My shack

[tbear]

Hey Everyone! If we run the stack pipe up through the cupola, and out the cupola roof, are we asking for any problems? I have a 2x4 evaporator, no steam hood, and the cupola will be 4x8. Oversized perhaps but who knows what the "future" holds. My wife certainly doesn't! Thanks, Ted

[maple flats]

4x8 cupola is certainly enough, but without a hood you could be getting fly ash and other nasties from the stack falling back into the pans. Not the best plan.

[tbear]

Okay. I really don't want to come off as argumentative because I did ask the question, and I am here to learn. That being said, I have been boiling outside, on a block arch with a straight stack. It seems that there will be less potential for ash and soforth from the stack ending up in the pan with the new plan. Am I missing something? Thanks, Ted

[mudr]

I think he may have misunderstood. You did mean to vent the stack *above* the cupola roof, right. I think he thought you mean to vent the stack in to the cupola.

If you mean to vent above, you should be fine (barring clearance issues with the stack).

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[tbear]

Correct. Above the cupola roof. We're thinking about going with brick on the wall behind the stack and double wall insulated stack for "inside" the cupola. Would that alleviate any clearance issues?

[maple flats]

While not standard, I guess it would be better than what you had. However, you do get some "stuff" out the stack and it is very likely some could find it's way down into the syrup, even though it would vent thru the cupola roof. That being said, it would certainly be far less than when you boiled outdoors. However, don't you want to make the best possible syrup and not just a little better than before?
For clearance issues, the rule of thumb is to have 36" away from any combustible. That can be reduced in several ways. Brick is one, another is a class A solid fuel chimney and other ways are to add spaced layers of tin, spaced out 1" on non combustible spacers, for each such layer you cut the space in half, thus 1 layer gets to 18", 2 layers each spaced 1" from the previous, gets 9" and a 3rd layer will get 4.5". Another way, and it happens to be how I did it (but it is certainly not the only way) is that I bought some 2" thick ceramic blanket and made my own class A stack. I wrapped it around the stack, then I covered that with a SS outer cover, so on mine the stack is 12", then 2" of ceramic blanket (2300 F degree version) then a 16" SS outer cover. Then that is kept 3" the nearest combustible. 2 should work, 3 is safer.
Yes, there are other safe ways, just remember, the conventional rule of thumb for chimney clearance is for a wood stove that is burned much differently than an evaporator arch. Then they are designed to protect against the eventual chimney fire. In an evaporator you will never get a chimney fire unless you are in the habit of choking off the air to slow the fire. An evaporator is burned as fast and hard as you can, that does not create creosote, it is created when the stack (or chimney) is not kept hot enough.

[tbear]

Thanks maple flats, I really appreciate your clarification and input. You guys/gals on the Trader are the BEST! Ted

[mspina14]

I ran an 8" stack through my cupola last year. Photos below show stack inside shack and roof jack on cupola roof:


16575 16576



I have a 2X4 evaporator also. Shiny section of stack closest to the roof is double wall stainless steel stove pipe.

I also put some metal on the wood closest to the stove pipe after this photo was taken. Haven't had any problems.


Mark

[Mark B]

Just keep an eye on your double wall insulated stuff. As a ff, I saw an instance where the insulation had collapsed inside the double wall causing the insulating properties to fail. I think the pipe was faulty from the start, but never hurts to be aware of the possibilities.

[tbear]

The shed is coming along nicely, just a few more details to work out. When it's done I'll work towards posting a pic because I think it's going to be SWEET! For now, brother asked if louvers ( that could be opened and closed) could be installed on the cupola instead of the standard doors. I told him,"Sure! Im not sure it'd work, but we could install them." So, what do YOU think? Would louvers work? Thanks, Ted

[tbear]

16729

Trying to post a pick. Wish me luck.

[tbear]

It worked! Brother is working on cupola doors, back door, interior passage door while my son and I work on the wiring. It's 16x24 with an interior wall at the 14' mark. Ordering a 2x5 from Smoky Lake. We have a 3x9 brick hearth for the evaporator to sit on. Only 3 months past estimated finish date and approximately double what I told my sweet wife it would cost. Ted

[mspina14]

It worked! Brother is working on cupola doors, back door, interior passage door while my son and I work on the wiring. It's 16x24 with an interior wall at the 14' mark. Ordering a 2x5 from Smoky Lake. We have a 3x9 brick hearth for the evaporator to sit on. Only 3 months past estimated finish date and approximately double what I told my sweet wife it would cost. Ted

Only double? That's not bad at all!

What did you use to make the louvers?

Mark

[tbear]

No louvers, went with the traditional cupola doors. Thought it would cost $3,200 so told my sweet wife $3,500 to give me some wiggle room. She began to raise an eye brow at about the $5,000 mark (she handles all the financial stuff) she hasn't said anything about it since. I think she's gone numb. Ted

[red dorakeen]

Nice looking shack.

[tbear]

Thanks Red, I think it'll look better with steam rolling out of the cupola. We got about 1/3 of the wire pulled today and hope to get more done tomorrow. At this rate we might have lights in a week or two. It'd sure help on dark rainy days like today. Ted

[bmbmkr]

No louvers, went with the traditional cupola doors. Thought it would cost $3,200 so told my sweet wife $3,500 to give me some wiggle room. She began to raise an eye brow at about the $5,000 mark (she handles all the financial stuff) she hasn't said anything about it since. I think she's gone numb. Ted

A couple years ago, one of my buddies came to work after a week of leave, and told us he bought a brand new Harley Davidson Road King Ultra Glide. I said " Wow that's about $19,000, what did your wife say?" He replied " She hasn't said ANYTHING in 3 days!" Congrats on your new Shack!