Question On A Homemade preheater

[Maple Producer]

Hi yall So just trying to think ahead for next season a bit... I want to build a preheater for my 18x 50 evaporater, Do I need to build a condensation pan under my preheater? I was thinking about going with series flow style instead of parallel flow, share pros and cons! I do have a full hood setting above my evaporater by about 6 inches to a foot.

[maple flats]

You want a drip tray to catch thew condensation (and steam stack condensation) or else you need to evaporate the drippings again and again. Make a tray or a series of trays to catch and channel the condensation to the drain channels on the hood, if it's a homemade hood, you want a drain channel around the inside and an outlet to send it all to drain or a bucket. I made my 1st 3 hoods, each had a drain channel made out of 1x1x1 U channel. I mitered the corners and made an exit which extended about 5" out of the hood for a drain. I pop riveted it to the hoods. 3 hoods because I had 3 different size evaporators as I grew. On the mitered corners I used aluminum rod and kind of like brazing the held together. TSC sells the rod.

If you look inside the hood while boiling you will be surprised how much condensation comes off the pre heater, the hood it self and the steam stack. On the frain you will get a steady stream coming out, that would all end up back in the pan if not channeled out!

[Maple Producer]

Hi thanks! Yes on my homemade hood i have a channel on all sides and it works well! I am not sure how to design a preheater with a condensation tray that doesnt condensate..

[bmbmkr]

Hi thanks! Yes on my homemade hood i have a channel on all sides and it works well! I am not sure how to design a preheater with a condensation tray that doesnt condensate..

Your condensation will be very hot when it turns back into water, it will heat your tray pretty quickly so you won't get condensation dripping off of the bottom of it after the first few minutes. Much better than having gallons drop back in the pan. I'm working on mine too. 7 ea 1/2 tubes" 30" long, back flip style like smokey lakes. Three manifolds 1". One in, one in the middle and one out. I have my drip tray blue printed, picking up a brake this week. I'm having my tubes and trays tig welded.

[maple flats]

Indeed the tray gets hot and less drips off the bottom of the tray, but a very large amount of condensations happens on the preheater and in the steam stack which then falls and is caught on the tray. If that tray is properly designed, the condensate is channeled to the hood gutter, then out to drain. On my hood in my 3x5' flues pan hood I used to fill a 5 gal bucket about every 90-120 minutes, that would be a lot if allowed to go back into the pan to boil again.

[Maple Producer]

Ok thats what I was curious about! Thanks a lot!

[Maple Producer]

What is better? A parallel flow or series flow style of preheater?