Filter Press Grease

[caseyssugarshack93]

how often do i need to grease my filter press pump?


Thanks

NATE

[syrupkid]

i grease my brass gear pump about every fourth batch and at the beginning of the year it always sounds fine and doesnt squeak for grease i use the food grade grease with its own special grease gun found at napa

[Haynes Forest Products]

How many gallons do you filter? I grease mine once a year and I do about 250-350 gallons. Over greasing wont hurt the bearings but will blow the seal if you get carried away. This type of pump The Oberdorfer has a packing nut type seal and can be adjusted. Over greasing will splatter a bunch of grease all over the belt pully and shield. Its water base food grade so its easy to clean up but still makes a mess. Dont over tighten the packing nut as it will over wear the shaft and cause the pump to slow and not maintaining a good seal will cause little Maple syrup tasteing cristicals all around the pully and shroud. OH YEA I give it one good pump and then on the second one go slow and stop when the resistance starts.

[syrupkid]

i just give it a little pump i stop when there is resistance i just like to be sure after i payed all that money for the thing

[caseyssugarshack93]

well last year 350 gallons, this year hopfuly 700 thats what im shooting for anyways, so maybe grease 2-3 times during the season?

[syrupkid]

two or three times would probably be enough if you hear squeaking notice the pump getting hotter than normal or see brass filings with the sugar sand in the papers then you should grease it more and probably get a new impeller if you see the brass filings

[caseyssugarshack93]

yeah last year i had no problems , well thanks, i bet you cant wait to try out that hero ro eh syrupkid?

[markcasper]

I have never greased mine and have had it 10 years. Anderson said better to not grease it than to grease it and it gets too much.

[NH Maplemaker]

I think, if they didn't want you to grease it they wouldn't put grease fittings on it!!Jim L.

[DS Maple]

I'll second Mark's sollution. Never have greased it and never will. The pump's about 12-13 years old, but will get a rebuild this year since it's slowing up. The idea of pumping grease, food grade or not, into the thing just never sat well with me.

[syrupkid]

i bet you cant wait to try out that hero ro eh syrupkid?

no i cant wait another month or so and we will be tapping and using the ro we might do a test boil on my new evap weekend after next:D

[caseyssugarshack93]

no i cant wait another month or so and we will be tapping and using the ro we might do a test boil on my new evap weekend after next:D

Thats pretty sweet, I think we will be tapping the last week of feb-first week of march, but will be keeping a eye on weather to make sure, i cant wait to try my new r/o out either, even though i know its going to be tough with that small of a r.o and that many taps on a 2x6 evap PLUS SCHOOL, but i think i can get it done, Shooting for a 600 expandable r.o next season if everything goes well, and add alot of new taps, whats your tap count this season?

[farmall h]

Nate, ya know you keep it up and that 2 x 6 is going to get upgraded. :)

Your sugar house could handle a 4 x 12.;)

[caseyssugarshack93]

Id really like a 3x12, but i was looking a 4x12 too there pretty nice, i almost think im better off with a 4x12 how i keep expanding but if have a 3x12 with a nice size r.o i can do ALOT ALOT of taps, just think if i dont upgrade this summer ill be with around 3000 taps next season on stock 2x6=NUTS and will be never shutting r/o or evap off!:lol:

[3rdgen.maple]

Nate you put a whole new meaning behind " you got to want it" everytime I read one of your post I keep looking down and seeing that 2x6wse and cannot believe you are doing all that on that rig. You are seriously addicted to syrup;) . People keep telling me I am nuts for putting 600 on a 2x6 and you are talking 1800 on vac. When are you planning on sleeping?

[caseyssugarshack93]

Plan on sleep time= Studyhall in school lol

[farmall h]

Nate, ya know, I don't have future plans of getting much larger. Maybe we could consider an even swap sometime down the road. This 'ol girl will move some sap when she's a "roaring"!;)

[smitty76]

wow Nate. how many gal to you do a year on that 2x6? We did 70 last year on our 2x6.:o

[3rdgen.maple]

Man he is an animal. Hurry up and jump on Farmall's proposition. Things like that just don't happen everyday.

[farmall h]

Nate have you used the R/O or is this new for this this year? With all those taps you must do alot of all nighters. I had to go and visit your photo album and see the 2 x 6. Goodness me have mercy:o Your gonna have grocery bags under the eyes. I hope the R?O works well for you to cut your boiling time in half.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Back to the GREASE:)

[farmall h]

Where did Nate go...I think I scared him.

Oh, yes..back to the GREASE. We sorta strayed off topic.

[red maples]

Plan on sleep time= Studyhall in school lol

that was when I used to sleep too. I worked at night. so I set up my schedule so I had studyhall, lunch then another studyhall.

[KenWP]

Id really like a 3x12, but i was looking a 4x12 too there pretty nice, i almost think im better off with a 4x12 how i keep expanding but if have a 3x12 with a nice size r.o i can do ALOT ALOT of taps, just think if i dont upgrade this summer ill be with around 3000 taps next season on stock 2x6=NUTS and will be never shutting r/o or evap off!:lol:

You will need a full time RO person to keep it running 24-7. If it all works it will help a lot. Even getting sap to 8% would shorten things a lot. That would cut the amount you need boiled by about 3/4 or so.

[DrTimPerkins]

... will be never shutting r/o or evap off!

Hope you're just joking about the RO part. The membranes like to "rest" after each concentration period. If you hit them too hard (too high a concentration or for too long a time period) the concentrate production rate will drop....perhaps permanently. Then you'll be buying a new membrane (not cheap). Best to treat them like well with washes according to the specs and plenty of rinses. If you do -- they'll treat you well. Our 8 yr old SpringTech still has the original membrane and it benchmarks within a few % of the original value....and we've never once brought it in for professional cleaning. But it is well cared for during the season and after the season.

[Haynes Forest Products]

I found all sorts of FOOD GRADE grease on Ebay. They have synthetic that is High temp so that would work for filter presses.

[caseyssugarshack93]

Dr tim= yes on the r.o i do a wash everynight, and rince with premate every 4 hours, As for the r.o i got it used this year, one season old= had no other real choice so had to go with this rig and try and get me by, what i do is usally start the r.o in the morrning and have my dad keep an eye on it= if we have alot of sap i start it in the morrning before i go to school if not i start after, worked well last season but who know,

but now back to the grease, ill have to get a new grease gun and some food grade grease for the filter press

[syrupkid]

i'll probably be at 350 plus buying some sap i know my equipment can handle about 1200 but i dont think i will get quite big maybe after colledge:D

[farmall h]

Nate, sorry I forgot to mention that the wife and kids go with the 4 x 12. Really sorry for misleading you.:)

[caseyssugarshack93]

would this stuff work


http://www.amazon.com/Grade-Grease-Cartridge-442-51252-Category/dp/B001HWBYXM

And farmall, ill try and get you thoes pictures of the bender this weekend, just havent had the time to go down and take some shots of it yet,

[syrupkid]

yes nate that would work i have the same kind of grease in my gun but i would check at your local napa to see what the price is there for the grease napa is where i got mine

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

About all of your dealers carry food grade grease also.

[maple flats]

I bought my food grade grease from a bee supply, Dadant and Sons. They get $8.50 unless you want 12 or more. 1 will last a long time. Not sure what the shelf life is.
I only grease mine once a year, before the season.

[maple flats]

Oh, and I grease it very lightly, use a dedicated grease gun. I pump extremely lightly and quit as soon as I feel any resistance.

[Snow Hill Farm]

I was looking for info on this and found this old thread, thought I would continue it to answer my question... I have seen lots of larger (14 oz. tubes of grease and grease guns but what about smaller grease guns and small tubes of food grade grease, any ideas?

[steamvalleyFarms]

http://www.aaaindustrialsupply.com/superlubesyntheticgreasewithptfeteflon21036-.aspx

Here is some small 3 oz cartridges of foodgrade grease. Home Depot also has it on there website. I just ordered some from here.