Help with the homemade float valve

[jmayerl]

I am just finishing and testing out the new homemade float valve I made, any comments or concerns please speak out. This is a rear 2x4 flat pan. the valve came from grainger and I am trying to use an old float. The front pan is a divided 2x2. I will be able to control the levels between the two somewhat with a ball valve. this is all new to me this year and I'm not sure how low I should risk running the level. I can get the valve to cycle if it shuts off at about 1.5". Will this even work sitting in the pan or not? will the boiling affect it to the point it won't function. I know it would work better with a float box on the side but i'm just trying to get thru this year and upgrade over the summer.

[maple flats]

IT is generally not placed in the pan but rather on a side car if you will. If this can't be done, at least try to keep the float as close as possible to where the sap enters so the boil won't be so hard and reak havock with the float accuracy. My first evaporator with a float did have the float in one flue, closest to the outside, where the boil is slightly less violent.

[3rdgen.maple]

Since it is not a raised flue pan you only need the one float. The level in the sap pan will be what maintains the level in the syrup pan which is the same case on a drop flue. I the only thing that concerns me a little is the boil pushing the float up and closing the valve. You might have to run sap level higher to make sure you dont burn up the pans. My old rig had the float in the pan and after a few times boiling on it I took it out and put a valve on the end of the incoming sap line and and adjusted the flow to keep up with the boil. It was second nature after a few boils to get the volume of flow right. With that said the float setup was alot different than the one you built. Give it a try and see what happens, maybe a prerun water boil. Also like Maple Flats suggested you might consider getting rid of the pipe after the valve and let the raw sap enter right at the float to aid in killing the boil right at the float instead of somewhere else.

[Aaron S]

how did you make out ? Did the float bounce bad with sap boiling ?
Thanks