workinprogress
03-07-2016, 08:09 PM
Wanted to add a float box to my 2x4 divided pan for a couple years now. Check around for a premade unit but prices were outside my budget. I decided to take a hybrid approach. I purchased a commercial float (mostly because of the adjustable screw crank) and commercial flapper. Purchased a steam table pan, lid and a few fitting.
I used a small steam table pan for the box. This was done by soldering on a 1/2 pipe nipple to one end. This allowed me to plumb it right to the existing 1/2 fitting on the pan. I then took the steam table pan lid and soldered a copper fitting onto it. The commercial flapper hits the copper fitting to close it. I attach a small piece of alum angle to the bottom of the lid which has the hinge pin that the flapper ride on. While I did some testing I have only ran it once. During that run things seemed to work well. The pan stayed at a good level and I suspect ran +- 1/8 inch. The 1/2 fittings are a little small and when I went to flood the pan for the night I removed the float to open the flapper completely. This slowly fills up the float box.
Will get another work out in the next few days.
13599
Cooper pipe feeding sap in. Box is sitting on metal shelf I connected to arch
13600
This shows the connection. I put a tee in to allow draining of things and a union so I can remove things.
13601
This shows the sap slowly coming in. The metal deflector keeps the sap from spraying as the flapper shuts off.
13602
Here is a picture of the lid. Showing the copper fitting. The mount that holds the flapper and the stainless steel defector that keeps the sap from spraying outside the box.
I used a small steam table pan for the box. This was done by soldering on a 1/2 pipe nipple to one end. This allowed me to plumb it right to the existing 1/2 fitting on the pan. I then took the steam table pan lid and soldered a copper fitting onto it. The commercial flapper hits the copper fitting to close it. I attach a small piece of alum angle to the bottom of the lid which has the hinge pin that the flapper ride on. While I did some testing I have only ran it once. During that run things seemed to work well. The pan stayed at a good level and I suspect ran +- 1/8 inch. The 1/2 fittings are a little small and when I went to flood the pan for the night I removed the float to open the flapper completely. This slowly fills up the float box.
Will get another work out in the next few days.
13599
Cooper pipe feeding sap in. Box is sitting on metal shelf I connected to arch
13600
This shows the connection. I put a tee in to allow draining of things and a union so I can remove things.
13601
This shows the sap slowly coming in. The metal deflector keeps the sap from spraying as the flapper shuts off.
13602
Here is a picture of the lid. Showing the copper fitting. The mount that holds the flapper and the stainless steel defector that keeps the sap from spraying outside the box.