Feeder tank photos

[steve J]

The last thing I must engineer now is my feeder tank. My rig is a 2x4 with a blower a small pre heater that sits on the back of evaporator over the stack elbow vs the pan. My plan is to have a 25 to 30 gallon tank feed the pre heater and I was hoping someone with a similar set up or one that feeds stright to the pan might have some photos I could look at ?

[brookledge]

How much head room do you have? That size tank you have is ok for a2X4. I would sugest a valve at the outlet along with a tee to allow a clear piece of say 1/2 to use as a site tube to see how much you have in the tank.
If you have the room keep it up a little above the evaporator
Keith

[Ausable]

Hi Steve - Sorry - at the moment I have no photos of my feed tank. My Son found me a water tank from a camper trailer and it works great. Cut a couple of square holes on top so I could clean it and fill with sap - and for covers use a couple of thin metal squares larger than the holes and attached with small screws - However - I have it mounted outside the sugar shack with the tank bottom about 4 inches higher then the top of the evaporator. I found covering the whole tank top with a plywood sheet worked better than the metal covers as less chance of getting rain or snow in the tank. It holds about 35 gallons and has two bottom drains on an end sidewall. On one I have a plastic valve for draining the tank to the ground outside and on the other I attached plastic tubing that runs inside the shack to the evaporator with another plastic valve attached to the tubing end - as I have no control float - I control sap flow with the valve and after a little trial and error it works pretty well - Used small C clamps to attach the valve above and to the side of the evaporator. I use a homemade 2' x 5' evaporator which is wood fired - so I have about the same size setup as You -- Hope I helped --- Mike

[Dennis H.]

I found an old double milk sink that I cut in half. Each side of the sink holds about 25-30 gals if my calc's are correct. It has a lip around the edge which I used to hang it from the rafters. I made sure I used enough screws and bolts because there will be about 250lbs up there when full. I picked up a new 2" drain strainer that has an 1 1/4" outlet. This will then got to me preheater in the hood then to the float box.

I have a small water pump that I use to pump sap out of the 200 gal milk tank outside up into the milk sink feed tank. I will also be putting a T fitting in with a barb fitting and length of hose that will show the sap level in the feed tank since it is right up next to the rafters.

I will try and snap a pic tomorrow of the tank hanging from the rafters.

[western mainer]

Now if I put a tank 4' above the evaporator would that be to high?
Brian

[brookledge]

I wouldn't go any higher. You may find that the float will bleed by. Also many feed lines are either held on with hose clamps or taperd fittings. They are not designed to hold too much pressure so having the feed tank to high might cause problems.
anyways I 'd say 4 feet should be ok
Keith