almost ready to run new set up

[bannonbush]

Im Finally getting there. Here is what my set up is starting too shape upto. old wood stove, i added a ramp to fit a 18"x40" Patrick Phaneuf 3 run continous flow pan, have a steam box up under the hood the head tank feds a single run of 3/4" copper witch enters the hood at front left and goes to right rear. i dont expect huge results from 1 run of copper but i had to get to the right rear of pan anyway so i figured might better utilize some of the heat. brass float from the copper to the steam box to keep it full, float valve from steam pan to the big pan. the old stove is full bricked inside and then roxall insulation on the outside with a skin of stainless over it. blower fan in the rear feeds a 2" pipe laying on the stove floor with multiple holes to help feed some much needed oxygen, heavy duty grate in floor. I am hopeing to keep up to 50 taps with this system.. A major upgrade from my first year last year with a pair of turkey burners under an old sink.

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sorry for the poor pictures took them with my cell phone

[bannonbush]

94 views no comments?? looking for feedback. think i can keep up to 50-60 taps with this set up??

[marktripp]

94 views no comments?? looking for feedback. think i can keep up to 50-60 taps with this set up??

I'm new at all this business but what you have there appears to be better than my setup of a oil tank arch with 2x4 divided pan. I have been told I could handle up to 150 taps so you should be more than good!!

[Zamkev]

I would say that 50-60 taps would be the max you could probably have with this set-up - if we get good sap runs continuously day after day. It looks and sounds great - not to mention a ton of thought and effort that I'm sure went into it. Quick math suggests that you should get 5gph based on surface area.....but you should get more given that it sounds like a pretty tight system; you have a blower and are heating the sap. How much more? You will find that out once you get boiling. Have you done a test run yet? I see your stack has an elbow in it. You may find that your draw is affected and therefore you might not get the kind of heat you might expect - but time will tell.

That's a pretty major upgrade from two turkey burners.

[bannonbush]

thanks fellas.. no test run yet, probably should of LOL but collecting 1st time tonight its test run is likely gona be SAP. i wondered about the elbow affecting my draw but it was the easy route out of the shed (was already a whole covered with tin) im hoping the forced air helps it draw. i will upload some more pictures once i get boilin.

[bannonbush]

So far so good, have boiled a few times now. running about 6.5 GPH. im going to increasse the size of air holes in my pipe on the floor of arch to try and introduce some more air to get fire burning a little more rapid. I will likely tighten up my clearences on my ramp for next year i think i left to much room there and will possibly put a proper stack out the top of stove to help warm the pre-heater some more. got a few gallons in the fridge waiting to bottle and its tasty guess thats all that matters haha

[sams64]

6.5 seems a little low based ion what I am seeing with a 24" x 43" flat pan on a home built arch. I am preheating in pots at the back of the flue and seeing preheat temps in the range of 80F. With about 120CFM of air under the fire grate I am seeing closer to 12GPM. That is with me loosing a lot of heat out the fire box door. I have a plan to tighten that up and hope to push my rate closer to 14GPM or so.

How often are you stoking the fire? I am burning pallets and really need to keep on to keep loading wood continuously to keep the boil rate up.

Sam

[Zamkev]

I will likely tighten up my clearences on my ramp for next year i think i left to much room there...

You can tighten up your clearances this year by using sand. Get a bag of sand from a hardware shop and dump it in your arch smoothing it out up to 1-2 inches from your pans on the ramp. Should make a difference - at very little expense. Sand will hold the heat very well.

[bannonbush]

1-2" from the pan on the ramp??..yup id say thats my problem. my ramp starts from the fire box floor its fairly short but only gets about 5" from pan and the back. Got a dry spell for sap until the weekend i think im gona pull my pan off and try and fill in the ramp. also my air under grates is a 2" pipe with 3/8 holes drilled in it, i seem to get alot of air blowing back out the squirel cage fan will increse the hole size see if i can force more air into fire box. been burning split slabs (pine and hemlock) tried some spruce cut offs from a pallet factory and some dried dead elm. i seem to get the same boil no matter the wood.

[Zamkev]

Here is a pic of my arch. I have actually put another bag of sand on the ramp since taking this shot.

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[sams64]

3/8" holes sound very small unless you have a ton of them. If you are using a 4" blower you will need 115 holes to give you equivalent are. Even this will have significantly more restriction than a 4" diameter tube. You will probably need more like 200 holes to get to rated CFM.


I am just dumping air into the fire box through a 4" hole below the grate. A manifold to distribute is probably a good idea, but you do need to make sure there is not more restriction than your blower can handle.

Can you see a visible difference in the rate of boil with the blower on?

Sam

[bannonbush]

you can definately see the fire burn more rapid with the blower plugged in compared to unpluged. im going to increase the size of the holes before my next boil and will see how it changes things

[sams64]

I can see a big difference in my boil rate about 30 seconds after I turn on the blower. Bigger holes should help that out. I would try and get enough hole area that you have at least the same open are as your blowers discharge. Because there is additional pressure from going out many small holes you should probably try to add an additional 20 - 30% of open area for best performance.

Sam