new to Ro's Rays 250 ro set up questions

[TRAILGUY]

is it better to have sap storage and premate tank inside or out? Any other set up tips? Old post with detail?

[MISugarDaddy]

We have both sap storage and permeate tanks inside an uninsulated building. You want to keep the sap and permeate as cold as possible, but you don't want it to freeze. Once you operate your new RO a couple of times it will be a lot easier than it seems when you first use it. You are REALLY going to enjoy doing syrup this year. One suggestion, based on the size of your evaporator and the number of taps, don't recirculate the sap to get a higher percentage unless you have a lot of sap to process. Last year we were about the same number of taps as you indicate, and with a 2 x 4 drop flue from Patrick, we still only boiled 4 to 5 hours a day, even after a 500 gallon collection. We had to collect two days worth of sap at times to have enough to process. You need enough sweet to get the evaporator fired up and also to let it cool down. Have fun.
Gary

[schellmaple]

I started out with my storage tank on the outside but since moved everything inside. I had a fair amount of problems with it freezing on the outside. Seems like the air hitting it froze allot faster when it got cold at night.

[TRAILGUY]

OK. so my insulated garage without the heat on unless a long cold spell is good. if needed could start wood stove or cover ro and small electric heated.
Next
1. I have two 325 gallon cage tanks with shut offs and quick disconnects one for sap one for premate Ray sent two quick disconnects for them. Can I come out two a t and connect to both or do I need to disconnect each time I go from sap to premate?
2. is the small valve for recirculating?

[schellmaple]

I have a similar setup. I tied all my tanks together and I'm going to use the valves on the totes to regulate from which tank I feeding from. This way once I'm hooked up to my feed line I can leave it on. I don't have any heat so I have to disconnect the RO and put it into a heated box. I think you will be fine in your garage with no heat. You just don,t want the RO to freeze. The little brass valve below the red pressure gauge is the recirculate valve.

[VT_K9]

We have about 300 taps, a 2x6 evaporator, sap puller, and a CDL 250 RO. Last year was our first year with the RO and our second year with a sap puller. We stored our RO, sugar house sap tank, permeate tank, and concentrate tanks in our uninsulated sugar house. We collected our sap in a tote tank in the woods and pumped to a 260 gallon ss tank in the sugar house. We ran that sap through the RO and into another 160 gallon ss tank. That doubled the suger %. Then once more through the RO to a 100 gallon tank where it then flows to the evaporator. Notice each tank is just over 1/2 of the previous tank. Late in the season I also have recirculated in the middle tank to get the sugar % up a little before the final run. Also the 100 gallon tank is a good size for the elevation above the evaporator.

We did have a little freezing during long cold spells, but by the time sap was running again we were fine. Early on I was a little concerned about not having enough sap to properly clean the RO, but we had more than enough and I feel 250 taps would still have been fine. I never truly emptied the permeate tank until the end of the yaer.

As mentioned before you will become more comfortable with running your RO after the first couple of times.

Mike

[TRAILGUY]

how do you heat the water in the wash tank?

[schellmaple]

I use the domestic hot water from my outdoor stove. You might be able to use hot water from your hood if you have one.