception when figuring the requirements needed to install a maple farm vacuum line system is the pump size. Granted in most cases this problem does not effect the end product, but should it be overlooked maple farmers risk spending a great deal of money on a pump that may not be able to provided the performance needed to maximize their yield from their sugarbush.
Most often suggested by pump and maple farm product distributors is 1HP per 1000 taps. This is, in most instances, right. However, some pumps do not move as much air as others in comparison to their horse power. This means that you may have two pumps of the same HP to chose from that will perform a great deal differently within an application should it be needed to operate to maximum performance levels for the number of taps on the system.
Studies at Universities in Vermont have shown that 1 to 1.5 CFM per 100 taps are required for the best performance from your pump(s). This means that when you are calculating the pump size for your Maple Farm installation, you have to make sure that the pump(s) you're looking at is up to par with the rest of them with the amount of air it is able to move. Keep in mind, many pump suppliers will not want to go into detail when discussing your application verses CFM needed, they tend to lean towards the usual 1HP per 1000 taps.
This is a good tip for new farm owners checking over existing systems, or people thinking of expanding their existing farm's reach, and is the first of a few tips I will be sharing that will help ensure you get the maximum performance from your investment. And another quick tip regarding your pump's performance, keep it cold. A properly cooled pump can perform at 3 or 4 inches better that a pump that is running hot.