Brand New Stainless Flue=Paper weight

[Thad Blaisdell]

Ok guys.... beat this one. I just received my brand new 6x10 stainless, welded, shiny, pretty drop flue pan..... What a picture of beauty and craftsmanship. A true piece of art. Until you look at the back, they made the back as if it were a raised flue. It is a solid piece across the back, no where for the heat and exhaust to escape to the chimney.

I will post pictures later.

[sweetwoodmaple]

Wow...can't wait to see the photos. Cutting out all those channels sounds like fun.

Also, they will have to add the cross channel so you can drain the flue's.

If you can salvage the pan by modifying it, sounds like discount city!

[bobbyjake]

Send it back

[Thad Blaisdell]

I have now talked to the company a little.... I am told that this is how they are built..???? They told me that all I need is 1.5 inches between the bottom of the pan and the exit to the smoke stack.

Here is my question.... I have a 6 x 14. Burning 29 gallons of oil per hour. Is 1.5 inches X 5 feet (length across the bottom of the flue pan) enough room for the exhaust to escape?

Anyone have anything like this?

[peacemaker]

thats 90 sqin whats the size of the stack hole in the arch

[bobbyjake]

tell them you'll run it however they say as long as it is in writing.

That seems pretty light, 1.5" x 60" is less cross sectional area than an 12" stack, so ask them why they have been selling (and overcharging) all these years for stacks that are too big

[Buffalo Creek Sugar Camp]

I believe on a raised flue evaporator, the blanket or brick usually comes up to with in an inch or two from the bottom of the pans. this would be the same principle.

[nhmaple48]

First year on new 6x16 Leader oil fired,welded King pans in 2002.I had insulated the arch myself,using same weight,same degree rated blanket but different make.First boil the arch rails spread where the two pans meet.Reinsulated the firebox and used for 2 yrs.Leader said mine was not the only one with welded pans that did this.They rebuilt it with 3in. rails instead of 2,because there was not enough space to allow the heat to escape.All I paid for was the insulation.If you run it as is,you may have arch problems.

[Thad Blaisdell]

Latest update.....

I just got off the phone with Christopher Algeirs. I feel much better after our conversation. He told me that all an arch my size really needs for a stack is 16" and that 1.5"-2" of space under the back of the flue pan is all I need to work perfectly. He told me that this design will burn at least 10% more efficiently. Very curious now to get it together and fire it up.

New title for this thread,,,,, New technology = Scary

[Thad Blaisdell]

First year on new 6x16 Leader oil fired,welded King pans in 2002.I had insulated the arch myself,using same weight,same degree rated blanket but different make.First boil the arch rails spread where the two pans meet.Reinsulated the firebox and used for 2 yrs.Leader said mine was not the only one with welded pans that did this.They rebuilt it with 3in. rails instead of 2,because there was not enough space to allow the heat to escape.All I paid for was the insulation.If you run it as is,you may have arch problems.

I already have 3 inches of insulation in the sides. This arch is homemade... much more rugged than an arch built by any company. See a pic in my photo bucket.

[bobbyjake]

a 16" stack has 201 square inches of cross sectional area. I'd think you'd need at least 3" across the whole back either under or 4" through the flues to pass the heat.

The new vortex has a dropped area in the back of the evap to allow the heat to drop and go under that "false back wall" across the flues.

[cncaboose]

My 3x8 drop flue is built the same way and when it came I was REALLY skeptical about its function. Then I measured out the square inches of my 12" stack and the space underneath the trough at the back of the flue pan and figured that it should work. To be sure I went with half thickness firebrick underneath the end to give a little more room. Draws great and boils fine.

[user587]

It seem like it would be a bad idea to have less area than the stack diameter. (but maybe I'm wrong on that?) A16" stack has 202 sq. inches, which is the same area as 4" x 50" rectangle space.

One option would be to drill large holes in the "walsl" between the flues. It's easy to drill holes, and it would allow some airflow in the "dead" area at the top of the flues, and it would increase the flow area.

It seems it would be risky to cutout the entire rear "wall" - it seem the flues could spring. If you decide to eliminate the rear wall, it may be good to consider many holes or long slots - but leave a complete run of material at he bottom to insure the flues won't spring.

But it's easy enough to try it as-is first - it's easier to take material off than it is to put it back!

[H. Walker]

The piece at the back that you are talking about is it just a flat piece of metal or is it built to actually hold sap? If it is just a single piece of stainless without the cooling effect of the sap as in the flues it will warp and burn out in no time.

[Thad Blaisdell]

The area holds sap. The flues end and then there is a 3-4 inch area (box) all the way across the entire width that holds sap. It goes all the way to the bottom of the flues. It looks like the end of a raised flue where the fire would then have to go down and below the end.

I will get some pictures up, my camera wouldnt download to the computer for some darn reason.

[Dennis H.]

It sounds just like my Lapierre Raised Fue. Worked good when I did my test fire.
I put a ramp in the back for the gases to drop out of the raised flue pan then go back up the smoke stack.

I think I am going to modify next year to close up back by making a steeper ramp.

[Dave Y]

It sounds like the pan is designed to help hold heat in the arch longer and allow the pans to absorb more of the heat, acounting for the faster boing rate. If any of you saw the in sides of a force 5 you would wonder how it would even burn.I think Thad will be ok with the pan the way it is and I would be very reluctant to start modifing some thing that expen$ivie.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Probably work good but I know it would not be much fun being the guinea pig on a rig that big. They ought to be able to provide you with the names and phone #'s of other producers running the same pan last year so you could get some peace of mind.

[Brian]

The thing looks like a 1/2 drop flue and 1/2 raised flue, to me this means the heat will only go about 1/2 way of the flue pan then the heat will drop to the bottom and travel the path with least resistance, It is not a leader for sure. I think the only way to fix the problem is to make a box on the bottom of the arch so it would be like a drop flue. Good luck, ps return to sender after the season.

[Thad Blaisdell]

We are going to get it put together and give her a test run next week. I will be putting a flow meter on the fill to see how well she will boil. We shall see what happens.

[Thad Blaisdell]

I just did my first real boil with this new pan....Holy Cow. This pan is incredible. It beats my old pan hands up, down and all around. Not sure of the exact per hour rate yet, my first draw off was 30 gallons. I should be able to figure out gph and syrup per hour tomorrow.

If you are looking for a new pan I would take a good look at THOR pans....