Heat management

[Jeff E]

With this wonderful warm spring, I am facing a new issue-getting way warm in the sugarhouse.
Normally I just open up the windows and garage door, but with it being so warm out the bugs are really active, especially the sweet toothed moths!
Trying to keep the moth invasion to a minimum, I keep the garage door mostly closed. That got the sugarhouse up to 86 deg last night.

I am considering exaust fans, maybe even a window AC unit, not so much for use during boiling, but for when I am done and sap it coming in. Want to keep it as cools as practical.

Any ideas?

[Michael Greer]

Yeah, it's crazy. You don't normally see screens on a sugarhouse, and slapping mosquitoes while sugaring is just wrong. During deer season, in November, I was bothered by mosquitoes, so let's see...that's three months without. Welcome to the future.

[OldManMaple]

I'm off to buy screen doors for the canning room, it was on the list but didn't think I'd need them yet. Was like a sweat lodge in there yesterday.

[PerryW]

I'm off to buy screen doors for the canning room, it was on the list but didn't think I'd need them yet. Was like a sweat lodge in there yesterday.

I've been gathering at dawn and finishing my boil by 9-10 am to beat the heat. My sugarhouse is faily well ventilated. You can throw a cat between the pine board I nailed up green.

[smokeyamber]

I had all the doors and windows open on the shack, finally had to just walk outside for a while. Felt like my shirt would burst into flame. I surely missed those 10pm / 10degree boil nights now. I will be insulating the arch big time for next year just for this reason !

[Michael Greer]

I worked for the first time this year with an insulated arch...What a difference! for one, you could stand right up close without feeling like your pants would catch fire. The room stayed at a much more tolerable temperature, and I think we used considerably less wood. It makes sense to insulate so that your fuel is being applied to the sap and not to the air. Another thing we paid attention to this year was the new stack thermometer. It makes no sense to put an extra 300 degrees up the chimney...those flames look cool in the dark, but they're not cooking anything up there.

[smokeyamber]

I worked for the first time this year with an insulated arch...What a difference! for one, you could stand right up close without feeling like your pants would catch fire. The room stayed at a much more tolerable temperature, and I think we used considerably less wood. It makes sense to insulate so that your fuel is being applied to the sap and not to the air. Another thing we paid attention to this year was the new stack thermometer. It makes no sense to put an extra 300 degrees up the chimney...those flames look cool in the dark, but they're not cooking anything up there.


On your insulation, did you use the ceramic blanket ? Thats what I was considering for next year, that and bricking at least the firebox.

[Jeff E]

Mike G,
Did you customize or get a prefab insulated arch. I have arch board and firebrick lining mine, but the front is just cast iron. The traditional leader front. Anyone ever insulate these in a way that worked?

[Michael Greer]

We worked on a new arch this year, a Patrick Phaneuf, with ceramic blanket style insulation all around. Jeff E., the doors are cast iron, but on the inside they sandwiched a layer of 2" blanket with a piece of 1/8" plate bolted through. It wasn't real neat or anything, but worked amazingly well....the steel plate would be bright red when opening the doors, but it was fine to stand close in front.

[Jeff E]

Nice. Thanks for the info. I will be doing some work on the arch front this summer! Good stuff.