Sugar House for 2011

[farmall h]

You mean an ashpan such as found on a wood stove? I didn't realize archs had them...maybe somebody with a smaller unit will chime in.

[maple flats]

I've never seen an arch with an ash pan.

[C.Wilcox]

Does your arch have a blower fan? If so the guy was probably right. When I run mine there's no ash to remove even after a full day of boiling. If I don't run the fan then there's definitely an ash/coal build up.

[Jeff E]

I have never seen a commercially made arch with an ash pan. I just scoop the ashes out as need, usually every other firing or so.

[Ausable]

Hey - why not go all the way - V shape the bottom of the fire box - with a grate over the top for the ashes to fall thru - then have a water jet in front at the bottom of the V and an opening at the back of the V and when needed turn on the water jet and sluice the ashes out the back of the fire box. Hummmmmmm -- have to do some more thinking on this - now the wet ash mess is on the sugar shack floor and it is below freezing outside and we are not in an Electric Power Plant with an ash removal system - Hey stick to the ash pan and I'll plod on with my little hoe and shovel -------

[Maple Ridge]

I guess what I am saying that my fire box dose not have a bottom, only grates. I was just wondering if that is how some of them are. This is a new evaperator, and I just need to understand how it works.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Most do not have bottoms, merely sit on the concrete floor. The ashes are shoveled off the floor. I clean mine each morning before I start a fire.

[Ausable]

Please excuse me and my bad water jet idea - Mine is a home made rig ----- 2'x5' - from a 250 gal. fuel oil tank and has a bottom lined with fire brick and I have a clean out door on it. I didn't realize some of the commercial rigs had no enclosed botton - just grates. I can see where that could be a problem. Also - if you run into some trouble - no way to control the excessive draft. ----- Mike

[3rdgen.maple]

Im confused ( as usuall) but what commercial rig has no area under the grates that isnt enclosed or have a draft door on it if its wood burning. I have never seen a rig without out it, homemade or not. The ashes need to go somewhere and the draft needs to enter somewhere doesn't it? This makes no sense to me.

[farmall h]

Mapleridge, your arch sits on a cement pad. You should have a draft door? The space from the floor to the grates acts as your ash box. Can you post a pic?