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Thread: preheater

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Windham, Maine
    Posts
    1,128

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    Brandon,
    Thanks for the great pics of your preheater and hood. Is the hood alum.?
    What gauge is it ? From the pics of the preheater tubing I assume the cold sap enters from the elevated pipe and would exit from the ball valve. Just a question though what would keep the cold sap from taking the shortest and most direct route to the outlet. I have seen some of the dialog on maniflod vs. continous tube. Looks like you have a good set up there.
    thanks
    Mark
    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. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

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    Mark,

    I will be taking a bunch more pics today and will try to post them on my website this evening of the preheater completed and fully installed. My hood is 26 gauge stainless and the frame is heavy duty welded aluminum. Then entire hood probably weighs 60 lbs. The pics you saw were before the preheater was installed, so wait until tonight or tommorrow whenever I get more pics posted and look at them.

    The cold sap enters on the raised pipe and goes to the bottom. The end with the valve on it is about 3 inches lower than the other end. The only thing the valve is for is to drain the sap at the end of each boil since that end is lower, all the sap will run down to it. The sap goes out the other end of the preheater. The pipe is coming out the end of the top manifold, just below where the cold pipe is. Wait until you see the pics tonight and you will understand a lot better!
    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

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

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    I added a bunch of pics to my website of my evaporator since everything is installed and quite a few pics of my preheater and how it is setup. All of the pics I added today are under the preheater album on my website!

    Please ask any questions you might have or send me a private message. I know very little, but will try to help in whatever way I can.
    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

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    pittsfield, NH
    Posts
    225

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    Brandon;

    Your setup looks great! I was wondering if you had a vent in the outlet side of your piping. If you don't you might get a vapor lock and not get any sap to the pan. On my setup the vent comes off the top most part of the preheater and constantly bubbles off pressure. The vent pipe is installed up in the steam vent which is about 4 feet higher then the feed tank to prevent any overflow of sap.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

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    Marty,

    I have one of the 1/4 copper valves that mounts onto the pipe. I am going to try it without it and if I need it, I can have it on in about 5 minutes. I get a lot of different feedback about the vent. Some say I need it and others say I don't :?
    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

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Windham, Maine
    Posts
    1,128

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    Brandon,
    Great set of photos. I think they answer any questions I left. The vent tube might come in handi only if you have more preheat capacity than sap useage.. Years ago with our old Vermont evaporator I tried several versions of preheating sap. We used the fin tube from baseboard heat (they were new, some fin damage so they were free)Worked great 25% of the time. Tried coppertubing thru the stack pipe, That worked 1% of the time. as far as steam hood goes I might have to check with WF Mason. He does some great work with stainless. Looks like your ready to go this season. We plan to tap about mid Feb. but will watch weather. still have 2-300 new taps to add to vacuum.
    Thanks, Mark
    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

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Belchertown Ma.
    Posts
    2,660

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    Brandon, everything looks great! I take it you got the package I sent you with your fittings in it? hey whats with the TV in the hood... you know the one that is showing the movie of the little house down the road.. what? oh its a window it was funny seeing the road thru your hood... you did a nice job getting it all set up.. she'll boil like a blast furnace for sure!!!
    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

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    BECKLEY, WV (SUGARHOUSE DAWSON, WV)
    Posts
    6,621

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    Jim,

    Thanks for the kind words and I hope it boils like a blast furnace. Guess I will know soon. I did get the package I think as I seen one, but haven't had a chance to see what it is yet as I worked late.

    By the way, I do have 2 sets of plans for building a preheater that mapleman sent to me and I will be glad to copy them and mail them to anyone who wants a set. Please send me your addess in a private message!
    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

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