Just received my AUF for my half pint and had some questions on use. Do you start the fire, get it burning, then turn on the blower? Do you leave it running entire time or need to turn off when adding wood? Any suggestions or tricks?
Just received my AUF for my half pint and had some questions on use. Do you start the fire, get it burning, then turn on the blower? Do you leave it running entire time or need to turn off when adding wood? Any suggestions or tricks?
Get a few sticks lit, then it may help to turn it on to get the fire going.
You'll most likely want to turn it off when loading wood. Will probably shoot out sparks when you open the door.
first year 2012 50 taps late season made 2 1/2 gals.
2013 2x6 homemade arch 180 taps. 20 Gals.
2014 40 on 3/16 gravity 160 on buckets.
http://omasranch.wix.com/omasmaple
Play with different methods. Getting the fire going with natural draft and then turning on the blower works best for our rig. I also have a damper in the pipe to control the flow of air. As mentioned you may have to shut the blower off during firing too.
We don't shut our blowers off during firing.
Regards,
Chris
Casbohm Maple and Honey
625 roadside taps + Neighbors bring some sap too!
3x10 King, WRU, AOF and AUF
12" SIRO Filter Press.
2015 Ford F250 PSD sap hauler
One Golden named Maggie, Norwegian Forest Cat named Lucy
Too many Cub Cadets
Ford Jubilee and several Allis WD's, and IH tractors
1932 Ford AAB ton and a half, dump truck
www.mapleandhoney.com
Got the AUF running, huge difference already. Only problem is we are getting ash everywhere. The door isn't seated like the air vent was and doesn't sit flush. Just enough gap for sparks and ash to blow out.
Any suggestions for sealing the door tighter on the forced air unit? It's the leader unit the hangs on the ash part of the door.
Raise whole evaporator up 8in or so to create an ash pit! Ashes won't be problem then!
I sealed my ash door with ceramic blanket, i have 2 fans for AUF and go most of the season without having to clean ashes, there just is not any to clean.
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2012 Year 1 - 6 taps
2013 Year 2 - 85 taps
2014 Year 3 - 150 taps - 22 gallons
2015 Year 4 200 taps - 15 Gallons
2016 Year 5 200 taps - 23 gallons
2017 Year 6 200 Buckets, 100 on 3/16 gravity)
2018 Year 7 200 Buckets , 175 on 3/16 with shurflo 4008
Patrick Phaneuf 2x6 raised flue
Polaris 6x6, 1990 Alpine Ski-doo
Sugar shack - 12X24 with 8x14 wood shed