Kev
03-01-2011, 08:17 AM
Hi everyone
As you can see I am pretty new here. not quite as new to sugaring but pretty green at that too. I helped my dad with this hobby/ obbsesion for several years before he called it quits due to health reasons and warm sunny florida in the calling him in the winter.
here are my questions- I am planing to add a preheater in the hood. are more tubes of a smaller size more effective than less large tubes?
my homemade flue heater works great in conjunction with the preheater Dad had made for the back half of the pan. Output from the combined heaters averages 170 degrees, how high is too high? or is there such a thing?
the flue part I can only use when i have a large amount of sap to run thru as I have to keep a large amount of head pressure to keep flow consistant.
once I am down to about 25 gal. of sap I have to shut down, close valves, undo unions drain down flue heater. Then connect supply hose union to union on dads preheater to continue flow into the pan. Then the flush the flue heater with water. If i do not you can imagine the mess involved.
I did this the last year dad was around but no longer "in charge" and he would just comeout to the shack to spell me once in a while. LOL he was impressed with the output temp. but not so impressed with the frantic activity during the transition period. especially sense when he was watching i managed to run spill a bunch of sap all over the back of the arch and pan.:emb:
As you can see I am pretty new here. not quite as new to sugaring but pretty green at that too. I helped my dad with this hobby/ obbsesion for several years before he called it quits due to health reasons and warm sunny florida in the calling him in the winter.
here are my questions- I am planing to add a preheater in the hood. are more tubes of a smaller size more effective than less large tubes?
my homemade flue heater works great in conjunction with the preheater Dad had made for the back half of the pan. Output from the combined heaters averages 170 degrees, how high is too high? or is there such a thing?
the flue part I can only use when i have a large amount of sap to run thru as I have to keep a large amount of head pressure to keep flow consistant.
once I am down to about 25 gal. of sap I have to shut down, close valves, undo unions drain down flue heater. Then connect supply hose union to union on dads preheater to continue flow into the pan. Then the flush the flue heater with water. If i do not you can imagine the mess involved.
I did this the last year dad was around but no longer "in charge" and he would just comeout to the shack to spell me once in a while. LOL he was impressed with the output temp. but not so impressed with the frantic activity during the transition period. especially sense when he was watching i managed to run spill a bunch of sap all over the back of the arch and pan.:emb: