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Thread: power choices

  1. #11
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Chatham NH
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    1,308

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    I see, so a lot of it is probably in the Transformer and all those wages, I'm not sure I would want to own a Transformer but I guess the last awhile.
    Nate Hutchins
    Nate & Kate's Maple
    2022 1000 taps?
    3x10 Intensofire
    20x36 sugarhouse
    CDL 600gph RO
    A wife and 2 kids.

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Hopkinton, MA
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    I dug the trench to my sugar house. It sucked. There's no two ways about digging in New England. And there's no cutting corners. It gets inspected before the conduit goes in. It got to the point I was happy to hit a big run of ledge because you can stop digging and plan to cap that section with concrete. When it turned out to just be a massive rock - with another massive rock underneath it, well... that sucked.

    That said, it's a memory now and it's nice to have outlets, lights and switches. All of the work and materials can be claimed as an expense which is a nice thing for years ahead. If you can meter the sugar house separately, it's easy to itemize a claim for the electricity used each season, too.
    Woodville Maples
    www.woodvillemaples.com
    www.facebook.com/woodvillemaples
    Around 300 taps on tubing, 25+ on buckets if I put them out
    Mix of natural and mechanical vac, S3 Controller from Mountain Maple
    2x6 W.F. Mason with Phaneuf pans
    Deer Run 250 RO
    Ford F350
    6+ hives of bees (if they make it through the winters)
    Keeping the day job until I can start living the dream.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Barnet, VT
    Posts
    2,580

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    I have a 100 amp service. I’m running a 900 gph ro. Carlin 701. 4500 watt canner. Plus lights and wash tank heater and compressor. I do not know why it works. You might be surprised.
    William
    950 taps
    3 X 12 Thor pans on a Brian Arch
    CDL 600 expandable

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,544

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    At $10,000 it would only take a few years just figuring generator fuel to get that back. When I did mine at $12,000 it was $8000 for the utility co. and the rest was ours. We dug a 350' trench, laid in PVC Sch 80 conduit and ran to a meter pole just outside the sugarhouse. The grid part was 250' of line (first 100 no charge) then we had to pay for 1 pole, that they mounted the transformer on. The other $4,000 was from that pole to the sugarhouse, a 200 A disconnect, a meter socket (they used to be no charge) and the rest of the wiring and 225A breaker box in the sugarhouse. As soon as that was turned on it was super to have grid power rather than needing to start a generator and during the season we used to have 2 gennies going, a 5500 watt gas and a 6000 watt diesel. Glad I did. My power was turned on on 11/26/12 and I've already saved that much in fuel, not to even factor in the convenience.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    northfield,mass
    Posts
    251

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    my electrician/generater guy is gonna come down with his meter and see what we can do . i should explain a little different even if i get generator im still gonna leave the 100 amp service from existing source . i have a feeling if i ro to 16 or 18 my ro isnt gonna keep up with new evaporater. so ill be roing most of the day off the existing power and if i need to ro while boiling and the 100 amps service wont do it then ill run generator. the generater will not be my primary source of power just there if needed. also the generater will be big enough if we lose power while boiling i can run the sugarhouse and keep boiling. if that makes more sense?
    4 by 12 cdl
    Cdl 3 post ro , 4th post waiting to get added
    5 hp sihi vaccum pump, 3/4 hp airblo vaccum pump, gv60 atlas copco vaccum pump www.roundmountainsugarhouse.com.

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
    Posts
    1,041

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    Is it possible to hire a private contractor that does work for your power company? As long as it is done to their standards, they can’t say much. Might save a few bucks.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    northfield,mass
    Posts
    251

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    not sure ? i can ask on monday
    4 by 12 cdl
    Cdl 3 post ro , 4th post waiting to get added
    5 hp sihi vaccum pump, 3/4 hp airblo vaccum pump, gv60 atlas copco vaccum pump www.roundmountainsugarhouse.com.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Walpole, NH
    Posts
    1,363

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    My biggest question to them would be why do you need a ground mounted transformer? Usually transformers are on the mainline at the road, not at the termination point on your property. Also, is this a whole new service or just an upgrade?
    Sugaring for 45+ years
    New Sugarhouse 14'x32'
    New to Me Algier 2'x8' wood fired evaporator
    2022 added a used RB25 RO Bucket
    250 mostly Sugar Maples, 15% Soft Maples. Currently,(110on 3/16" and 125 on Shurflo 4008 vacuum, 15 gravity), (16,000 before being disabled)
    1947 Farmall H and Wagon with gathering tank
    2012 Kubota with forks to move wood around

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    northfield,mass
    Posts
    251

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    they said because of distance from rd power i would need it ,and depending on the choice i picked one would be a upgrade to existing service the other option is a whole new 200 to sugarhouse. service now goes 200 to house then splits and 100 goes to my sugarhouse. i may just leave the 100 amp alone and deal with it for now .
    4 by 12 cdl
    Cdl 3 post ro , 4th post waiting to get added
    5 hp sihi vaccum pump, 3/4 hp airblo vaccum pump, gv60 atlas copco vaccum pump www.roundmountainsugarhouse.com.

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Bristol, VT
    Posts
    1,978

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    Quote Originally Posted by wiam View Post
    I have a 100 amp service. I’m running a 900 gph ro. Carlin 701. 4500 watt canner. Plus lights and wash tank heater and compressor. I do not know why it works. You might be surprised.
    Try turning all those things on at once....
    About 750 taps on High Vac.
    2.5 x 8 Intens-O-Fire
    Airtech 3 hp LR Pump
    Springtech Elite 500 RO
    14 x 24 Timber Frame SugarHouse
    16 x 22 Sap Shed w/ 1500 gal. + 700 gal. tanks
    www.littlehogbackfarm.com

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