Blower?

[plummaple]

I hear all of you guys talking about a "blower" used in an evaporator. I have a 2X3 cinderblock homemade in the backyard. Can someone please clearly explain how a blower (fan) is used. Where do you put it i.e. in the door, in the back? does it make the fire hotter? any info is much appreciated.

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

mine is home made furnace blower ducted into the bottom of my arch under the grates. it works just like a forge, gets really hot makes the complete pan boil

RICH

[plummaple]

thank you for your reply, however, I am thinking of using a little $5 fan. If that is the case, would you just set it in front of the firebox opening. would that help the fire?

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

it has to help set it in front of the draft

RICH

[plummaple]

when you say draft, do you mean the front of the firebox? Sorry, I am really new to all of this, but I love it.

[danno]

Yes, the draft is the door on the front of your arch, below the doors - also used to clean out the ash. I started with just a small fan in the draft door. It was in the way when loading wood and helped increase the boil a little.

I then moved to a furnace fan in the back of the arch, below the grates. I had to make the arch air tight to keep the sparks and ash inside the arch. Increases to boil alot and I'm told I'll burn less wood. Don't know about that.

This year I'm moving the fan outside duct into the sugar house. I don't like the noise of the fan as much as I like the boil

[maplehound]

The draft door is your clean out door. You can place a small fan in front of that door and you will get some help from it. However if it is too storng I can blow some of the heat past the front of your pan making it hard to finish syrup at the front of the pan.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Might want to design a duct the size of the face of the face and make it to fit wherever you want it on the other end where it goes into the fire to keep the fan from blowing ash everywhere. I think this would serve you much better and yes it will increase you boil rate 10 to 20 percent or more.

You could design the duct out of roof flashing as it is cheap and easier to bend and shape. May not be the prettiest, but will do a good job and not cost very much.

[Sugarmaker]

plummaple,
Dont be afraid to ask about things that some of us take for granted.
If we were talking about hot rod engine rebuilds I would be lost too.
Yes any increase in draft or 'forced' draft will generally cause a hotter more intense fire. Either to increase the boiling rate and or to ignite and consume the wood fully. Both should help you boil a little faster. The concept is no different that a bellows on a old forge, or fanning the flames. For your size set up try several locations and watch for the best performance improvement from your fan. Good luck and let us know if you see results.
The blower on our 3 x 10 makes it like firing a blast furnace, it consumes at a terrible rate and boils like mad:)
Check some of the Pict's the one with the dog ( Sandy) shows the blower under the back of the arch.

Regards,
Chris

[plummaple]

Thanks to all. I'm thinking about tapping my 30-35 trees this weekend or next. It feels like I'm cheating on my wife. Its really all I can think about. Just got my 25 new stainless spiles in the mail today. Put away my shotgun (deer season in PA was a good one) and I am fired up!!! Have a great season, and thanks again.

[Sugarmaker]

Plum,
Where are you in Pittsburgh? My son lives in Belleview.
Chris

[Dennis H.]

Plummaple I got a cheap electric leaf blower at Home Depot for around $25 and a lenght of 3" aluminum fexible dryer vent. I used 4" hose clamps to hold the duct onto the end of the blower.
I also had a speed controller for my router so I plugged the leaf blower into the speed controller, now I can vary the speed of the leaf blower. I can make the fire a slow burner or a raging inferno.

You will go through wood faster but you will have very little ash when you are down, so a lot less clean out work. If your setup is not air tight you will also have fire and smoke coming out where ever there is a gap. It aslo makes it fun when you have to add wood. I have to turn my fan down a little before I open the door I will loose my eye brows.:rolleyes:

[plummaple]

I live in Plum Boro, I used to work believe it or not at Citizens bank in Bellview. Not many sugarers around here. In fact I am the only one that I know doing this stuff in the area. I live in a plan and my neighbors think "who in the hell is that nut walking into the woods at the end of the street with 30 plastic milk jugs?" I have yet to see any of the local Maple trees with any prior tap holes. They are very old trees too.

[Dennis H.]

Same here Plummaple, I know of only one other guy that taps and he only does 3-4 trees and here boils in an old iron kettle!:o

So I know that the area around me is not "Tapped" out.:rolleyes:

I too am using milk jugs, I also have 5 gal buckets and some drop lines.

[mfchef54]

Just want to say thanks to all who write. such a wealth of info. I've boiled before but not in the last 3 years. Am trying to work the kinks out of my block arch. the leaf blower gave me the Idea to use a shop vac reversed. works like a charm. will try to find a way to deal with the noise.. Necessity the mother of invention I guess.
Mike

[plummaple]

Just got back in from my tapping today. I tapped about 25 trees down the street from my house. They are really running strong. I will boild tommorrow for the first time with my homemade cinderblock. I really cant wait. Weather report looks like very cold weather come my way, next week. Probably will put my milk jugs away for a month after tomorrow. Oh well, couldnt resist.

[tapper]

The 1st year I boiled sap the shop vac idea worked really good for me too. But I think I burned up 2 of them before the season was over. They just arent made to run for an extended time like that. Go to your local scrap yard . Sometimes they have different blowers and fans laying all over the place and 5 bucks should buy one that works. The scrap yard is my favorite place to shop!

[jemsklein]

the scrap yard is almost the best place in the world i found my prep table there for 10 all s/s i got my bottler there all s/s i got one of my sewer grates there that i used in my evaporator and i got my smoke stack base s/s i got lots more but i can't remember

[mfchef54]

Thanks for the info. I had that thought. I belong to a free cycle list I think i'll put a request for a blower there.