Blower on steam pipe? anyone try?

[cjf12]

As I watch everything boilimg and steaming there seems to be a lot that just floats around the hood and out my eaves eventually. Anyone add a blower to their steam stacks to aid like a exhaust fan? Was wondering what kind of fan to use and if its worth it. Thoughts?

[Bucket Head]

I've had the same thought for my front hood. Seems like it only captures about half of the steam. But I have not looked into any blowers, fans, in-line booster blowers, etc. yet. I don't know what would be compatible with the steam/wet environment.

[ennismaple]

If you blow the steam out too fast you'll lose the pre-heating effect of the steam - if you have one in your hood. We open the doors in our steam hood just a little to create a natural updraft. Too much and the preheater doesn't do its job. Not enough and the steam puffs out through the doors.

[Sugarmaker]

I assume the hood is elevated above the pan? If so those dont work well because the air inside the hood is not warm enough. Bring that same hood down with 2 inches of the pan and you have minimal steam escaping into the room.

https://i.imgur.com/izZZiUJ.jpg

Regards,
Chris

[minehart gap]

Anyone ever try a whirlybird?

[Sugarmaker]

I have screen on my steam vents to keep the birds out!:)
Regards,
Chris

[prairietapper]

we ran ours through a large squirrel cage fan that has the motor outside of the cage. we blocked off one side with a tin cover and ran the pipe into the other side.

[Sunnyacres]

We run an 8" centrifugal inline duct fan and sucks all steam away. My steam pipe had to go thru the wall and up so it wouldn't create a good draft. Filled the shack with steam once installed it solved all steam problems.

[Potters3]

Our front pan hood we raise a couple of feet off the pan when we boil we get very little steam in the sugarhouse. There is 18' of stack on the hood to go up thru the roof with the tall stack we get awesome draft and it sucks it all up. Fans are price and noisy try adding more stack to get it higher first, if you can. Or if your shack is built tight try cracking a door or window. I have seen newer shacks built so energy efficient and air tight that the wood arch wouldn't burn or the steam wouldn't go out. Crack a window and everything works .

[West Sumner Sugar]

We run 2 Fantech 10" inline fans. 1200CFM with both running....we don't have a steam issue.

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[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Anyone ever try a whirlybird?

The evaporator we just bought has a whirlybird on top. I can't say how much it helps but he said it did. He also wasn't running his hood low enough for whatever reason. We plan to use the whirlybird when we get set up for next season.

Sumner- I'd like to come over and see your fan setup sometime after the season winds down if you're cool with that!

[Michael Greer]

My front hood is vented with a 6"duct and an in-line duct fan at the top. It's not big enough to do the job. Next year it will be bigger diameter, bigger fan, and taller.