"Bubbler" tubing

[Bucket Head]

Anybody out there with a bubbler in their flue pan?

If so, what size are the tubes? I know the "feed" tube is larger than the lines that branch of and go in between the flues. What is the diameter of both tubes?

I know their made of stainless steel tube, but could a homemade version be made from copper? Just wondering. I could go either way.

Where can the small stainless steel tube be found? Any ideas?

Thanks,
Steve

[Haynes Forest Products]

I talked to Maple Pro and the in feed line is 1 1/4 and the branch lines were 3/4 SS with 1/32 holes in them. I asked about copper and was told it will add color. I dont taste copper in my hot water lines but then again its not boiling water going thru the pipes for hrs on end. The system they sell also filters the air thru Charcole filters to remove bacteria.

[KenWP]

Brake lines would work for SS tubes.

[802maple]

Haynes- I beleive they told you wrong about the bubbler lines. I installed one in a evaporator for a sugarmaker yestarday and it ony has 3/8 inside diameter lines with close to 1/8th inch holes. They also are making them thinner by either putting them in a roller or something squeezing them down to about 1/4 inch wide so that they will fit in between the flues.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I knew I should have talked to Garth or Nick..I called and asked because I have a High Volume Low Pressure blower from a paint sprayer and its perfect for the job of supplying air. I will go back to the drawing board on the tubing.
My understanding was that they didnt "HAVE" to be down in the bottom of the flues to work.

[MERIDIAN MAPLES]

I've got a Vermont 3 pan evaporator, and we've got bubbler lines in all the pans, even my finish pan. We made our lines that go in the bottom of the flues out of 3/8" copper tubing, with 1/8" holes. It really made a difference in keeping the pans cleaner. Our evaporation rate even went up some. We use a jacuzzi pump for our air. We made a wooden box that we put a furnace filter in to filter the air going in the pans. We piped the blower to another room because of the noise. The pipes in the flues have a small spacer on the bottom to keep the pipes up about an 1/8" from the flue bottom. We haven't made any commercial graded bulk syrup since we've put the bubbler in.

[802maple]

The one I just installed are kept about a 3/4 inch of the bottom on the front and 1/2 inch in the flues

[Haynes Forest Products]

802Maple how is it built? Is it a store baught?

[Bucket Head]

Is the charcoal filter unit a "must"? Do steam-aways have this "filter"? Is a filter needed if you are drawing air from outside?

The basic furnace filter does not filter bacteria? It is filtering air your breathing, and the air is'nt getting boiled, like the sap and syrup.

Where can the small stainless tube be found?

Steve

[lpakiz]

Try EBay for the tubing. Just type in "stainless steel tubing -tattoo" lots will come up

[WF MASON]

The idea that copper colors the syrup , how many feet of reverse flow pipes have been put in flue pans all these years, and copper pans themselfs made? The only store bought unit I'd seen had a huge filter the size of a 2' basestack. I looked at one at a sap house where the guy made 5000 gallons a year , his blower was mounted up high on the side of the building(under the eves closer to the stack than the ground) , it had a flat hot air furance filter over the outside to keep the bugs from being sucked in. That was it. I was suprized to see the niter buildup on the stainless tubes though and in the 1/8" holes. He had one of his slaves with a cordless drill, drilling each hole to clean them out before the season started.
The steamaway's blower is mounted to suck from outside with no filter either.

[802maple]

It is a Lapierre model with a charcoal filter.
802Maple how is it built? Is it a store baught?

[Haynes Forest Products]

Are the holles on the top, bottom, sides all of the above?

[OGDENS SUGAR BUSH]

WF MASON

how about all the preheaters they are made from copper also

[802maple]

They are all on the bottom


Are the holles on the top, bottom, sides all of the above?