Sugar House Lighting

[royalmaple]

What are you guys running for lights in your sugar houses?

I was trying to find a keyless outlet with a sealed globe for the bulb, or the explosion proof light recepticals as they call them.

But I was at lowes the other day getting all the doo dads I need to finish up my wiring today and I saw some all weather halogen units. They were 100W with a totally sealed lens, which then went inside a sealed cap, which had a sealed gasket into the mounting box. Plus you can angle them anyway you want. I picked up some of these and I was going to try them.

I didn't want to just use a plain keyless receptical for moisture reasons etc.

[Fred Henderson]

I just use incandesants bulbs. Anything that requires a started might not work well in clod weather unless it is for cold weather use.

[HanginAround]

Yup, everyone I know just uses light bulbs in a bare fixture. And inside the camp where they bottle and make other products, there are flourescent fixtures.

[brookledge]

I use all 4 foot flouresent lights I got about 8 total through the entire sugarhouse. Some of them have the cold temp starters in them which will start right up in the coldest temps. While a few of mine are normal shop lights that flicker a little until they warm up.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I have the cold start flouresent like Keith has and I got them at Lowes. I think they start to -20 degrees. :)

[Fred Henderson]

I have the cold start flouresent like Keith has and I got them at Lowes. I think they start to -20 degrees. :)


I don't know about the rest of you but I don't plan on being in the SH at minus 20. Are you sure that it is not 20 drg.

[mountainvan]

I just bought some flouresent spot lights at home depot this year and they light up the saphouse well, plus they use less energy than regular lights. Saving some pennies for a trip to Europe.

[royalmaple]

I guess one other thing that comes into play is the whole idea if you have a hood or not. This year I more than likely won't so I was factoring in the steam issue. I guess if you are running a hood then much less chance for steam messing with the open connections and at that point really would not matter what type of lights you used.

I just didn't want to use flourescent 4 or 8 foot strip light and watch water drip off them all night.
:?

Gets me a little worried.

[maple flats]

In the past I used 2 halogen work lites, a 1000w and a 500w. These are temporary. As I finish my sugarhouse off I wanted to get flourescent units rated for high moisture and cold start. I asked at Lowes and they said they had nor can they get nothing like that. I then went to our local full line elec. supply (where contractors go) and they have them listed and must be ordered from thier main warehouse, a next day delivery deal. I got the quote for 4 units with 2-4' bulbs each (for 320 watts total in a 16 x 24 sugarhouse). These are watertite and cold start, they are a sealed unit and even say they can be washed with a hose when in use, but they might be more than is really needed. 4 units total was $400, I might try something else. This is supposedly what car washes need. They had nothing else listed as made to work in high moisture/steam environment. Might be I need to find out exactly what royalmaple got and try those. Royal, do you have an item # or exact description and I'll check Lowes?

[brookledge]

My flouresent lights are just the normal ones you get at the local hardware store. You can get cold start ones that will start to -20. As far as the moisture I have used them for almost 30 years with the steam pouring right up into them with no problem. They work for me and use less electricity than incadesant.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

They are -20 lights as a lot of times it is below that at 6 or 7 in the morning when I start boiling. :)

[maplehound]

I am a meat cutter by trade and we use alot of cold start bulbs in our cases and coolers.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

MapleFlats- Those flouresents that you're talking about sound similar to the ones that my uncle put in his milking parlor. Yes they were expensive, but he swaped out the regular bulbs for those because he was able to apply for an energy grant and have the state or power company(not sure which) cost share them because they are supposed to be a certain % more efficient. He also made some other improvements at the same time, but those flourensents ARE nice! they give a nice even light and start GOOD in the cold! If you could do like he did and cost share them, it might be a little more feasable??..

[Sugarmaker]

We have three of the slightly older 2 bulb 8 foot fluorescent cold start High output ballast, fluorescent fixtures in the boiling room and two of these in the utility room. They work great and we have good lighting even when cold in the sugarhouse prior to staring. We have hoods so steam is not a issue. We do have the clear plastic tubes covering each bulb required by the inspector. I got these units for a local lighting supply hose. Lowes didn't have these. We have no shadows anywhere in the boiling room. Note that when the temp in the room goes over like 120 deg F (?) they will shut off. They are thermally protected for heat.
These lights do interfere with the radio!
I boiled in the dark for years and this is Much NICER!

Chris

[ibby458]

I have 3 - 150 watt spiral flourescent bulbs for general "house" lights along the front wall, with 500 watt halogen flood lights on each side of the evaporator. (Individually switched so I can turn on only the one on the draw off side. It lights up the whole evaporator, but the draw off side is brightest) I also have a 300 watt halogen focused on the syrup pan, with another 300 watt halogen to light up the firebox area when I'm firing. These are all waterproof, outdoor lights/fixtures. The spiral bulbs will come on down to 5 degrees, although they do flicker a bit until warmed up.

If I end up putting forced draft on this rig, I'll put the firing light and the blower on a DPDT (center off) switch so one flip will turn on the light and turn off the blower.

None of the lights are over the evaporator. All are off to the side and focused on the evaporator. I'm putting in a big exhaust fan to draw out the steam, so hopefully, there won't be much condesation dripping down.

[maplwrks]

Matt
I use halogen lights and I really like them . I've got them mounted in my hoods on my evaporator and in the peaks of my sugarhouse. I like the bright light they give off.( I've boiled in a few dungeons in my day!) I do use a small flourescent to grade my syrup with.

[Fred Henderson]

Is is very hard to beat a Halogen style light. If you have a 10' or more ceiling height fluorescent will not provide much light where you really need it.

[Sugarmaker]

Fred,
I have 10 foot ceilings and the floresents does a nice job too.
Chris

[Fred Henderson]

OK I learned something today, and I got it off the Maple Trader.

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

Like Mike said...I also have a short 2' flouresent light for grading. It is VERY important to have as close to natural and even lighting for grading so you can compare evenly!

[maple flats]

I also have 10' cieling in the sugarhouse. I think I would like to get the units I got a price on but I have spent too much since last season and my have to do something cheaper for another season. I have gone thru 3 bulbs on my halogen worklites in 3 seasons and think the steam is bothering them.

[Sugarmaker]

Fred,
What I think we are both trying to say is that you can't get enough light. until I built our sugar house I made syrup with one or two standard light bulbs clouded in steam.
Maple Flats,
You wont regret extra lighting of what ever type. We used some halogen flood lights the first year. I also hung a std balast 4 foot fluorescent light and realized it was not going to provide the light I wanted. It was way to dim when cold.

Regards,
Sugarmaker

[Fred Henderson]

If you want light at it finest try some metal halid. Take your check book and try not to have a heart attack.

[VA maple guy]

I tried two mercury vapor lights I got off a job, the light was so horrible
I took them down the next day and replaced them with four regular outdoor 90 watt flood lights.
Gerry

[rschoo]

Boy you guys sound like you have some nice set ups. I have 2 coleman lanterns one of wich runs off a 20# cylinder and the other I can move around. I think that new fangled electric stuff is just a fad.

[HanginAround]

ROFL rschoo.

My uncle never had power in the camp either in the early yrs, in fact, seems most of the camps I was in until the last 10 yrs didn't have power. I think it's more than a fad though, I heard some HOUSES even have electricity now, if you can believe that.

[maplehound]

Several years ago hear in Ohio the Health dept. told the maple producers that they would be inspecting all sugar houses. One of the things that they would check would be the lighting. Everyone had to have a certain amount of candel watts. I heard one of the Amish fellows tell his sones he would have to hang alot more lanterns in the sugar house. :D :D :D . Where we ever glad when the exemted us from the manditory inspections,