Need info on 3 things.....

[Mike]

I have 3 questions and would be gratefull for any help....(1) On a vaccum pump is the pump suppose to run hot and if not what would meke it run hot???? (2) How much filter aid do you use in a filter press....(3) How many gals does a 12" W x 18" L x 27" H hold........Thanks for any help........Mike

[maple flats]

conversion is 25.4 gal rounded to tenths of gal. The others i can't help you with.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mike,

I know some of the others sit a window fan next to their vaccum and let it blow on it to help keep it cool. I know nothing about any of the rest of it. :?

[brookledge]

What is your definition of hot? Mine run warm to the touch but not hot enough so that you will burn yourself. The higher the vacuum is the hotter the pump will run.
As far as filter aid goes there is alot of variables such as what size press, how much syrup you are filtering and the grade of the syrup.
I have a 7" press and only use 3 sections and 2 plates. This allows me to heat up about 20 gallons and run through all at once. For me any more plates and sections would be a waste of papers. With this set up I use about 2 cups for lighter syrup and about 3 to 3.5 cups for dark syrup. I usually will put alittle syrup in a pail with some of the F.A. to start it with a higher concentration.
Keith

[mapleman3]

Mike I am one of those that use a box fan running over my vac pump, mostly because they say not to go over 16" vac on my old milker(delaval 75) I run it at 19", so it gets warm, but with the fan I can keep my hand on it no problem.

[Mike]

Thanks for the info guys.....The filter aid was a big help seeing how my press is a 7" short bank..... And the vaccum answer makes a lot of sense..I was running 20 last year and had no heat problem and this year pushed it up to 24.........What is a good setting for a pump??? Thanks again for the help...............Mike

[Russell Lampron]

Mike I am running my Delaval 73 vacuum pump at 18" and it only gets warm to the touch. If you are using an old dairy vacuum pump you don't want to run it much higher than that.

Russ

[maplehound]

My local dairy equipment dealer sold me some vaccuume oil for high heat transfer. Says he highly recomends it to larger farmers who run there pumpps for longer periods of time.
Ron

[Russell Lampron]

I run Dexron automatic transmission fluid in mine.

Russ

[mapleman3]

Sae 20 non detergent in mine

[Mike]

Not sure what make my pump is but a 5.5 hp Honda runs it...I bought it from Algiers when they where in buisness...I use vacuum oil from the local Coop....My pump has a dripper on each side for each bearing.Not sure how many drips there suppose to have......What makes me mad is the money we pay for this stuff you'd think they would give you a owners manual.... :twisted: :twisted: .....I think we should start sending e-mail to the Sugaring Equipment people and tell them to start giving owners manuals for this OVER PRICED STUFF........ 8O.... Any other comments???

[Russell Lampron]

Mike I agree on the owners manuals especially with an evaporator. Some one who has never used an evaporator could use instructions on firebricking, sap depth and general evaporator operation.

Russ

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

My evaporator came with good setup and firebricking instructions, but can't remember if it had any more, I don't think so. :?

[Mike]

Brandon, You got more info than most....Its like when I bought my vacuum pump and filter press.....OK if youve done this before....But for a lot of us small guys it would be nice to have a little info...... :D

[Fred Henderson]

That is the way I feel about putting up tubing. I did not know beans about how to do it. There was just no place that I could get info even after attending several seminars. Finally went to a dealer and asked him. I also told him that it would be money in the bank for him and others if someone had a beginners school on how to do tubing.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Same here as I am down here where basically no one makes syrup other than a few backyarders or small guys that don't know much and I didn't know how to use tubing very well. I laid my on the ground for years and rolled it up at the end of the season. Worked good but it was the old purple lamb and it was a bacteria breeding ground. :?

[forester1]

I hope the new producers manual has some good tubing instructions. The evaporator was bad enough but you can kind of figure it out. Buy a releaser and it's hard to figure out unless you've seen one hooked up. Easy in some areas to find someone nearby but I have to go 100 miles or more to see a vacuum system in operation.

[SteveD]

....It's good to read these comments........I had thought that I was the only dummy to have gone out and paid $1,000 plus for equipment that didn't come with a manual..... :roll:

[markcasper]

Its a joke.....when I bought my filter press several years ago, guess what? No manual. I did not know what filter aid was until I had to make a 2nd, 60 mile trip back to get some. We are not dumb.....they are stupid for not providing instructions. And whats up with some of these dealers?? I should have been told about filter aid before I walked out the door and loaded it in my pickup. Mark

[Jim Brown]

I must be "blessed " to have a dealer who cares. When I bought a new rig he delivered it and showed me how to brick it and set it up. Told us what level to start at until we were comfortable. When we went to tubing he delivered the tubing and spent a day in the woods with us showing us how to lay it out and use a sight level. I have called him a number of times with "dumb" questionsand always got a good answer. I thought that was part of being in business. May be I was wrong!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

What you are saying is you have a dealer who cares and in the long run this more than pays for itself because people will keep coming back and recommend him to many others. Not just in it for fast and easy $$$. :D

[Mike]

8O 8O ....Glad to see there's a bunch of us who feel the same way about MANUALS !!!!! When I bought my 3x10 from Algiers I had to pay a guy to set up my burner.......I must say the other Makers will set them up for you....This is my 5th season and the year before I started I vistited a bunch of sugar houses and the people where more than happy to answer my questions.....Matt at LaPierre's in swanton has been a great help with my questions as have a lot of people on the trader.....Its a lot of self learning in the maple buisness, plus a lot of help from our friends...... :D

[brookledge]

Whe I bought my Grimm 7" press about 6 years ago I got instructions with it and when I got my new evaporator with hood,pre-heater,and auto drawoff everthing had good instructions that came with it. I'm wondering if some of the dealers just don't care to include them or what.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Maybe Leader is the only one that gives instructions and don't you guys jump all over me over Leader because I had nice detailed instructions with my evaporator. 8O Their customer service is second to none. :?

[SteveD]

You're right Brandon....
Whenever I've been up to the factory...or dealt with them over the phone...they have been great!

[twigbender]

Just an FYI on converting cubic inches to gallons: Divide your cubic inches by 231 and you'll be right on the money.