Pre heater drip tray ideas

[bairdswift]

I built a copper parallel flow pre heater and now need to build a pan to catch the drips off of it. Any ideas or pics out there. Would like to make it so the steam comes through it not around because I will not have a hood.its 12in wide and 30in long with 5 passes.

[maple flats]

pre heaters without a hood give up a huge portion of what is possible. Why not make even a crude hood to contain the steam? It need not be fancy to help a lot.

[bairdswift]

How could I make a crud hood that's half way food grade on a budget? If I was to make a hood I would still need a drip pan. Once again any pics?

[jmayerl]

Doesnt really need to be food grade, never will touch sap or syrup. Use some plastic sheeting, 2x2's, and some osb. I have seen plastic gutters used on the drip edge. Really a preheater is a waste of time and money without some way of holding heat around it.

[johnallin]

Baird,
Check out Jim Schumacher's site - Smokey Lake Maple - he makes a drip pan for just what you're doing he also fabs up a nice preheater to go along with it. Picture below of one he has on the other site for a 2x4 priced at $315.

6598

I'm with you, any heat is better than none as far as preheating. You may not be as efficient as a steam hood set up, but you've got the steam so why not use it. Good luck.

Food grade is important, you still stand a chance of some condensation dripping back into the flue pan...

[bairdswift]

Would it work to build a hood out of aluminum roofing? Would that be better he galvanized metal? Any other sugestions?

[theschwarz1]

Would it work to build a hood out of aluminum roofing? Would that be better he galvanized metal? Any other sugestions?

I was wondering the same thing....

[b116757]

Since you made the preheated out of copper pipe why not use copper pipe for the catch grid also just split some 3/4 pipe and basicly repeat the preheater assembly with half pipes should work great to catch the condensation from the preheater

[bairdswift]

I plan on having the pre heater at an angle. Could I get away wih having the drip tray only on the lower and thinking is that the drips would run down hill to the low end and collect there? Or will it drip the whole length of the pre heater?

[Big_Eddy]

I'm thinking if you can get some 20 gauge stainless cut into 6 @ 3x30" strips and fold them 90 degrees along their length, you can make a light weight drip tray that will allow the steam to circulate around your preheater. Line 5 of the strips up at the spacing of your preheater runs and hold them together with cross pieces as needed V V V V V . Put the last channel across one end so that the others run into it. Direct the ends off to the sides of your evaporator. Mount it with the same front to back slope as the preheater and a bit of a side to side slope and you're done. Drips will drop into the channel, run down to the end, and off to the side. You can collect in a pail or run onto the ground.

Try it like that to start, and add a hood later when you want.

[b116757]

Big Eddy

You just described my catch system except at the bottom end I built a small holding tank so I could retain some hot water and drain off when needed for clean ing ect.. mine is all Tig welded 24 ga 304 2b stainless for the catch system and 3/4" 304 20ga stainless pipe for the preherater it is installed at an shallow up hill angle and does drip almost the entire lenth of the parellel pipes I didn't bother to install any sort of vent in my system and have never had an issue with vapor lock but i do not run a float valve on the uphill hot exit end of the preheater just a ball valve on the cold side set to keep close to the same amount of sap coming in as I'm evaporating low tech but works well for me.

[wiam]

I plan on having the pre heater at an angle. Could I get away wih having the drip tray only on the lower and thinking is that the drips would run down hill to the low end and collect there? Or will it drip the whole length of the pre heater?

It will drip off the whole length.