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Thread: Trying to find or build a spark arrester

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Dutchess Co. New York
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    14

    Question Trying to find or build a spark arrester

    Setup; 10" insulated pipe through the roof and 2' past the cupola peak. I've been unable to find a off the shelf spark arrester that would have sufficient area not to choke the draft.

    The North American Maple Producers Manual (3rd. Ed.) has an image of one in chapter 7, Fig. 7.7 that is what I have in mind. (Upload image failed.) the arrester looks to have a 2" larger radius and is the length of one length of pipe with cap and supports.

    So with 10" insulated pipe, OD=13" I'm looking for something approximately 15-17" in diameter and a minimum of 24-28" long not including the cap.

    I'm aware of other potential spark reduction methods like Air Over Fire and concentric exhausts but at this time they are both cost and time prohibitive.

    Any thoughts on where i can purchase this or the parts fora a D.I.Y.?

    Thanks,
    Smoky Lake Corsair 2X6, UFA, Steam hood 20'X32' sugar house,~350 taps on Guzzler Vacuum.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
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    11,681

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    Put a T on top and place a 1/4" SS hardware cloth over each open end. Try to face it in the direction of the most common prevailing wind. Attach them with a Band clamp to hold it in place. I also suggest you add 1' more, the formula for chimney height is to be 3' above the exit and 2' above the highest point within 10'. If your stack is real close to the cupola, 3' is safer.
    Dave Klish, I recently bought a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Wind Lake, WI
    Posts
    526

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    I rolled a cone-shaped arrester for the top of my stack out of 1/4" mesh. Definitely catches the big stuff, but small ones get through. Cheaper than buying another T

    Don't seem to have a great picture of it....but this may help.

    42.82N
    2015 - Small operation. 25 buckets. One excited 5 year old and one 35 year old that feels 5 again.
    2016 - One year older. New Homemade 2x4 Arch, Smoky Lake Pan and looking at 52 maples, 17 box elders and 2 walnut trees.
    2017 - Shurflo 4008 hooked to 42 stingy silver maples and a few Norways. A couple buckets on sugars and Norways. 10 box elders.
    2018 - ...a few more taps.
    2019 - ...more taps on 3/16 gravity. This spiral is heading downward in a hurry.
    2020 - 4x400 RO - RB20 (uh-oh!)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    North Grenville, Ontario
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    982

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    I’ve found that any type of mesh that is put in the stack will eventually get clogged with soot and chunks of charcoal what is basically what you see flying out your stack on fire.
    If you don’t mind changing out the mesh every boil or going up and cleaning it out I think you will be disappointed in the performance.
    The best spark arrestor I had was the last year we had our old arch. I installed a thick 1/8” stainless screen right at the back of the arch. Basically slid it between the back flue pan and the stack. Went right down to the fire blanket. I left it stick up maybe 6” and would just loosen the pan tensioner before every boil and slide the screen out and whatever was on it and stuck in it would fall off or I would bang it out.
    I found the screen at the scrapyard in a commercial sink. Was some sort of drain board for a rack.
    Worked amazing. I might even try to install something similar on my new CDL Venturi.
    People will chime in and say that it will impede your draft putting it behind your pan. But it won’t. I never adjusted the fan or anything. If anything I was able to run it hotter because I wasn’t worried about blowing sparks 300’ into the air and burning down the shack.
    There is little to no sparks now with the new Venturi but when I open the door to fire the sparks start flying out the stack. Stop as soon as the door is shut though. No blow torch at the top of the stack though.

    If I’m able to find a picture I’ll post it.
    I’ve been having a WHO%e of a time trying to post pictures though. Don’t know what’s up with the site lately.

    Here is a link to something similar to what I used. Can’t tell if it’s exactly the same spacing but looks similar.
    https://www.amazon.ca/Perforated-Ste...8f35bffb7ce4ab
    Last edited by Bricklayer; 12-09-2023 at 11:13 PM.
    600 taps on vacuum
    Lapierre mechanical Releaser
    CDL electric releaser
    2.5 x 10 CDL Venturi ( new for the 2024 season )
    Home made modulating auto draw off
    Homemade RO 2 x 4" membranes
    CDL 16 x 16 bottler
    Wesfab 7" filter press
    Delaval 73 vacuum pumps

    12 hives of bees

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Wind Lake, WI
    Posts
    526

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    I've been running the one pictured above for at least 4 seasons now. It's never plugged or impacted performance. It stays very clean. Perhaps the wood used affects things and most of what I burn is ash and boxelder, but I've run large amounts of elm and spruce through it too and it's never fouled up.
    42.82N
    2015 - Small operation. 25 buckets. One excited 5 year old and one 35 year old that feels 5 again.
    2016 - One year older. New Homemade 2x4 Arch, Smoky Lake Pan and looking at 52 maples, 17 box elders and 2 walnut trees.
    2017 - Shurflo 4008 hooked to 42 stingy silver maples and a few Norways. A couple buckets on sugars and Norways. 10 box elders.
    2018 - ...a few more taps.
    2019 - ...more taps on 3/16 gravity. This spiral is heading downward in a hurry.
    2020 - 4x400 RO - RB20 (uh-oh!)

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Dutchess Co. New York
    Posts
    14

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    Thanks all for the thoughts and recommendations. I appreciate your time on this.
    Smoky Lake Corsair 2X6, UFA, Steam hood 20'X32' sugar house,~350 taps on Guzzler Vacuum.

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