Steam Hood Fit

[Pibster]

Almost done building my hood. I was wondering how tightly the steam hood should fit on the evaporator pan? When the hood rests on the pan, the 4 corners hit but I still have a small gap along the sides and ends. Probably around 1/4" maximum. Will this hurt the performance of the pre-heater? Would a high heat rubber gasket be a good idea?

[maple flats]

No gasket needed. 1/4" is a little more than usual, but it will still do fine. In your steam stack, have a damper. To regulate the steam flow, start closing the damper just until some steam starts to escape thru the gap, then open it very slightly. As the boil rate varies you might need some tweaking on the adjustment. Hoods do not fit tight, they just set on top. Most have gaps but they are generally a little less than 1/4", but that will not be cause for anything radical.

[Pibster]

That's good to know. One less thing to get done before the sap.

Thanks.