Pre-Heater Questions

[BAP]

A couple questions about pre-heaters.
1) What is the estimated added boiling capacity by adding a steam hood with a pre-heater?
2) There has been talk on Maple Trader about copper not being an approved material in Maple production. Is that so, and if so, why are manufacturers still still offering copper pre-heaters?

[wiam]

Manufacturers numbers are 15% gain. That is not why I have a preheater. It is for hot water. Hood also makes less steam in sugarhouse.

[RileySugarbush]

15 % is the theoretical gain if your sap is at 32 degrees F coming in and your preheater works well enough to bring it up to 212 at the float box. And no condensate drops back into the flue pan. In most cases the gain will be less, though it is satisfying to use waste heat to warm the sap.

We too use it mostly because of the hot distilled water it produces. Plus observing the condensate stream is a good indicator for how well things are going!

If you are looking to increase evaporation rate, there are much better ways to spend time and money. Adding a blower if you don't have one, for example, can give you a 50% improvement.

[BAP]

I have AUF already and am looking to add a little more efficiency to the rig, get the steam out better and the free hot water. Does anyone know about the whole Copper issue? Should I still be considering it for a pre-heater at this time? or only stainless?

[RileySugarbush]

That is a tough question. I have a brand new smoky lake preheater in copper. It works perfectly. My feed line is copper as well. I am totally comfortable with copper and it is legal in the states. But we don't sell our syrup commercially.

I have no idea how long or if a similar ban will come to the US. I'd love to see the research that says copper piping causes any risk. Does anyone have access to whatever prompted the Canadian ban?

Stainless would be less efficient, requiring more surface area for the same gain, and would be expensive.

[wiam]

I have AUF already and am looking to add a little more efficiency to the rig, get the steam out better and the free hot water. Does anyone know about the whole Copper issue? Should I still be considering it for a pre-heater at this time? or only stainless?

I heard something about copper here in VT awhile back. I ended up with an email from Henry Marcus saying that there were no plans in VT to ban copper but bulk purchasers could have whatever rules they wanted.

[Pibster]

What would be wrong with copper? It's in every house plumbed before 2000. I used it for my preheater.

[BAP]

What would be wrong with copper? It's in every house plumbed before 2000. I used it for my preheater.

I believe there is something about it in the latest Canadian regulations banning its use in Maple.