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How to Install A Honey Gate

   August 8, 2011

by Stephen E. Tilmann

Most small scale beekeepers end up storing honey in 5-gallon buckets.  These buckets are readily available and work well for the task at hand.  If filled right to the brim, these buckets will hold 60 pounds of honey (honey weighs 12 pounds to the gallon).  However, I usually leave a little space and end up with around 50 to 53 pounds per bucket.

Over time, all honey will crystallize; it is the natural state of honey.  When I first started beekeeping, I hung buckets of crystallized honey in the hot tub to reliquify them.  This quickly became old and I found that using a homemade honey bucket heater did the trick.  In fact, having honey crystallize in a bucket is not an all bad thing as honey will not leak out when in this stage.  When ready to bottle, you simply pop the bucket into the heater to bring the honey back to the liquid stage. 

Honey buckets are made of food-grade plastic.  I advise that you avoid using other 5-gallon buckets that you can purchase in home improvement stores or using 5-gallon buckets used for paint or drywall compound.  These buckets are not food grade and should not be used to store honey.

Bee equipment suppliers usually offer buckets either with or without an installed “honey gate” (Figure 1).  A honey gate is a plastic valve on the bottom of the bucket which is used to drain honey from the bucket. The honey gate allows you to bottle straight from the bucket, among other things.  If you are using a bucket to store honey, then a honey gate is a “must have” item.

Figure 1. Close up of a honey gate installed in a 5-gallon plastic pail.

The price difference is usually between $4 and $7 between plain buckets or buckets with a pre-installed honey gate, so if time is more important than money then you may be better off purchasing a bucket with the pre-installed honey gate. 

However, installing a honey gate only takes a few minutes and is relatively easy to do.  If you are looking to save a few dollars, then here is how to install a honey gate. 

For tools, you will need a 1-7/8” hole saw for a power drill (Figure 2).  A hole saw is a specialized bit used to large cut circular holes with a drill.  A 1/4″ drill bit serves as a pilot for the larger cutting edge of the hole saw.  A small set screw at the top of the hole saw allows you to position the pilot bit so that it protrudes a half inch or so from the hole saw.  You will also need a small tube of white silicone caulk.  All of these items are available at your local hardware store.

Figure 2. Use a 1-7/8 inch hole saw to cut a hole in the pail.

Step 1:  Make a mark on the bottom of the bucket 1-3/4” from the bottom edge (Figure 3).  This mark is where you will drill the hole.  I like to locate the gate midway between the handles so that when you pick up the bucket, the gate is pointing either toward the front or back of the bucket.
Figure 3. Mark the hole location 1-3/4 inch from the bottom of the pail.
Step 2:  Cut a hole in the side of the bucket with the hole saw (Figure 4).  Position the pilot bit on the mark made in step 1.  You can use a regular hand held 1/4-inch chuck drill, but be careful.  The teeth on the hole saw are very aggressive and the drill will strongly twist when the hole saw engages the plastic of the bucket.  I prefer to use a 1/2-inch chuck drill.  These heavy duty drills have a slower speed and the handles let me get a good grip on the drill and avoid an arm wrenching twist.
  
After you bore the hole in the bucket, use a utility knife to clean up any loose hanging bits of plastic around the edge of the hole. 
Figure 4. Using a power drill and the hole saw, bore a hole along the bottom edge of the pail.
 
Step 3:  Run a thin bead of silicone caulk around the outside of the hole you just bored (Figure 5).  The instructions that come with the honey gate probably do not mention using additional caulk.  However, I find that this extra step helps prevents any minor leaks around the honey gate.  Using a bit of silicone can’t hurt. 
Figure 5. Before installing the gate, run a small bead of silicone around the outside of the hole.
 
Step 4.   Install the honey gate.  The gate has a large plastic nut on the back that you remove before installing.  Note that these nuts usually have little circles molded on the side that goes against the inside of the bucket.  When you remove the nut, look for these indicators and make sure they are facing the bucket when you reinstall the nut.
 
Also, I like to start with the gate upside down (Figure 6).  There is a small, curved drip tab on the bottom of the gate.  Position this tab so that it is pointed up.
 
Figure 6. To begin, position the gate upside down in the hole and hand tighten.
 

Reach inside the bucket and screw on the nut, making sure you get the marked side of the nut against the plastic. Tighten the nut as much as you can with your fingers.  Then, while holding the nut, twist the honey gate a half turn to tighten further and position the gate with the drip tab on the bottom (Figure 7).  Take a moment to make sure the gate is finally positioned in the horizontal.

Figure 7. After hand tightening the nut, hold the nut and rotate the honey gate into its final position.

 

Clean up any silicone that may squeeze out from behind the gate with a paper towel.  That’s all there is to it!  Set the bucket aside and let the silicone cure overnight.

 
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