Only 35 overnight.  Upper 40s today.  Partly cloudy.  Sap dripped all night.  We collected again this afternoon at 3:00 PM.  Picked up 310 gallons at 2 degrees Brix.

Into the woods by 7:00 AM.  Today’s goal: get the R/O operational.  Started the day cleaning the syrup pan of the evaporator to keep in clear of nitre.  Then moved on to installing the membrane in the R/O and running a long rinse cycle to get it ready.  By the feed pump would not start.   The R/O had power because indicators on the control panel were on.  But the pump would not start.  We stored the R/O in house since last April so it couldn’t have ice in pump.  We test turning it over with a screw driver and it moved freely.  Contacted our dealer who put us in contact with the manufacturer.  The manufacturer said it sounded like it was only getting 110 Volts.  It needs 220 Volts.    Called our electrician.   They arrived in about 30 minutes.  Confirmed it was only getting 110 Volts.   Checked the circuit breaker box.  Loose wire on the circuit breaker for the R/O.   After fastening it, the pump started right up.

After the long rinse cycle we were ready to start concentrating.  Switched all the values for concentrating and started the pumps.  Now the high pressure pump was not generating any pressure.    It ran, but no pressure.  It should run at between 200 PSI and 500 PSI.   After troubleshooting for about 2 hours we realized we missed a part on the membrane.  There is a small plastic cap with two O rings that fits on the bottom of the membrane.    Took out the membrane and added the plastic cap with O rings. Then high pressure pump generated pressure. 

It was about 2:00 PM before we could start concentrating.  We had been boiling old school since early in the day so we could make progress on our 265 gallons from yesterday.  We had 11 inches in the tank that went though the R/O.  We were getting 6 degrees Brix on the R/O.

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Back to the house by 6:15 PM.

Tomorrow we start the day with the R/O on the 310 gallons from today.