Operator manuals are in development. 

Here are the important operating instructions you need for the scalder and plucker (scroll down). 

We encourage you to connect to the Poultry Man Equipment Owners Facebook group to plugin into a community of owners. 

Scalder

First Use: Here’s what you should do prior to your first processing so that you confirm actual operating temperature of the scalder’s aquastat closely matches the dial. You can adjust the aquastat to match the actual operating temperature:

1. Fill the scalder with water so that it’s even with the rack.
2. Light the scalder and turn the gas control knob “On” to start heating the water.
3. Wait until the burner turns off. This indicates the water has reached the set point of the auqastat (the Honeywell control on the front of the scalder).
4. Take a temperature of the water using 2 calibrated thermometers. You use two because one can be unreliable.
5. You want to observe a water temperature of147 degrees a few degrees. The dial on the Honeywell aquastat is analog, and it will be preset between 145 and 150 on the dial. It has a normal operating range of +/-3 degrees. You want to make sure the temperature is in this range and you’re double checking the accuracy of the initial setup.
6. If the temperature varies significantly, then you can make adjustments to the dial to try to align the temperature to be between 145 and 150. Some people may scald hotter or cooler, but I recommend between 145 and 150. Most importantly, I recommend you know what your actual temperature is so that you know.

Depending on the ambient temperature and the temperature of your water, it can take between 45 and 90 minutes to heat your water. So, plan ahead and turn on your scalder on as soon as possible on processing day.

To light the scalder:

1. Connect a propane gas bottle to the regulator that came with the scalder.
2. Turn on the gas.
3. Plug the scalder cord into a 110v outlet.
4. Remove the back access panel from the scalder.
5. Turn the gas control’s On/Off/Pilot light to “Pilot.”
6. Press and hold the knob in the pilot position. Do not release the knob and count to 30.
7. While depressing the pilot knob, light the pilot light next to the burner.
8. When the pilot lights, release the control knob that you’ve been pressing.
9. If the pilot light goes out, repeat steps 7 & 8.
10. If the pilot light stays lit, turn the “On/Off/Control” knob to “On.” This will turn operate the control and the burner will light if the water is lower than the set temperature of the Aquastat.
11. The burner will be activated until the water heats up. When the water heats up, the burner will go out and the pilot light will light. As you use the scalder, the burner will light and go out automatically.

Use (Rotary Scalder Only):

The timer on the rotary scalder should be self evident. You set the time based on a fraction of a minute. It will turn at 6 revolutions per minute.

When the set time elapses, the rotation will stop.

The rack will stop in the up position, which is identified with the half moon side shields facing up.

To start the scald, turn the switch on the front of the scalder on to engage the motor and turn the rack. At the end of the scald time, rotation of the rack will stop. Before you start the next scald cycle, you will need to turn the on/off switch to off and then back to on.

Maintenance:

At the start of the season or every couple birds, lube the bearings of the rack on the rotary scalder. The bearings on each side of the scalder has a grease zerk. Failure to grease the bearings on a regular basis will shorten their life. This applies to the rotary scalder only.

For the 30″ Rotary Scalder Only: Orange Flame on the burner. Pay attention to the flame on the burner. Note the appearance of the short blue flame on your new scalder. This is the proper flame. As you use the scalder, expose it to water and the environment, the holes in the burner will corrode; the flame may  become orangish over time and cooler. A practical observation will be the water will take longer to heat up.

To fix the corroded burner, remove the burner and drill out each burner hole with a 3/32″ bit. Be careful with the attached  copper piping because it is soft and will kink if you’re not careful. You will likely find it easier to disconnect the copper tubing going into the burner prior to work on it.

Cautions:

Keep as much water as possible off the control side of the scalder. That is why the rotary scalders ship with a protective side. Under no circumstance should you use high pressure water to clean the scalder. Repeated water on the gas control, aquastat, and timer will shorten their operation. High pressure water will rapidly reduce the life of the components.

Plucker

The plucker does not require much in the way of setup or maintenance. If you follow a few basic recommendations, you’ll enjoy a long machine life.

Setup:

1. Plug the plucker into a power source. All Poultry Man pluckers are wired for 110 v power unless you ordered 220v .
2. Connect a water line to the plucker. This is designed to attach a standard garden hose fitting.

Operation:

1. Turn the plucker on and then add birds. This will reduce the starting load of the plucker and extend the life of the bearings, gearbox, and motor.
2. Turn on water.
3. Pluck until done, turn off water, turn off plucker.

There is no  magic time frame to pluck. If the bird isn’t plucking cleanly, you may need more scald time. If the skin tears, you need to scald less.

Maintenance:

There is a grease zerk under the platform. Grease the bearings at the beginning of the season and throughout the processing season based on use.