My home built 2x4 with drop flue

[Dwerden]

Been working on this for a while now. Can't wait to see how it works this year

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VDMxSiWR7Nj4CBRT8

[Mead Maple]

You should be extremely proud! Clearly a master of your trade and a great facility to be able to fabricate in, I’m jealous! Let us know how it works, you’ll be extending it to 6’ or 8’ before you know it!

[buckeye gold]

I'll make one suggestion. If you can I'd add a drain across those flues, you'll be really glad you did. Maybe a trough across one end and out the side with threaded fitting for a valve. I'm not good at building stuff, but I have wished a thousand times I'd have asked for a drain on my flue pan.

[ir3333]

Why do to want a drain? Do you drain completely after each day?

[buckeye gold]

ir3333, not everyday, but you will be draining sometimes. I guess it's just a preference thing, but for me draining flues without a drain is a pain in the butt. I siphon each one out, even If I only done it once I'd like a drain.

[maple flats]

The drain is very handy when you need to clean the pan, or at the end of the season. Equipment manufacturers started adding them for drop flue maybe about 2000 or 2001 I think. Raised flue is simpler for a drain. I have raised flue, and every 3 days or so, I drain the pan into a food grade barrel I keep positioned under the drain valve. Then I connect a drain hose that goes to drain, and I run my flue pan washer. It does a good job of cleaning the flue pan. It uses permeate to clean, and mine is cleaning a 3x5 flue pan. It has 6 spinning wands which each spray the permeate and it covers the whole pan. I run it using a 1" electric pump that runs at about 80 psi. Someday, I might even get a higher output pump, mine is actually a little under what is suggested. Lapierre made the washer. They have a video on their site showing one in action.
Once cleaned, I use my filter press pump to refill the flue pan (after closing the drain valve, I forgot that once and pumped for 2-3 minutes before I closed the drain. Costly mistake for sure).

[Mead Maple]

My 2 x 8 drop flu set up that I had Thor build for me has a flu pan drain manifold that I requested be pull in. Without that I could not imagine the headache it would be to drain for cleaning and maintenance. I forget off the top of my head how many gallons it holds when it is at capacity but I can tell you one thing you are not moving it. The drain is a lifesaver with a nice stainless ball valve I attached and can drain into food grade buckets just like maple flats explained. OP, if you have the time and capability I would suggest doing this. You’ll thank yourself while it’s clean

[ir3333]

ir3333, not everyday, but you will be draining sometimes. I guess it's just a preference thing, but for me draining flues without a drain is a pain in the butt. I siphon each one out, even If I only done it once I'd like a drain.

Sounds like a great idea but won't the drain be down in the arch? My drop flue pan doesn't have a drain but
it's a 3 channel continuous flow so maybe a drain wouldn't work.I'll have to put a block of wood under one end
and syphon.I don't have very many taps so i am hoping i can reverse it mid season and just clean it once at the
end of the season...we'll see?

[Dwerden]

You should be extremely proud! Clearly a master of your trade and a great facility to be able to fabricate in, I’m jealous! Let us know how it works, you’ll be extending it to 6’ or 8’ before you know it!

Thanks! It has been quite a bit of work and welding 22 ga. Can be tricky. I basically has a barrel stove before that ended up getting sectioned of inside with a ramp and a V pan that i made. It was doing about 12gph with 15"x32" total pan area. I'm hoping this one will do close to double and I will be happy for the amount we make. Next step might be a small RO

[Dwerden]

Was up in the air about a drain, the v pan I built before this one didn't have a drain and I did fine without it. The pan should drain down to the top of the flues with the sanitary fitting to the syrup pan disconnected and a 2' pan should be fine to lift with the flues full at the end of the season.