Badly soiled flue pan

[sawyer40]

I bought my evaporator about 4 yrs ago. It was taken apart and stored in a trailer uncleaned. I'M just about ready to set the pans on the arch but would like to know what to do . The mice have been all over everything the one pan I can scrub very easy but that flue pan is another story. My plan is to first tip the pan on end and blow it out with air pressure. Then my thought was to steam clean it. Then set it up on the arch and get the burner working and boil it out with water and vinegar. What would work for cleanning the 5 year old sugar deposits off? Anyone have any suggestions.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I put 4 gallon of vinegar in my 2x8 at the end of the year and it boiled it out good. Do the same according to the size of the flue pans and it should work great to remove the sugar sand deposits. :?

[maplwrks]

I would stand it up and put a pressure washer to it. The pressure will chip all the old nitre off the pan. If you don't have a pressure washer, take it to a car wash! I clean mine every year with acid, then pressure wash it.

[HanginAround]

You can get great pan cleaners and a flue brush from your maple dealer, or try milk stone remover from a farm supply store. Follow the directions for dilution, and let it soak for awhile, but not too long.

[sawyer40]

I don't have a maple dealer yet can anyone suggest one I'm located in north jersey a few minuets from N.Y or PA

[lmathews]

I use an acid called 35mac.There is also another one called 33fac.these acids are s.s. cleaners and in my opinion are better than what the dealers sell,cheaper also.These acids can be picked up at any farm supply store.The acids are used for cleaning bulk tanks and dairy pipe lines.

[Fred Henderson]

I use an acid called 35mac.There is also another one called 33fac.these acids are s.s. cleaners and in my opinion are better than what the dealers sell,cheaper also.These acids can be picked up at any farm supply store.The acids are used for cleaning bulk tanks and dairy pipe lines.


Do either if those acids have to be delutied before use? Which one is the best one to use. Where is a good place to buy it around here?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Nearly every store sells gallon jugs of vinegar for a couple of bucks apiece. :D

[sawyer40]

I like the vinegar idea I know me and at some point no matter how careful I am I'll end with my hand in there cleanning. Acid burns can get very serious quicker than you think and what do you do with the acid when your done cleanning? I'm not afraid to dump the vinegar someplace but acid what do you do with it?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sawyer,

I used acid several years and then used vinegar last year and it worked as good as the acid. Bring it to a simmer for about and hour and then let is stand overnight if you can. I washed mine out right after simmering, but it would have been a little easier if I had let it stand overnight. Either way, you will need your hand down into it to scrub. I always used rubber gloves with the acid. :?

[lmathews]

The 33 fac is an acid that is not harmfull.I use it without any gloves.Yes you dilute it with water or for real hard spots i put some in a bucket and use a brush.35 mac is alot stronger all you do is dilute it bring to a boil let it sit and then drain and rinse it out.Can be picked up at any farm supl. store.Farmers dump these acids into there manure pits so to put it on the ground is where they dump it.

[backyardsugarer]

I have a real thin shop vac attachment that I can get down in the pan to get the tough spots after the gunk is loosened up.

[sawyer40]

I took both pans up to my neighbors and used the steam cleaner today. Both pans are 75% better some of the sugar buildup was almost a 1/4 inch thick near the draw off. I'll still need to clean them with vinegar but they look a lot better than when I started.