How to switch to Oil?

[backyardsugarer]

I am thinking of changing to oil next year. I am tired of stoking that fire. I have a 2X6 drop flu. I obviously need a burner and an oil tank but what else do I have to do to my Arch to make this happen?

Chris

[mapleman3]

Hi Chris, I'll tell you what I did, this could get long so be patient :lol:

I moved my tank from the barn and leveled on blocks(will pur pad this year) install fill and vent pipes short enough so the oil guy doesn't need a step.

pick up an oil burner that will burn 3 gals/hour for a 2x6 mine is a carlin 301, but a household becket afg is capable of 3gph also and not as big. I got mine free and also thinking of future expansion.

the evaporator you can either take all the brick out or leave it in just in case you have to go back to wood fast.
I left mine in
I took the grates out
I took the doors off got 1/4 " plate steel cut it the same shape as the doors and welded metal on the sides to act as hinges but won't open just to hold the hinge pins and plate solid. in plce of the doors.
the burner hole should be halfway between the bottom of the pan to the floor. or directly across from the up slope to the flue pan, that way the flame hits the edge of the slope and some goes up and some goes down and swirls around to keep flame under the front pan.

then I insulated the firebox and slope up with 2300 deg 1" thick 6# ceramic blanket off ebay, I doubled it up lined everything including down on the floor so it makes a nice whit firebox... dont forget the front of the arch where the doors were and the burner shoud stick through the blanket about 1/4 inch.. no more

I had the flue area already done with vermiculite and ceramic blanket over that just around 1/4 " from the bottom of my raised flue pan. I think the back at the flue I have a hair to much space as I think I am losing a bit too much heat up the chimmney.

I ran 2 oil lines and find it more reliable. most houses use 1 oil line withno return ... but you have to bleed it sometimes if you have problems, I find the 2 pipe works perfect and prewarms the oil in the tank after a little running. to do the piping it gets more involved with a plug you need to use in the return port to make it a 2 pipe system. you can call me on that part.

I used the same flue pipe but added a barometric damper on the flue which gets adjusted at time of system burner setup(combustion testing)

unfortunately this all comes easy to me due to my being a licensed oil tech in Ma. it does sound quite involved but I'll tell ya... it's worth it!!

I also made sure when I wired it I did it like I would do in a house, with conduit and firematic switch above the burner...

and all the stuff needed to do the oil lines such as filter firematic valves and FLARE connections, not compression! too many vacuum leaks with compression which can shut your burner off when least wanted.

My Cell is 413-246-2813 if you have more questions... too bad I wasn't closer... but hey, I bet rick and I could figure out a time this summer or fall to make a trip there as long as there are refreshments :wink: :lol:

[Mike]

Jim, What color should the flame be? How do you tweak it so's you get a good burn with no wasted oil??? You sure make it sound easy!!! I have a damper in the back of my rig....Should i leave it open or can I shut it some???????? Thanks....Mike

[mapleman3]

unfortunately mike, you can only get the flame partially close, it should be yellow orange with somewhat crisp ends, if you can see above the flame look for whisps of smoke.. you don't want them, but you also don't want too much air and make it so crisp like a jet ...you need to have it setup by a burner guy... I'm sure if you ask your oil company or put a wanted card at your brothers store some guy that does it on the side would do it for some syrup? the thing is you need to get the settings as good as possible, only with a combustion testor for CO, CO2, O2, smoke, draft, and temperature can you get it as good as you can. as far as the back barometric damper goes, that also gets set at testing toime, what that does is cut the amount of draft over the fire... meaning through the burner and into the chamber. the more air you put in the more the flame pulls away from the nozzle and burns dirty and irradict. so by adjusting the damper that and the air shutte on the burner it is taken care of.

I have a digital model from bacharach and as I adjust the burner it gives me the results in real time ... so I see what the least little adjustment does.

my advise is find a guy that will do it for syrup!! I know I would take syrup for a quick check if someone asked me
good luck

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mike,

What he is really saying is that if you are ready to go to a bigger evaporator, he will take the 3x10 off you hands and help setup the new one to perfection for FREE! :D :D :lol: :lol: :lol:

[mapleman3]

now your talkin :D :wink:

[backyardsugarer]

Jim,

Thanks, I will start looking for a tank and oil burner after this season is over. I sounds like it could be done in a couple of days. I will go to you site and see if there are any pictures of the way you have you burner mounted. Thanks again.

Chris

[sweetwoodmaple]

Any of you guys worried about heating oil price and switching to oil?

Sounds like oil is great and convenient (i'm jealous), but don't know at what point it isn't worth it?

With my current source for wood, I can get precut slab wood for $10 per pickup load. If you add gas to pick it up, that adds about $5. If I consider wood@15 gallons of syrup per cord, that's $2 per gallon plus labor.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Can't see paying out 6 to 8 bucks a gallon of syrup for oil. The only cost for me for wood is about 5 bucks each year for bar oil and gas and a lot of labor. :D

[mapleman3]

it all depends on your individual situation, Sure I hope that I don't pay more than 2 bucks a gallon, I will pre buy in summer for house and sugarhouse, so hopefully I can watch prices. if I was always to get free wood, then maybe I would stay wood... and I can go back to wood in an hours time.

[backyardsugarer]

I am considering the switch because my operation is very labor intensive. I carry the buckets to the truck (over 200 taps). Then I drain the sap with 5 gallon pails and carry it to the shack. It would be nice to just hit a switch to decrease my labor some. However I have to price everything out before I make a final decision. We will see how my back feels in about 2 weeks.

Chris :roll:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Chris,

Any way you can make a dump station right in the middle of your taps and gravity flow it back to the truck or pump it with a small gas pump. I have a Tanaka pump and it is awesome. :D

[sweetwoodmaple]

Yes, some black black pipe between the truck and sugar shack would help.

I was doing same in my woods for the buckets, but finally ran 600' of black pipe with a tee every so often and a Rubbermaid trash can sitting beside it. That way, when the trash can is full after dumping from buckets, I hook up the pump to the tee and put the suction into the trash can and pump to the sugar house.

Too bad Homelite doesn't still make the pump that I have. It was $180 and does 30 gpm and pumps up to 100' of head pressure. Tanaka's are better pumps, but also more expensive.

Brian

[backyardsugarer]

Unfortunately, I tap someone else's property so main line is not an option. The sugar shack is up hill about 60 yards from where I can get the truck. I looked into food grade hose for my pump that I have but it is $1 a foot. I do not want to spend $200 on hose at this point. Good ideas though

Chris

[sweetwoodmaple]

Not sure you need "food grade" hose. The black pipe used for well pumps is drinking water safe, which is all you need.

it is about $.30 per foot for 1" dia.

Brian

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Chris,

I am just talking about some 3/4" or 1" black plastic pipe. Unroll it up the hill and then roll it back up at the end of the season. 200' would cost you less than 20 bucks for 3/4" and a little more than that for 1".
:D

[maplehound]

Be careful with that black plastic. Black conducts heat!!!! I have lost grade of syrup using black plastic pipeline. It is not unusual for use to see 70 deg. Weather during our syrup season. So I had to go out and paint my line white. Next time I will jsut use white to start with.
Ron

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Chris would only be using it to pump from a station to his truck, so the sap would only be in it a few minutes each day, not laying in it. I think the key with any mainline if you are using black plastic for it is to have it where it will drain with gravity. Any line that has sap laying in it is going to cost you sap quality. :?