anyone using a techno calk

[ebourassa]

saw this on cdl website not sure how well it works or how much, but its somthing i might investagate more, heres what say on there site:
The Techno-Calk system reduces niter buildup and eases the cleaning of metal
surfaces while maintaining syrup quality. The 2 electrodes (the first inside of the
Techno-Calk cylinder and the other on the inside wall of the flue pan) use reverse
current to ionize the sap to reduce the transformation of the niter from disolved
to solid on the walls of the pans. The auto-potential power adjustor, maintains to
a maximum the ionization of the sap at any niter content.
The Techno-Calk produces an anti-bacterial environment helping
syrup quality on it’s way to the bottling process

[nymapleguy607]

Sounds interesting but a little too good to be true

[KenWP]

I asked about a anoed system a year ago as it makes sense to stop niter. make something that it's more attracted to instead of the pan. Motor boats have used it for years and they have it for cars now too.

[Mac]

Any idea what price and for what size? Would you need one for each pan? Any electrocution hazard:o

[ebourassa]

according to the site you put the unit on the feed line and a probe in the rear flue pan, I going to call to see how much, if its cheap enough i might try it out.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

any more info on this thing.. haven't seen or found much on it. the costs? does it work? can one make something like this right at home?

wish i could understand what they are saying in this video about it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeYWg3HViP0

[DrTimPerkins]

any more info on this thing.. haven't seen or found much on it. the costs? does it work? can one make something like this right at home?

Discussed on a couple of threads before

http://mapletrader.com/community/showpost.php?p=114507&postcount=7

Not a lot of information available yet that I know of.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Get one of those EASY WATER units. You wrap a wire around the copper infeed to the house and its suppose to remove all the mineral solids.

[Brent]

I'm guessing it ionizes the sap, somewhat like a water softener. Helps to keep the minerals in solution.

I've thrown the question on this forum before. What would
happen if we ran sap through a traditional water softener before it goes into the evaporator ??????????

[Brokermike]

you'd get salty water!

[maple flats]

I'm not familiar with this unit, but it sounds like it alters the niter to help keep it in suspension. It could in no way remove the niter unless the niter accumulates on or in the unit itself. The minerals that precipitate as niter can neither be added or deminished, but they could be kept in suspension better and then filtered out later.

[Brent]

"you'd get salty water!"

That's buloney.

We've used a salt based water softener for years and never had salt in the drinking water.
If the system is running correctly the amount of residual salt after the resin bed is rinsed is barely
detectable.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Thanks Doc for the link...

Haynes you mean something like these in the links
http://cgi.ebay.com/Neodymium-Magnetic-Water-Softener-Treatment-Conditioner-/120661304600?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c17f96518

http://cgi.ebay.com/WHOLE-HOUSE-SOFTENER-WATER-MAGNETIC-HOME-NEW-GEN2-KITS-/300504725821?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f77a393d

[Brent]

From the best information I have found the magnetic water softeners are just as effective as putting rare earth magnets on the fuel lines of your car to improve mileage.

If a $25 magnet worked, all the guys making water softeners at $ 800 would have been put out of business
25 years ago.

[Slatebelt*Pa*Tapper]

Brent thats probably true, however any chance these magnets might help some with niter in sap or change it.

i know now what Haynes was talking about, i seen them on ebay to now, the wire wraps around the pip which both end go into a electronic box which in turn plugs in to an outlet. also seen some for in-line aquariums as well.

[Haynes Forest Products]

Im not endorsing any of them. I did install one of the Easy Waters for a lady and havent heard back if it works or not. Remember about 12 years ago a company selling blue plastic balls full of ionized water that took the place of laundry soap. They did sell millions and was shut down.

Im all for improving the quality of Maple syrup. When does the prosess of making it become so differant from the original method that we dont make real maple syrup anymore. Some day a company will offer "CLASSIC MAPLE SYRUP" made the old way WE boil down Sugar Maple Tree sap without removing all the minerals and water in advance. We leave the natural ingrediants that MOTHER NATURE INTENDED to be a part of the prosess.

I have a Maple Sirup Producers manual hand book NO.134 buy C. O. Willits. Its a great read and it talks about how they took Sap and freeze dried it down to tasteless white sugar. I think having minerals in the sap during the boiling prosess is part of making TRUE maple Syrup and niter is the by product:)

[Brent]

I'm pretty much in line with Haynes approach. Actually if we tried a water softener and it kept some of the nitre from percipitating out of solution ( which I am not sure it would do ) then in fact we would be keeping more of the minerals in the syrup.

But I am pretty sure that if a traditional water softener ( calcium ionizer ) did a least keep the perciptiation in a state that it would go back into solution ... which it does pretty well with household water, then the biggest benefit might be that we can clean our pans without using acids.

I'd love some feedback from the chemists. Sooommmme daaaaayy I miiiiggghhht get around to trying it.

[DrTimPerkins]

I'd love some feedback from the chemists.

The only thing the magnets that clamp to or have wires around the pipe do is line the pockets of the people selling them.

Water softeners simply exchange one type of "salt" for another type of "salt". Doing this would be illegal as maple laws are currently written.

[Brent]

Again I'm guessing but I think the "salts" change is going to be what the technocalk is doing. Keeping or changing the calcuim to a soluable salt form.

Maybe it's doing an illegal adulteration too !!