pan washer

[farmermike]

Has anyone ever made a pan washer, If so how do you make one

[maple flats]

I made a front pan washer and bought a flue pan washer. The front pan washer has a 5/16" thick polycarbinate top. Thru the top I drilled a hole to run 1" PVC tubing from above the top to under the top. There it has a 3/4 x3/4 x 1" tee. The water flows then to each of 4 channels. Each channel has a 3/4" pvc pipe going full length suspended about 2.5-3" below the cover and the end on each is capped. Each pipe has 3 rows of holes, I think I used 1/8" drill bit. I drilled the holes in at different angles, about 1/3 are facing straight and 1/3 face toward one end and 1/3 toward the other end at maybe 45 degrees. I also have a hole shooting out those end caps straight out. In use I connect a 1 HP sprinkler pump to push the water, it then sprays out those holes and runs out the draw offs. My pan is same side draw off and reversible thus I have 2 draw off boxes along one side, one one the left, one on the right.
To use it I have a 55 gal food grade blue barrel that I cut at about 3/4 height, that sets under the draw offs and the valves are full open. I start by filling the barrel to just under full with permeate. I then pump the water thru the washer, it flows out the valves and back into the barrel.
To use it I set the pan (in my case 3x3) on a shelf under my head tank, just outside my sugarhouse. I only use it to clean if I burn a pan. I have not used it in 5-6 years. It does however work well, just takes a few hours and sometimes 2-3 water changes. For my daily cleaning I just drain the contents from the syrup pan into my draw off tank. I then flush with hot permeate thru a hose/nozzle to initially clean, then I drain the pan, close the valves and add 1 gal white vinegar. I then use a weed burner torch to heat it to just over 100F and let it set a while. When the sugar sand loosens I flush it out with the hose/nozzle rinsing with hot permeate. The heating and setting is usually repeated 2-3 times before it is time for the rinse.
I have a spare pan, so any time I need to use the pan washer I swap pans.
To see how the pan washer on the flue pan works, look at Lapierre's video on their pan washer.

[bill m]

Syrup pan or flue pan? I was going to build a pan washer for my syrup pan but glad I didn't waste the time and money. A little back round. I have about 1300 taps and RO my sap to about 12%. A 3 X 7 max flue pan and a 3 X 3 revolution syrup pan. At the end of every day I drain my front pan into my draw off tank and fill it with permeate to just below the tops of the partitions. I bought a Little Giant parts washer pump that I set in one draw off partition of the pan with a stainless braided hose going into the other draw off partition. I let it run overnight and the next day drain it out, quick wipe with a sponge and the pan is clean as new. Best 65 dollars I have ever spent.21344213451

[farmermike]

Thank, This will give me something to work on