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Thread: preheater

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Windham, Maine
    Posts
    1,128

    Default preheater

    I am thinking of adding a preheater to our 3x10 king that was new last spring. I'm not sure if this will pay for itself or even come close. Some friends claim they work great and raise sap temp to 180 or higher. Others are not nearly as happy with the results. Also we would need to remove preheater for a few days when we do group tours and the hood blocks to much of what is happening in the evaporator. Does anyone remove theirs and reinstall during the season? Also we are wood fired and will be using forced draft.
    1700 Taps /1600 on Vac. 3x10 King evaporator
    20 head Charolais cattle
    8 head Lowline Angus
    28 Miniature horses
    90 hives honey bees
    JD 4430 tractor

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Whately, Ma.
    Posts
    2,965

    Default

    I feel they are worth it. As far as removing for tours I would not bother because you would have to disconect the pipes and reconnect after you took the hood off. On mine I have 4 doors two on each side and when people come they can look inside ok and see what is going on. I do have mine set up with cord and pulleys so that when I clean I can hoist the whole assembly straight up and leave it in the air. I have never heard of anybody taking the hood off for tours. As far as people not satisfied the only thing I can say is that you need to size the pre-heater to the evaporator, too small and you can't get it hot and, too big and the possibility of vapor locking. If your sap is entering at 180-200 you will notice higher capacities per hour

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Cabot Vermont
    Posts
    584

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    Gmcooper, I think I was told that a steam hoods improve the efficiency 17-20%. The best part is steam control and the hot water to wash equipment with.
    Blaisdell's Maple Farm
    started on a 2x2 pan in 2000 and now
    custom built oil fired 4x12 arch by me
    Thor pans Desinged by Thad Blaisdell
    4600 taps

  4. #4
    DAVE Guest

    Default preheaters

    Brian is right on about the free hot water, not having to skim the back pan isnt bad either. We use sliding doors on our rig to show off the back pan
    But several guys Glenn Goodrich for one have installed windows and explsion proof lighting under their hoods for viewing

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Belchertown Ma.
    Posts
    2,660

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    Why don't you have to skim? what makes it not foam up?
    Jim & Charlene Desjardins
    Belchertown MA.

    Had a good 13 year run, but circumstances ! and loss of tree use.. we are ending the Maple thing for now... maybe be back in a few years

    www.Desjardinsmaple.com

    facebook Jim Desjardins

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    43

    Default

    Even without a preheater or steamhood you should try to keep the back pan from foaming up. I use either butter or a commercial defoamer. If you don't "knock" down the foam it acts like a cover and reduces the boil that you have or should have. Decreasing the foam will increase the gph of sap that you can boil.

    pegjam
    4x14 small bros, wore out wife, two kids, a mule, whole lota chickens, turkeys, 2 coonhounds, and a milkcow.
    Hope this helps, can't hurt.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

    Default

    I have a plexiglass sliding doors on my hood, but I am not brave enough to put a light inside even though it could be done really easily. I finished installing my hood and preheater today along with my blower and I can't wait to test it out. I am only 6 weeks from tapping, so I am going to be brave and skip the test boil. I don't see any reason to have a test boil as everything seems to be fine. I may test the head pressure and preheater setup with cold water, but we'll see.

    I hope a preheater makes a lot of difference. I have 30+ feet of 3/4" copper type L(thin walled) copper pipe in my preheater, so I hope it rocks. 8O
    Brandon

    CDL dealer for All of West Virginia & Virginia
    3x10 CDL Deluxe oil fired
    Kubota M7040 4x4 Tractor w/ 1153 Loader hauling sap
    2,400+ taps on 3/16 CDL natural vacuum on 9 properties
    24x56 sugarhouse
    CDL 1,000 2 post RO


    WEBSITE: http://danielsmaple.com

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Fall Creek, WI Woods: Lincoln/Price Counties, WI
    Posts
    155

    Default

    Steam hoods, forced air and pre-heaters... its all about getting the most out of the fuel and time you spend in the sugar shack. Steam hoods help keep drafts off the surface of the sap, keeps the heat in, gives you distilled hot water supply (we use it to heat our cans of soup for lunchtime)and gets the steam (actually, condensed water vapor) out. Forced air would be my next choice, as it pushes the heat/flames along the whole length of your arch and greatly reduces the build-up of coals and ashes. The preheater utilizes the free heat in the steam hoods to take the chill off the sap; just make sure you have a drip pan to capture the condensing water with a drain to get it out as well... another hot water source. I remember hand-dipping cold sap from the storage tank into our flat pan system years ago, and how discouraging it was when the cold sap killed the boil. Same deal without the preheater, however you don't see the effect to the same extent in a flue pan. With the preheater, we have had a full boil in the flue pan from front to back and side to side. And yes, you still need to watch for foaming with a preheater.
    Russell Berg
    Mount View Sugar Bush - Since 1989
    2004 5.5' x 18' Custom-built Stainless Evaporator w/ 7' Piggyback + Preheater
    4,000 - 5,000 taps vacuum/gravity/bags
    24' x 32' Sugar Shack

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    Salisbury, N.H.
    Posts
    2,069

    Default

    Hey Russ- I was wondering how much sap you needed to fire up your old 5x16?? I was looking back at my recordes and am a little nervous about having enough sap to run the one I am getting,,,I am thinking mabey Ill keep the 3x10, stick it out in the tank room and use that when I dont have enough sap to run the 5x16,,???
    Salisbury Sugarworks,,Parker Rowe, and friends
    Salisbury, N.H.
    1988 taps in 09
    over 2500 on vac in 2010
    no buckets in 2010
    2815 taps in 2011
    shooting for 3000 in 2012
    4000 taps? In 2014
    5x16 wood fired "Mighty Marvin"
    50 cords in the shed
    Old, old R.O.
    Charter member Andover/Salisbury Mapleholics
    http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/4...s009bx4.th.jpg

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    43

    Default

    Hey Parker: What happened to the flashing blue light special??? Getting a few wedding night jitters??


    Pegjam

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