Piping to the float box

All of you veterans have probably moved on to other things but I hope someone can give me some input. I just got in on this last season in the last week and was able to produce a little over a gallon of syrup. Wow, who would have thought one gallon would change the course of my life. Anyway, here I am in May setting up my evaporator. Just finished the bricking and am about to start setting up a supply system to the float box on my new 2x4 hybrid pan. I am planning to coil 1" (?) or 1/2" (?) copper around the stack as a pre-heater to the float box. Was going to set up 55 gallon reservoir above the float box and gravity feed to it but a friend suggested we install a pressure switch pump to feed to the float box. The idea is to back the sap truck into the building, drop an intake hose into the collection tank and pump directly out of collection tank into float box. I have 2 concerns 1. Will the float valve be strong enough to turn off the pump and 2 In the event the pump should quit we would be toast.

Anybody have a word of warning or direction? A picture of how someone has piped theirs would be awesome.

I had planned to put in a T in the line between the barrel and the shut off valve and make a "sight" valve to monitor sap level in supply tank. read in another post to put in a "venting valve" near stack to drain copper around the stack if I need to. All good tips.

All input is appreciated.

I don't think the float would be able to stop the flow coming from the pump. The idea is to let gravity be your friend and not have to use pumps, gravity always works. You want to let your gathering tank drain into the feed tank if you can, otherwise pump it up to it. The feed tank should be high enough to feed your preheater coil or other preheater you may come up with and let the float do it's job. Your piping will all drain with this setup and a T with a sight tube is a good idea. We park our trailer up hill enough from the sugarhouse so that we just let it drain into the storage tanks.

By all means use gravity. Plumb it so the bottom of the elevated tank (feed tank) is about 6-12" above the pre heater coils and have that about 6-12" above the float box. Going much higher can cause too much pressure on the float valve and it my not control the level in the pan. Some valves can handle more but many can't, all will work with the numbers I gave you. Also, don't make the feed tank too tall as this can also over pressure the same valve. Then, pump the sap if necessary up to the feed tank. I also like to have a site gage in the line coming from the feed tank. I do this with a Tee, and then go to clear vinyl up and back into the feed tank (sometimes when the valve from the feed tank is opened there is a surge and you will shoot sap up higher than the top of the feed tank, this saves that sap). Now run to the preheater and then the float box. Try to maintain a downward slope all the way, feed the sap in the top of the preheater and out the bottom, then to the float box/vlve. It is sometimes a good idea to have a vent at the top of the preheater to get air out. For a good idea on preheater design I suggest you look at the pictures fellow member Johnny Cuervo has on his site. He can adjust the temperature in the preheater. Most of all, have fun.
You never know, 1 gal. this year, 10 next and then in a few you will have a large sugarhouse, reverse osmosis and vacuum. Then you'll be making several hundred gallons. This is addictive!!!

Thanks. You both confirmed my suspicions. Will proceed as directed and check out pics.

You never know, 1 gal. this year, 10 next and then in a few you will have a large sugarhouse, reverse osmosis and vacuum. Then you'll be making several hundred gallons. This is addictive!!!

I am well on the way. Making the jump from 20 taps to 150. Oh my...

Found the link. Thanks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5753509...7601539320490/

The other problem with your friend's advice is: Sometimes you need the sap truck to gather sap, but you want to keep boiling. I gravity feed my collection tank into a 300 gallon tank which sits about 6" above the float tank. I can dump my load of sap and disconnect the hose and be ready to gather again.

And I run gravity from a 275 gal tank on the truck to one of 2 holding tanks on the ground. From there the RO concentrates it and pumps it into my elevated tank at 8% sugar, then I start boiling. I usually follow that with some reconcentrating bringing the sugar up to about 12%.

Thanks for the good word(s).

Still working on the arch for now will be piping soon.Attachment 7855Attachment 7855

How deep, front to back is the firebox? In the back section, get some vermiculite from a wholesale greenhouse supply to fill the space then cap it either with a layer of firebrick or you can even use dry refractory and then mist it lightly a few times. That will hold the vermiculite in place. Are those bricks at the back of the firebox set in refractory cement, they look clean? If not, they should be to hold them in place.

Hey Maple Flats,

Have the cement in now and have been looking for a source for vermiculite. I had not heard of capping with brick or dry refractory. Supplier only mention vermiculite. Where would I find dry refractory?

Attachment 7857

Dimensions of arch are 55 5/8" front to back 23 3/8" wide

Fire box is 23 1/2" deep front to back.

Looks like you used dry refractory to cement those bricks in. You could also use portland cement and mix it with the vermiculite with water. That would make the vermiculite set up hard.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gavin W. Hooks

Hey Maple Flats,

Have the cement in now and have been looking for a source for vermiculite. I had not heard of capping with brick or dry refractory. Supplier only mention vermiculite. Where would I find dry refractory?

Attachment 7857

Dimensions of arch are 55 5/8" front to back 23 3/8" wide

Fire box is 23 1/2" deep front to back.

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As my friend used to say, "Gravity. It's not just a good idea; It's the law."