Benefits of Evaporator Hood?

[OrangeAgain]

What are the benefits of having a fitted hood for my (on order) evaporator?

Better / faster / more efficient evaporation?

Better evacuation of steam out of sugarhouse?

...?

[MISugarDaddy]

I think you answered your own question. Assuming you outfit the hood with a preheater, it will result in a more efficient operation, better removal of steam from the sugarhouse and sap entering the evaporator will be preheated upwards of 180 degrees so it will begin boiling almost immediately in the evaporator. We had Smoky Lake fabricate our preheater and hood for our Leader evaporator and it fits our pans like a glove. You will never regret spending the money for a well-fitted hood and preheater.
Gary

[maple flats]

I'm on my 4th hood, 4 different evaporators, the first 3 I made myself, the 4th I bought. I was going to make my own for the 4th because when I ordered the pans from Thor, they priced a hood at $1950 (2012 price) for a 3x8 pan set. But when I went to pick up the pans they asked if I had made one yet. I hadn't, and they showed me a demo unit they had for a 3x8 that had 2 small dents in it. I asked "How Much"? They said $800, I looked at it and bought it. The dents were very minor, almost hard to see at most angles. I bought that hood.
A hood, as you have listed has multiple benefits, steam evacuation, keeps things from falling in the pans, but I think the best reason to have one is the ability to add a preheater. I operated my new pans/hood set for just 1 season, then I added a pre-heater that I designed and made. It improved my boil by about 16%. That's while burning the same amount of wood (or whatever fuel you will use) If you make a hood or buy one, when you add a preheater, be sure to have a drip tray under it, and channel the drips to the gutters to flow out to a drain or bucket. Even on my 2x6 that I made a hood and preheater for, I got a steady stream of condensation running out the drain pipe, on the 3x8 the stream was larger! If no drain tray, that condensate will fall back into the pans to be boiled away again (and again).