Whats your average evaporation rate?

[Dave Lister]

OK, I am not trying to start a peeing contest or anything like that but I was curious what people get for an evaporation rate?
Basically what do you have for an evaporator, what heats it, do you use a pre-heater and whats the average evaporation rate you get on it? And I guess just for fun, whats the fastest you've ever had it going?

I have a 2x4 wood fired evaporator on a brick arch with a 2x2 raised flu pan in the back and a 2x2 finishing pan in the front. I have a stainless 5 gallon box over the back dripping into the flu pan, but the saps still ice cold.
On average I get about 15-18 gph, but managed to get it up to about 25 gph this last season when I got into some really dry pine.

I guess I just want to know what I can look forward to if I go for a larger evaporator in a few years and realistically how much space will be needed once I get myself into vaccum.

[Dill]

I got my old 2x4 up to 20ish with a blower and good wood.

[mapleack]

3x10 raised flue small brothers with a 7 ft flue pan. When woodfired, under perfect condtions 95 to 100 gph. It's set up for natural gas now, and I guess I'll find out the gph in about a month!

[maple flats]

I have a 3x8 raised flue with a 3x6 flue pan, I like to run at 55-60 gph, can go to about 75 but I need to make a deflector similar to what Leader has on their 2x6WSE to keep the geysers contained in the front of the flue pan. Until then I'll stay at 55-60.

[Grade "A"]

I have a 2x6 Phaneuf raised flue on a home made oil burning arch. I have a home made steam hood and pre-heater. I boil about 45-50gph.

[325abn]

I would say I average low to mid 20s. I have had it really low and really cooking to 28 - 30 but at this level I really gota be on my toes! ):

I am thinking of selling it, anybody interested?

[KenWP]

Last year 3 gallons a hour British. With improvements I am hopeing for a good 9 gallons a hour. I know that's hopeing for a lot but hopefully Rileys dropped tubes work the way I hope.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Adding to what Dr Perkins said, I think some people inflate their gph #'s by saying what they can do on the best hour for a day or for the season. GPH #'s should include the time you light the match until the evaporator is completely shutdown. Not a lot of difference for oil fired but a lot of extra time for wood fired evaporator.

I have a 2 x 8 with 5' drop flue pan and with the modified arch, I can get 60 to 65 gph including startup and shutdown.

[PerryW]

90-100 gph with a 3x10 (3x7 raised flue pan w/ 7" flues).

Wood fired, no hood, no preheater, no blower but always nice dry wood.

[Jeff E]

3x12, with 3x8 drop flue pan, hoods. Wood fired. Average around 100-110 gph.

The real efficiency is matching this with an RO with a concentrate output to match the evaporation rate. My CDL 600 will average 450+ gallons per hour input, 100-110+ output. So my effective rate is 450 GPH.

My RO is usually done about 2 hours before I am done evaporating, so
I think if I add a preheater and up my evaporator capacity by 10%, I will save myself an hour a day. Maybe next year...