Adk1 evaporator is here!!!!!!!!!!

[adk1]

Been a long time coming, but here she is..Leader 2x6 King pan....50075008500950105011

[heus]

congratulations

[jmayerl]

If you get a chance can you flip the pan over and get a few pictures? I'm getting a idea about something and wondering what your setup looks like for reversing flow and the float box.

[Ausable]

Hey adk1 - I'm happy for You - It is all getting very real and possible now - Hope it all comes together for You and You make lots of good Maple for many years --Mike--

[stoweski]

Just imagine what 3rdGen would have to say about that! Maybe you should post over on the other forum just so he can see!

Congrats!

[christopherh]

If you get a chance can you flip the pan over and get a few pictures? I'm getting a idea about something and wondering what your setup looks like for reversing flow and the float box.

I wonder if all you'll need is some plugs to reverse the flow, looks identical to my pan. Anyways, Congrads!! Hope you have a great season!

[western mainer]

Good luck and keep us up dated!
Brian

[GramaCindy]

HOLY BEAN DIP!!!! YEAH FOR YOU buddy!!!! Just a note….you may want to relocate those gas cans to another area of the garage……:-)

[lastwoodsman]

Adk1
Looks great
Take photos and post if you are putting in arch board as I did not do this and am thinking of it for next year.
Nice looking rig!!! That shoudl be fun-------
Woodsman

[adk1]

Yeah, I will flip the pans over and get some pics. I did get a few and updated my album. DOesnt 3rdgen visit this site anymore? I must have missed something here.
Thanks, yeah, it is coming along now that is for sure, but of course, I have a few questions:

1. What should I used to remove the layer of creosote/soot from the bottom of the pans and from inbetween the flue channels? I know I dont want to scratch it.
2. Are the grates supposed to be wit hthe flat side up? I thought that the grates should be with the "V" up.
3. I dont plan on bricking it all over for this year, but I will have to buy some more brick sicne some of them were broken up pretty good. ANd I was also thinking about grouting what is there..Dont know if I should with the old brick or not? Thoughts?
4. Where can I get the high temp grout? Any fireplace store?

[jmayerl]

1. Ez off oven cleaner works great. Spray it on and let sit for awhile. I then lightly scrubed with those green synthetic brilo pads. Might take a few times to get most of it off.
3. I would just stack the bricks in for this year. It will be easier to get them all out after season to totally redo it if that's your plan.

[Sugarmaker]

ADK,
Nice rig , Congratulations! I used a pressure washer to clean the underside of the flue pan.
Regards,
Chris

[adk1]

darn, I dont have my outside hose running anymore due to weather. Might have to go with EZ OFF oven cleaner and alot of rags

[jmayerl]

FYI make sure to have very good ventilation when using the oven off.

[metalhead62]

congrats on the new boiler and luck with all the plans

[adk1]

I guess for this year I will just finish the brick that broke and leave it at that. Been used like that since it was new. THis summer will get the high density board and then all new brick and mortar that in with the stove cement. HAve too many other things to do yet this year.

[christopherh]

I fought with cleaning my flues this year. The best way I found was a pressure washer, oven cleaner, and a stiff non metalic brush, or Flue brush. It took awhile to take all the baked on creosote off. I kept soaking it with oven cleaner and letting it set for an hour, brushing it, then used the pressure washer.

Your grates the V will be pointing toward the bottom, flat surface on top.

I'd clean the existing brick and just patch it. I bought the refractory cement at a fireplace shop. Goodluck!!

[Fishgill]

Congrats. It's nice when a plan comes together.

[Daren]

That is going to boil great! Congrats. You are fine with just repairing the broken bricks. Any ACE hardware will have a small bucket of the refractery cement. putty those bad poys in and then as long as you wipe it down really well....just face it all with a thin layer of the cement...kinda like icing a cake and it will look great. Enjoy the smell of that cotton candy as the bubbles get smaller!

[adamsmithnny]

adk1, Congrats on the new evap! I purchased the same one this year. Drove all the way to Sherberne NY for it only to realize that it was originally purchased 20 miles from my house two years prior. My pans say 1982. I retinned the flue pan end of mine due to the galvanized being rusted out. Bought arch board from Bascoms to line it with. Does your setup have the Z rig float that sits in the middle of your flue pan? Do you understand how this works to reverse the flow? I suspect that all we do is rotate the float assembly to reverse the flow?? Not sure so if you know for sure let me know. Good luck! And keep it above 3%.

[red maples]

You need to break out the hose for this one!!! and pressure washer too. and the easy off too. You can pick up plastic scrapers but you still need to be gentle you can also pick up some of those plastic scrubbers they work good too and your gonna wann move that pan outside to clean it if you can otherwise your gonna have a HUGE mess in your garage/ sugarhouse and I mean nasty black all over the place. as for the bricks you can set them in but I wouldn't run a 2x6 with out arch board between the bricks and arch sides. It just gets too hot!!! the bricks will glow red by them selves.... but you can just stack the bricks in there for now (with the arch board that is) as far a the mortar you wanna use refractory cement which is curred by heat or the high temp cement that cures by chemcical reaction both work just as well. and yes the grates flat side up.

One thing I would recommend also is getting a flue brush for the underside of the pan you can order them from bascom's I wouldn't use it with any chemicals or heat (made of plastic) but I use it before every firing this will help keep your level of carbon build up a little lower keep a more constant boil through out the season and also make end of season cleaning easier.

[adk1]

Yeah I plan on getting a flue brush for sure. Looks like I will cleaning them this weekend as it is supposed to get back to 40 maybe. I will ahve to get the garden house back out I guess.

[adamsmithnny]

adk1, did you get a manual with your evap? Is your set up for the old Z type float I believe they called it?

[adk1]

I dont think so. IT is an older evap, I would say early 90's version. The manual I got was just the downloadable one off the Leader Website.

[Father & Son]

adamsmithnny,
I started on a 2x6 Leader built in 1979. If you are talking about what I think you are, you are correct about the float and the float box. The float box sits in the front of the flue pan in a frame. The float, when attached, rides in the outer channel. You then plug the outlet of the channel that the float box dumps into causing the sap to travel back and forth through the flue pan before in goes to the syrup pan. When you want to reverse the flow all you do is rotate the float box to the other side, connect the float, and move the plug.
Hope this helps.

Jim

[adk1]

That is not like mine. The float box never moves. Mine has two pipes coming out of the float box. One goes to the opposite side of the flue pan from the float box, the other goes directly into the adjacent pan. My flue pan is divided into two sections. When you want to switch sides, you simply plug the corresponding pipe and unplug the opposite pipe. this allows you to direct fresh sap from the float box into the opposite side. I cant remember which side you use compared to where you draw off from though. I wanna say you plug the opposite side that you draw from.?

[adamsmithnny]

Father and son, that is exactly what it is! I thought that was the way that it went but wasnt quite sure. What size feed line should I run from the head tank connecting the float? Wondering if an short piece of garden hose would work. Thanks again, thank god for helpful producers and the website.

[adk1]

MY BIL that had my evap ran garden house. I am buying a clear plastic hose though cause I want to see the sap flowing. also, I just dont like the idea of garden hose

[Greenwich Maple Man]

That is not like mine. The float box never moves. Mine has two pipes coming out of the float box. One goes to the opposite side of the flue pan from the float box, the other goes directly into the adjacent pan. My flue pan is divided into two sections. When you want to switch sides, you simply plug the corresponding pipe and unplug the opposite pipe. this allows you to direct fresh sap from the float box into the opposite side. I cant remember which side you use compared to where you draw off from though. I wanna say you plug the opposite side that you draw from.?


It sounds like a standard setup other than your box being in the pan, so to speak. You would want to plug the side that you are going to draw off from. That way the raw sap has to work the full flue pan and then enter the syrup pan. If you didn't plug it you we have raw sap feeding right to your draw off. Imay be thinking this wrong. It is to cold to walk to the sugarhouse and look!!!!

[GramaCindy]

That sounds correct to me Greenwich, you always want to feed raw sap into the farthest from the drawoff.

[adamsmithnny]

absolutely! Clear hose also.

[adk1]

Yesterday was a great day. I got the evap set up on blocks and leveled pretty well. Then I ran the stack through the roof. I couldnt believe that everything went so smoothly. I bought a 8" dia roof jack that could be used on a 2/12-6/12 roof figuring that I would have to trim it. Once I made my hold in the roof after plumbing the stack, I got up on and slid the jack under the top roof flashing and ran the pipe up through. I didnt have to trim it at all since my stack is 7". that one extra inch was perfect. I put on my weather shield and it was done. Threw a bucket over thetop.
I added a brace about half way up the stack for support. I have a minimum of 6" of clearance to any adjacent combustable material. I still might add come ceramic blanket just in case. THe top of the stack is about 2' above the top of the cupola and a total of about 16'. should be plenty on the 2x6.
Now that the evap is in permanetly, today I will figure out where I am gonna put the tank for this. year.

[GramaCindy]

Now on to a test boil adk1! Sooooo much to learn from that! Please read the posts about the ball valves from today. Lesson learned!

[adk1]

Still things to do before that happend. Like I ahve said before, I have worked this evaporator.