Is copper safe?

[vermontkyle]

I just have a small rig and was going to wrap some flex-copper tubing around my stack so that I could heat my sap a little bit more as it flowed from my storage tank into the pre-heater. My brother-in-law is a plumber and I told him my plan but he cautioned me against it because he said copper-when it is very hot-isn't safe. I thought they used copper fairly regularly in rigging?
Am I nuts to try this?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sounds like a good plan and many others have done the same thing. They used to make a lot of evaporator pans out of copper and there are some of them still out there in use. Just use lead free solder if you have to solder anything. There are some members on here with pics on their website links that have already done that. Maybe they will chime in and give you the links and some pointers. :)

[VA maple guy]

Hi vermontkyle, I think you will find most of us sugar makers
use copper tubing for there preheater. There some of us, including myself
that boil with a copper pan. Most homes have copper pipes in them, and the hot side usuly comes out of the hot water heater at about 140 to 160. Your preheater should run just a littel hotter, some where arround 170 to 200.
Gerry

[Fred Henderson]

I just have a small rig and was going to wrap some flex-copper tubing around my stack so that I could heat my sap a little bit more as it flowed from my storage tank into the pre-heater. My brother-in-law is a plumber and I told him my plan but he cautioned me against it because he said copper-when it is very hot-isn't safe. I thought they used copper fairly regularly in rigging?
Am I nuts to try this?


You have to get that copper hot enought(red) to make it oxidis on the inside is what your BIL is talking about. That will never happen with sap in it.

[HanginAround]

Many people have used copper and still do, but I think there is a lot of pressure to get it out of the industry altogether. I don't think they use it in commercial preheaters anymore. It wouldn't bother me at all, but I think "they" argue that sap is acidic, and hot, so not the same as water. Also, in your house, you rarely drink the hot water from your plumbing.

[Jim Brown]

vermontkyle; We started with a 18x48 D/G and we also wrapped the stack with copper tubing for a preheater.What we found was the outside air would not let the sap get hot just warm.we then wrapped the outside of the tubing with another skin of galvanized tin. as we then had the tubing in a box no outside air at all only heat trapped from the stack IT WORKED GREAT! Only problem was we could get the sap too hot an it attempted to boil in the tubing. you will have to be able to control the air flow through the box to keep the sap HOT but not boiling.
This worked for us
hope this helps
Jim

[Mike]

Kyle, My sugaring buddy had a small rig with a copper bottom....I now guys who use the copper wrapped around there stack pipes with no problem...Did you get the tanks hooked up yet?? I still have the pump if your interested....If not now let me know after the season ....Stop in some time...Mike