Reverse Flow to Cross Flow

[WF MASON]

Has anyone changed from the standard four section (raised flue) front syrup pan which drawsoff at the box on the rear side of the pan,to, cross flow pans looking to drawoff at the front of the firebox ?
Does it make for better faster syrup drawing off up front where its cooler ?
Do you loose the ability to reverse the flow becouse of the lost float box ?
Is adding an extra third pan to swap the answer to cleaning ?

[Grade "A"]

I changed to a cross flow but I have only test boiled with it so far. I also burn oil so I can controll where the heat is better. I get a good boil in the front of the pan so that is not a problem for me. I know that Patrick Phaneuf (like him or not) can plumb up his cross flow so you can reverse the flow by turning 2 valves. I know people that have an extra pan to swap out, also on bigger evaporators with 2 flat pans in the front you can swap those to help keep them clean.

[royalmaple]

Bill if you want to do a test this season, make me a set of pans and you got a guinea pig. That is exactly what I would do to my rig if I had the pans.

[WF MASON]

Patrick's front pan is controlled by a float box mounted to the rear pan and attached to the front pan.
But if you have a Algier or Sm.Bros or ect. your float boxes are front pan mounted.
If your rear cross flow pan has your box mounted on it, then you lose your reverse flow ?
So the fix is ?

[royalmaple]

Fix is the 3rd pan which you just take out the dirtiest pan and swap with a clean one. ALways just rotate the pans and don't worry about reversing the flow.

Set it up so the draw off is on the handy side of your evaporator and that's it.

I'm sure Mike christian can chime in when he gets out of bed and give you some ideas.

[NH Maplemaker]

I wish that the third pan would be included in a new evaporator package as it is almost a must for keeping pans clean. Not for the same price of course! But it's a real pain in the a-- with out one!

Jim L.

[Russell Lampron]

Hi Bill,

The pan arrangement is easy enough to figure out but do you make a float box to go on the side of the flue pan and just run a pipe to the front pans? I think that would be the easiest way to convert an evaporator like mine (hint hint). I will have to look at some pictures of some cross flow setups.

[maplwrks]

If your evaporator has a float box mounted on the flue pan, all that is necessary is a connector piece and the cross flow pans. If your float is mounted on the syrup pan, you will need to have float box hung from your flue pan. All of the new Lapierre/ Waterloo/Small rigs come with remote mounted floats as they can be set up to draw off either side of the rig. They hang from the side of the flue pan and pipe up to the cross flow pans.

[maplwrks]

If you look in my p-bucket acct, you'll see how my float hangs on the flue pan, look at picture labeled filter press!

[Haynes Forest Products]

They do include the third pan when you buy your pans you just didnt ask for them..........OK they asked and I said no. I called Maple Pro and was talking to Garth about the Waterloo Small and the only way to Reverse flow is to swing the pans around and switch out all the floats and valves. My raised flue pan doesnt get that dirty. The only crap I get in the flue pan is the oils and defoamers that collect on the sides and reversing the flow wont help that.