Restoring my preheater hood

[abbott]

When i bought my used evaporator pans they came with a galvanized hood with a copper pipe preheater system. The condensation on the pipes drips into aluminum channels, then runs out into the rim of the hood and out a hole into a bucket below. The rim inside the hood is very rusty, so the condensate water comes out a little rusty. I don't have running water to the sap house, so i want to use this water for washing.

Can i wire brush the rust off and coat that channel with high-temp paint, or am i asking for cancer if i do that? Any other ideas on how i can clean up the rust?

[Bucket Head]

Steve,

It would be better if you could get rid of the "orangy" colored water, but it won't bother anything. Ever see the inside of a used hot water tank?

From a sap house visitors point of veiw, what would you think if you saw someone washing a food production appliance with slightly "dirty" water?

You need to research food safe coatings. I know their out there. Do you have a dedicated paint supply store near you? Not a Home Depot, but a place that just deals with coatings? I know they make both spray can and brush on galvanizing. I have seen it used, but I could not tell you if its food safe or not. I know theres a food safe sealer made for wooden cider press baskets. There must be a paint/sealer that would work for you.

Hopefully some other folks will have some ideas for you.

Steve

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Redo it with aluminum or stainless. You already have the frame built which is the hardest and if you use stainless, you would only need probably 26 gauge or lighter, so it wouldn't be too hard to work with.