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Thread: For those running oil fired rigs

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Esko,MN
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    Default For those running oil fired rigs

    I've been researching oil fired evaporators as an option for the next season. Cost of producing the BTUs needed is a concern. I've read that home heating oil and #2 diesel have the same BTUs and their chemical composition is quite similar. Home heating oil is not as clean as diesel and does not have the cetane boost in it that diesel contains. It has been used to heat homes for short periods of time. It would also be available to use in the farm tractor if needed. Has anyone considered using off road diesel rather than fuel oil if there is a price advantage?
    Chad

    2014: 12 taps, 5 gal buckets
    2015: 15 taps on bags
    2016: 150 taps: 100 on bags, 50 on 3/16" natural vac, 2x8 AUF/AOF Homebuilt Arch, 2x8 SL Drop Flu & Auto Draw, SL Propane Canner/Bottler
    2017: 225 taps: Built Lean to, Added SL hood, preheater, concentric exhaust, SL SS 7" SB Filter Press
    2018: 180 taps: Added Shurflo to 50 - 3/16", Auto fill sensor to head tank
    2019: No tapping
    2020: 175 taps
    2021: 300 taps, homemade RO and releaser
    2022: 600+ taps

  2. #2
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    May 2015
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    Vermont
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    Interesting question you bring up. We purchase heating oil in the summer when it is less expensive and run that in our tractors and equipment all year round with no issue. I would say you can go with whatever is cheaper, but I have never been able to buy off road diesel for what I can get heating oil for thus the reason I have never thought about burning off road diesel for the evaporator.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
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    Our 2x6 evaporator runs like crap on #2 oil. We bought it used from a guy who owns an oil company in VT. Clearly, they have the nozzle size and pressures set to run on K-1. We have a stack temp of 700 degrees and a tight flame dispersion with K-1. Even running a mix of the two, it runs like crap. The stack temp climbs to 900 and the flame is wider and the whole evaporator runs worse with any #2 mixed in. Boil rates go from around 50 GPH to less than 40 GPH. Last year we tried #2 at the end of the year when we ran out of K-1. This year we added a 2nd tank with K-1 in it and when we ran out, we swapped to the other tank which was 80% K-1, 20% #2 oil and it ran the same as if it was all #2.
    As mentioned, oil is also dirtier. It produces an oily soot compared to the dry soot from K-1 that is much easier to clean and does not build up on the pans as badly. Point is, we have learned the hard way there are nozzle and pressure settings for whatever you want to run. Fortunately, it was on the last few boils each year. I am sure we could change things to get a better boil with #2 oil but it works perfect with K-1 so why mess with it. We have chose to stick with K-1 and bare that extra cost but I am tempted to try some diesel. So the first question you should ask is what was the burner designed to run on? Maybe our evaporator is overly sensitive but we will never run another ounce of #2 in ours.
    Last edited by mainebackswoodssyrup; 04-20-2021 at 02:59 PM.
    305 taps on 2 Shurflo's, 31 taps on 3/16" and 229 taps on gravity. 565 in all
    Mountain Maple S3 controller for 145 of the vacuum taps
    2x6 Darveau Mystique Oil Fired Evaporator w/ Smoky Lake Simplicity Auto Draw
    Wesfab 7” filter press

  4. #4
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    Sep 2009
    Location
    northfield,mass
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    Default

    Had my oil fired for 3 seasons , always have run off road diesel in it . No issues and always can find it cheaper than home heating oil around here. I would suggest no matter what u get for a rig , and im gonna probly take heat for this, call cdl and have there oil guy richard come tune it in !!! Well worth the money . Or if u end up with a new cdl oil rig first time is free. Im sure theres more out there than him but hes made mine run excellent.. just my 2 cents
    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.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    Waterloo NY
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    27

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    I am sure all maple co have a tech to setup oil fired evap , CDL tech guy set ours up and it works great, as he said never call a home heating service tech for an evaporator.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
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    We use Kerosene in our evaporator -- our fuel line (a single line) is in the floor so we don't want to take the chance of fuel gelling (a double-line, feed/return is a far better way to go). Kerosene burns cleaner, but the BTU content is about 5% lower and the lubricity is lower so an additive is needed. Diesel would work also.

    However you go in terms of fuel, as already mentioned, having a well-qualified evaporator oil-burner tech come and tune your rig is well worth it. We've had techs (we call them "evaporator whisperers") from CDL and Lapierre come and do their respective evaporators for us, and been very pleased. They know their stuff inside and out.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  7. #7
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    Aug 2007
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    NewYork
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    Just keep in mind with a two line setup you will be constantly filtering your whole tank of fuel and if your tank has crud settled out in it your fuel filter may need changing more frequently.
    I have seen issues with plugging filters right after a tank fill as this usually stirs up settled out crud.
    I prefer a one line setup and a tiger loop as the tiger loop will slightly warm the cold outside stored fuel for better atomization.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by WMF View Post
    I have seen issues with plugging filters right after a tank fill as this usually stirs up settled out crud.
    Different fuels have different additives and detergents added. When we switched to biodiesel (B20), we plugged up a couple of filters almost immediately from the algae growing in the moisture inside the top of the tank. Good to have a few spares around when you're starting up the season, especially if you wait until just before it starts to fill your oil tanks.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Peru, Maine
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    Dr. Tim, what do you use as an additive with K-1? Is it just get increase Btu’s?
    305 taps on 2 Shurflo's, 31 taps on 3/16" and 229 taps on gravity. 565 in all
    Mountain Maple S3 controller for 145 of the vacuum taps
    2x6 Darveau Mystique Oil Fired Evaporator w/ Smoky Lake Simplicity Auto Draw
    Wesfab 7” filter press

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, Underhill Ctr, VT
    Posts
    6,391

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mainebackswoodssyrup View Post
    Dr. Tim, what do you use as an additive with K-1? Is it just get increase Btu’s?
    I don't recall what the name of it is. Was suggested by the fuel distributor and they just add it as needed. It was to increase lubrication and to reduce possibility of gelling.
    Dr. Tim Perkins
    UVM Proctor Maple Research Ctr
    http://www.uvm.edu/~pmrc
    https://mapleresearch.org
    Timothy.Perkins@uvm.edu

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