[FarmerJ]

Just wondering what farmers thoughts are, not really for capacity but efficiency and likelyhood to catch fire. We currently have an IBEC(Vertec) dryer and we can get the flowers through pretty fast but it seems we are stopping a lot to put out fires. Are there dryers that are less likely to catch fire with sunflowers or is that just something we should live with? Have looked a bit at the Alvan Blanch dryer but am worried about the cost and the technical support being from the UK. I'm from east of Winnipeg, MB.

 

[mbfarmer]

The reason you are putting out fires is that you are putting them through too fast. Does your dryer unload in the middle or at one end? Are the fires always at the far end of the unload? We had a similar problem.

 

[Transaxial]

I think Vertec runs about the lowest drying temp of any dryer I know of. I would agree with mbfarmer. I know that light material can be a problem if it collects in the far end, just sits there floating on top and getting drier and drier until something catches fire. Is it a reasonable thought to screen or somehow clean the crop before drying? Or can you set the combine a little cleaner? I have never done "flowers"! I would say this problem exists on all dryers , at least the ones I have owned.

 

[Northern Farmer]

I've never had anything to do with sunflowers but canola with its pod content can present a problem in the Vertec as it tends to sit on top of the flowing canola and build up more and more rather then flow on through and the only answer for that was to empty the dryer out and start over again every so often. Also canola pods flying out of the side of the dryer and if the wind is in the wrong direction could and will enter the fan and then be lit up in the burner and blown to the far end and land into the flow of canola and light it up or I think that was what caused issues I had. We've never had it done to our old Vertec but a neighbor had a company come from Manitoba I think it is that installs those different style burners and they cut out the long tin assembly in front of the burner to even up the heat from end to end and his claim was that fires were a lot less likely because of the modifications. I know a long time ago Vertec or maybe it was IBEC by then had triangle screens that one could insert into the inside of the plenum and the idea was to stop or arrest the spark/lit up chaff that was trying to make its way into the flow of the drying product.