Gas Vapourizer

[Eyeman]

Is anyone pumping the OA vapour into the top of the hive rather than through the entrance/under the OMF?
I've heard that the cooler vapour from an active vapouriser that heats the OA outside the hive may not rise as well inside the hive.
Any suggestions and what technique do you use to get the vapour into the top of the hive?
Thanks

 

[protheroe]

Had a quick try of it last night.steady stream of vapour but no big clouds.larger dose of oxalic probably needed.until the barrel heats up there's a lot condensing in it but it soon heats up with the flame running up the arm on front to barrel.burnt off one dose then turned heat off and it stayed hot enough to vapourise another dose.i think cooling with a squirt of water in between vapes will be needed as temp control.will need to test on a glass topped hive to see how much oxalic to use to fill bb.
Flimsy spring on bolt holding fill hole door so I'll need to sort that.it wont last long with heat.
The problem is I've never seen a varrox or similar in action so I cant compare.
Off into work now so I'll let you know how it goes after more testing

 

[rook66]

Just thinking!! Would a few of these be a help as a removable well for the oxalic. No need to use tablets.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-4mm-t...hash=item1a1f83e2b4:m:mzE6vZ2rsW9BqQhlnMDGMwg

 

[Eyeman]

Just thinking!! Would a few of these be a help as a removable well for the oxalic. No need to use tablets.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-4mm-t...hash=item1a1f83e2b4:m:mzE6vZ2rsW9BqQhlnMDGMwg

Good idea.
Just turn the vaporiser upside down and the copper pot falls out ready to insert a fresh one,
Need to see how much longer to heat up and providing it falls into OA container it should still close.

 

[maddydog]

Just thinking!! Would a few of these be a help as a removable well for the oxalic. No need to use tablets.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-4mm-t...hash=item1a1f83e2b4:m:mzE6vZ2rsW9BqQhlnMDGMwg

Hmmmm IMHO it would be another thing to have to heat up and it's slow enough already!

 

[BeeJuice]

I bought this vapouriser as it appeared to offer a solution to the problem of faced by users (like me) with an under floor entrance. Previously I used a varrox battery operated vapouriser - but with the under floor entrance there's no way of inserting the heating bowl.

My plan was to fix blow the vapour up into the hive through the floor.

My initial reaction to this vapouriser was one of slight disappointment - the vapour has a long way to travel and the fan isn't really up to the job - there's a wisp of vapour that comes out of the end - not a blast which I was hoping for.

The barrel of the vapouriser is so long because the flame is directed straight along the barrel and towards the hive. My solution has been to chop off most of the barrel and connect straight to my pipework going into the hive. I use a small flame on the vapouriser and use a second blow torch with which I can blast the combustion chamber.

The result is much faster heating - a greater production of vapour and a much stronger stream of vapour upwards into the hive.

As far as I'm concerned I have found the solution.

To do this though you need to have your hives on a stand and cut a notch into the stand so the pipework can slide under the hive - a 30 second job with a chainsaw.

 

[protheroe]

I'm looking at cutting the barrel too as too much vapour condensing.even when heating the barrel the cool air from fan cools it too much.at the moment its great for nucs so not a waste of money and my half super framed 7 frame mini nucs are going all year round so great for them too.a thin rod is also needed to clear barrel every few vapes too.

 

[Eyeman]

Thanks for your updates. Looks like a design fault with the condensation in the barrel. Noticed in the instructions that you needed to get the heat from the gas going for a bit before putting in the OA then delay switching on the fan for a bit. Wonder if by delaying the fan until a fair bit of the OA has vapourised will reduce the cooling effect and it condensing?

 

[protheroe]

I did try leaving fan off for a bit it helped but not enough.i might chop the barrel and put a heat shield close to the front to stop large flame hitting the hive.it will heat the chopped barrel better as well.just need to find something for a heat shield and some time to do it

 

[maddydog]

I'm looking at cutting the barrel too as too much vapour condensing.even when heating the barrel the cool air from fan cools it too much.at the moment its great for nucs so not a waste of money and my half super framed 7 frame mini nucs are going all year round so great for them too.a thin rod is also needed to clear barrel every few vapes too.

I too found that the barrel clogs with condensed oxalic. As you suggest a shortened barrel and a curved heat shield could be the way forwards

 

[BeeJuice]

You would have thought that the Germans with their engineering prowess would have sorted these problems.

 

[Eyeman]

You would have thought that the Germans with their engineering prowess would have sorted these problems.

Isn't it made in Italy?

 

[maddydog]

Isn't it made in Italy?

The burner is Italian but I think the rest may be German, the instructions certainly are.

 

[protheroe]

I just cut the barrel down and knocked up a heat shield with a soldering mat stuck on it.no condensing in the barrel now and a nice stream of vapour flowing out tried on a brood box with clear top and a gram filled it with vapour.quite a bit condensed on the mesh at entrance though

 

[maddydog]

I just cut the barrel down and knocked up a heat shield with a soldering mat stuck on it.no condensing in the barrel now and a nice stream of vapour flowing out tried on a brood box with clear top and a gram filled it with vapour.quite a bit condensed on the mesh at entrance though

Excellent. Will tinker with mine this weekend to try for a similar result

 

[Eyeman]

I just cut the barrel down and knocked up a heat shield with a soldering mat stuck on it.no condensing in the barrel now and a nice stream of vapour flowing out tried on a brood box with clear top and a gram filled it with vapour.quite a bit condensed on the mesh at entrance though

How much did you cut off the barrel?
Can the handle on the barrel be reattached and used as a heat shield on the shorter version?
Thanks for your updates as I'm looking at modifying mine. As you say the barrel gets blocked with condensed OA after a couple of vapes.

 

[Eyeman]

I just cut the barrel down and knocked up a heat shield with a soldering mat stuck on it.no condensing in the barrel now and a nice stream of vapour flowing out tried on a brood box with clear top and a gram filled it with vapour.quite a bit condensed on the mesh at entrance though

Can you post a picture of the knocked down version?
Thanks

 

[Beefriendly]

Is anyone pumping the OA vapour into the top of the hive rather than through the entrance/under the OMF?

Yes, several of us do it that way, this way you know all the OA vapour is getting to the bees and not been lost by some condensing on the open mesh floor. It's particularity effective with the sublimox vaporisers, where there is no need to cool down between vapes. An eke with a top and hole for the nozzle. About a minute per hive and then you are ready to move on to the next.
I don't think it would work well with the pan type vaporizers, you really need the active/pressurized ones.

 

[Eyeman]

Yes, several of us do it that way, this way you know all the OA vapour is getting to the bees and not been lost by some condensing on the open mesh floor. It's particularity effective with the sublimox vaporisers, where there is no need to cool down between vapes. An eke with a top and hole for the nozzle. About a minute per hive and then you are ready to move on to the next.
I don't think it would work well with the pan type vaporizers, you really need the active/pressurized ones.

Thanks for that info.
Will be drilling a 12mm hole in my reversible crown board so that when I turn it over it will have the build in 20mm eke.

 

[Beefriendly]

Thanks for that info.
Will be drilling a 12mm hole in my reversible crown board so that when I turn it over it will have the build in 20mm eke.

Yes, a good idea. I use plastic sheeting for my crown board....so need the eke!
It takes about a minute for the remaining vapour in the top of the eke to descend into the hive. I have a clear perspex cover on my eke so can see what is going on.