# New Wood Furnace from Blaze King(now with Pics)



## herbdan (Aug 27, 2009)

First off, I want to thank the many who regularly contribute to these boards. I've lurked for a while now and learned a lot, and been entertained more.  After much thought I think I'm going to install a wood furnace in my  basement.  I have a RSF see through wood fireplace that is absolutely beautiful, the wife loves it, and we burn everyday (winter) when we're home; but it is not super efficient. I've been trying to figure which wood furnace to purchase and have kinda narrowed down the choice to three different furnaces.  BUT NOW, I noticed Blaze King is advertising a new cat wood furnace called the "APEX CBT"  Any one hear anything about this neat looking wood burner?  http://www.blazeking.com/furnaces-heaters.html

Herbster

PS  I'm heating a 2600 sq ft house, air tight (air to air exchanger), well insulated, in central Wisconsin.  Been using wood on and off since college when I lived up near Lake Superior.  In 1977 we lived in a shack and heated it with a Sears "Wonder Wood."


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## laynes69 (Aug 27, 2009)

Its nice to see more woodfurnaces moving in the direction of cleaner emissions. I wish there was something to read on, the manuals won't open. I don't personally like the look of the furnace, but I'm sure it would put out a long heat. I'm curious to find out more about it.


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## Todd (Aug 27, 2009)

Interesting, never seen a catalytic furnace before, wonder how long it will burn with a 6cu ft firebox and cat? They don't mention efficiency or a tax credit. You may want to check out Energy King, they have a 75% efficient furnace that quals for the tax credit and is made in your home state.


http://www.energyking.com/385EK.htm


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## herbdan (Aug 27, 2009)

I clicked on the little pic of the furnace and a long pdf opened up, lots of info.  I will give them a call tomorrow to see what they know about the tax credit, and when this furnace will be available.  

Herbster


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## laynes69 (Aug 27, 2009)

I finally got to see it. Quite impressive. Looks pretty advanced with the 2 servos on the secondary and primary draft. The manual stated 13% moisture wood, and I seen around 48,000 btus. Not sure how much square footage it would heat. Looks like it could pass for EPA, only time will tell. Do all cat stoves incorporate heated secondary air above or in the cat to assist in combustion? Wonder what the cost is on this unit?


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## herbdan (Aug 27, 2009)

Called Blaze King this morning and got a bit of an update on this new furnace.  The first run has already sold out but they're planning a second run soon.  They recommended that I order one now and that I should get it by late October.  Fine for me as I need to do some prepping for the installation.  I asked about qualifying for the tax credit and was told it's a done deal, it does qualify.  

They told me to contact a dealer for pricing, which I did.  The dealer told me that the price is not firm yet, but expect it to be less than $2800.00.  Blaze King also told me that they have had one burning for quiet a while now and they are very happy with it.  

I'm pretty sure I'll put one on order ASAP.  Now I need to figure out how I'm going to install it.  I have a two story house with a gas furnace in the basement.  I'll need to put a new chimney in for this furnace, poking four holes through my house.  I'm also considering adding an addition on to my basement, a small room in which I could put this furnace.  This would allow me to store wood and burn the furnace kinda of separate from the main basement.  Not sure how the stovepipe would work though, coming up from this addition in the middle of my yard.  Anybody ever do anything like this?

Herbster


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## laynes69 (Aug 27, 2009)

Whats its rated for heating square footage? 48,000 is alot but most furnaces can double that on btus. Just make sure its enough heat for your home.


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## ikessky (Aug 28, 2009)

I think I saw a Blaze King furnace when I ran into the hardware store the other day.  I couldn't check it out though as I was already late for a chiropractor appointment.


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## herbdan (Aug 29, 2009)

Well I bit the bullet and put one on order.  Talked to a local (only 100 miles away) dealer about the BTU output and if it would heat my whole house.  After telling him I have a 80,000 BTU Trane propane and that it does not struggle at all in the deep of winter to keep the house warm we figured the Blaze King will do fine.  I talked to Blaze King earlier this week and they told me that I should get the furnace sometime in late October.  I decided to put in a new chimney through the two floors and out of the roof near the peak.  I will update everybody as the winter progresses.  

Herbster


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## ikessky (Aug 29, 2009)

Sounds like you are all set!  Does the Blaze King have a secondary burn on it?

BTW, where in central Wisconsin are you?


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## herbdan (Aug 30, 2009)

It has, according to the manual, catalytic with post burn preheated secondary air.  I looked at the furnace made by WoodChuck which also has a Cat but that stove seems like the Cat was a second thought.  This one looks like they built the furnace for the Cat!  I also looked into the Kumma but the tax credit is what convinced me on the Blaze King as well as their reputation.  We'll see, I kinda don't like being one of the first kids on the block to own one but what the heck, no guts no glory.  

I live 4 miles south of Mauston, got 40 acres of mixed hardwoods, lots of oak wilt which is great for the fireplace.  Just got in from cutting some wood, first time since early spring.  Even got carried away and have a fire going in the fireplace, just to take the chill out of the house......

Herbster


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## laynes69 (Aug 30, 2009)

Hopefully at 48,000 btus it will be enough to heat your home. You will have to keep us up to date. This will be my first season with my new woodfurnace the 1950 hotblast (Caddy). The blaze king seems very reasonable in cost. I also called them and asked a few questions, and these are setup to be installed in series. Its a better way then parallel. If you have central air and install in series, just remember to have a bypass for your wood furnace. She said at the factory that they should burn 8 to 10 hours on a load, so that will be nice.


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## freeburn (Oct 2, 2009)

Herbster said:
			
		

> It has, according to the manual, catalytic with post burn preheated secondary air.  I looked at the furnace made by WoodChuck which also has a Cat but that stove seems like the Cat was a second thought.  This one looks like they built the furnace for the Cat!  I also looked into the Kumma but the tax credit is what convinced me on the Blaze King as well as their reputation.  We'll see, I kinda don't like being one of the first kids on the block to own one but what the heck, no guts no glory.
> 
> I live 4 miles south of Mauston, got 40 acres of mixed hardwoods, lots of oak wilt which is great for the fireplace.  Just got in from cutting some wood, first time since early spring.  Even got carried away and have a fire going in the fireplace, just to take the chill out of the house......
> 
> Herbster



Any word on the Blaze King? I'm in West Salem, near Lacrosse, where did you order your furnace from? Mind telling me how much it cost you? Thanks.


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## lexybird (Oct 2, 2009)

seems alot more companies are starting to get smart and offer high tech secondary burning forced air wood furnaces ,the question is when will Englander finally realize this market is in high demand and make a epa certified wood furnace in their lineup ?


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## BigBlockChevy (Oct 2, 2009)

Blaze King says the moisture content difference is based on the Canadian test standard...They call it B415.  Supposedly this test measures the actual efficiency and pollutants.  They say the test was 3.3 grams of stuff per hour, which is cleaner burning than many stoves.  They also confirmed that the furnace is good for the tax credit.

When is the good old USA EPA going to get a method to test wood furnaces...heck the Cannucks have one!


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## herbdan (Oct 3, 2009)

I ordered from a gent out of Caledonia MN.  His name is George Stone; runs a place called Caledonia Home Services and can be reached at 507 725-8646.  Got his information through Blaze King when I called them to find a dealer close to me.  He called me last Wednesday and told me that the furnace is ready to ship!  The price is around $2400.00.  I had to order the optional duct and fan since I'm not going to hook it up next to my existing furnace.  

I've talked to BK a couple of times since I had this thing on order.  Each time they told me how impressed they are with this furnace.  The last guy I called (asked him about some measurements) told me that I'll be amazed with the burn times.  We'll see....

I'm expecting the stove sometime next week.  I'll have to drive to Caledonia (near LaCrosse WI) to pick it up....I'll sure to take some pictures during the install process but that probably won't be for a couple of weeks as I still have to get he carpenter over to poke the holes in my house...

Herbster


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## BigBlockChevy (Dec 30, 2009)

While I have been more than satisfied with my King wood stove, this thread got me interested in an indoor wood furnace for my 2800 sq. ft home.  I have a Lennox HVAC system, but only use the air-conditioning option as the King has almost always satisfied our heating needs.

But, if I can pump a mess of hot air into all the rooms, why not.  I called Blaze King and told them of my plans and they told me the APEX was only rated for 1,200 square feet or smaller since it is only 60,000 Btu's.  They make other furnaces (huge but not catalytic) and I want to avoid being told down the road my investment does not burn clean enough.

I guess I'll wait for their next furnace which I was told is in the planning stages and it should be a replacement for their 80K or 120K non cat models.

I looked at a Caddy and you could fit the firebox in my King  So, I guess I have to stick with my King until BK comes out with the next furance.....Or maybe get a smaller house!


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## herbdan (Dec 30, 2009)

What a coincidence, I just finished the installation of the APEX today.  I have been running it without the duct work hooked up for the last three weeks.  While the upstairs rooms were cool the main floor was very comfortable.  I had a fan blowing on the furnace, left the basement door open and usually had the APEX running with both the primary and secondary dampers closed.  The CAT thermometer read between 500 - 1100.  Outdoor temps got down around 0F but mostly around 15.  It held a full load of wood for at least 10 hours, with having a bed of coals once or twice for over 15 hours.  I was very impressed how it heat my 2600 sq ft house without the duct work and the associated blower (I purchased the VB1000 blower from BK).  

It's now been running with duct work for 2 hours.  Too early to tell how it is working.  One of the problems I ran into is with the dampers that the HVAC guys installed in the duct work to prevent back drafting.  They put one over my gas furnace and one over the APEX.  Both of them rattle (open and close) during each of the respective furnace operation.  My gas furnace is a DC variable speed fan and when the fan went goes into low mode the damper would cycle open and shut.  We turned up the low speed on that fan and have not had a chance to see if that fixed the problem as I'm now burning the wood APEX.  The duct damper sitting over the APEX worked fine when the HVAC guy was here, but soon after he left it started making the same type of clicking noise.  I have the blower on the APEX adjusted to the slowest setting.  I'm going to have to open up the duct work and modify the damper so I can manually lock it open.  Shouldn't be much of a problem.  

Give me a couple of days and I will report back with some pics and a better report on performance.   It's suppose to get back down to 0 this weekend.  

Herbster


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## ikessky (Dec 31, 2009)

Herbster said:
			
		

> Give me a couple of days and I will report back with some pics and a better report on performance.   It's suppose to get back down to 0 this weekend.


I look forward to seeing some pictures!



> I guess I’ll wait for their next furnace which I was told is in the planning stages and it should be a replacement for their 80K or 120K non cat models.
> 
> I looked at a Caddy and you could fit the firebox in my King  So, I guess I have to stick with my King until BK comes out with the next furance…..Or maybe get a smaller house!


Have you looked at the Yukon-Eagles or Kuumas?


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## BigBlockChevy (Dec 31, 2009)

Thanks for the tip....


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## Wood cutter (Jan 9, 2010)

Hi people, I found this site that looks intreasting regarding the Apex wood furnace.

I bought one and had it installed early November in my 1475 sq ft home ( 2950 total sq ft if you include the finished basement ) This furnace replaces my MP - 80Valley Comfort I used for 22 years. Both are added to an electric furnace that I rarely use. Full duct work to the entire home also.

This furnace will heat my home no problem and burns less wood than the 80 did. We have had tempreatures of -10 C down to -25 C almost the whole past month and a half. I have got to say it was a very smart move going for this furnace,after the first month I shut it down and cleaned the stainless steel chimney insert that was also installed Novemberv2009. All I got was a bit of dust. I think its best feature is the converter that once in use with temperatures above 500deg extracts heat out of the smoke. There is nothing coming out of the chimney visible ( no smoke ) in this mode. I do have a couple problems though,

1. The temperature digital readout requires a 9 volt battery and It " eats " them. I am on #4 battery since Nov. This readout I use when adjusting the fire as they say not to burn a fire 500 deg or less through the converter. The lever is in bypass mode when in the up position then the lever is moved to the lower position when temperatures are above 500 deg. My dealer phoned the manufacturer and they said they are well aware of the problem and expect a replacement in the near future.

2. The lever that is used to open and close the bypass has now gotten very stiff and I have to figure out what this is about. I will let the fire burn out and see inside. I expect nothing major but was hoping this site may give me some leads. Any ideas welcome, Thanks


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## Wood cutter (Jan 9, 2010)

Just a message in reply to my own post earlier about the handle problems on my Apex furnace.

I took the handle right off and found the shaft inside the furnace that is connected to the baffle to be operating perfectly. After studying how the handle operates on the outside of the furnace I found that they use one shaft of 4 inches or so that fits inside another one  ( tube ) well this inside shaft was binding up so after pushing the inner shaft out of the tube I found a piece of burr metal inside that jamed the thing up. After polishing and cleaning everything up I reinstalled everything. Boy does it work proper now! I think I had a problem since new. Quality control on this part ?
I am sure the company would replace the parts I would have needed but I am not willing to wait the 2 weeks or so it might take.

Oh I might add that this is the cleanest wood burning furnace in my town, I think it is much better than the Caddy and as I have serial #127 I expect they can only improve their product.


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## herbdan (Jan 10, 2010)

Wood cutter

I've got serial #110.  So far no problem with the bypass lever, but I'm on my second battery for the CAT monitor.  I don't wait until it reaches 500 to engage.  I load it with fresh wood, on a hot bed of coals, and engage.  After a few minutes when I check the temp it always shows above 500.   Mine varies in the 600 - 1100 range during normal operating.  What I have not figured out yet is what triggers the dampers to open and shut.  They don't seem to work off of the temp probe in the duct above the stove.  Do you know how they are triggered to open and close?

I've got to agree with you on the wood use and heat output of this baby.  A few splits in the morning will last easily until we come home from work.  It's now 2 degrees F outside and we're sitting around with our shirt sleeves rolled up.  I just ordered a 7 inch brush and plan on  cleaning the chimney pipe in a few days.  It will be interesting to see how much  gunk I get.  Happy burning!


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## Wood cutter (Jan 10, 2010)

How long have you been running your Apex furnace? 2 batterys in how long?

I am scared to flip the leaver down if not 500 deg or better as they say in the operating book.

I think I had a flaw in workmanship regarding the stuck lever so I sent a message to Valley Comfort telling them what happened and what I did. We will see what they say.

Mine runs almost the same temp as yours.

Oh ya I had not figured out the dampers either until I relized that the limit switch was kicking out because of overheating. I had to reset the red button each time when the fire cooled off as the damper did not open. We reset the relay to Max and seems to be Ok. The dealer was suprized as he said this is good. He did not think the output of the furnace would be that great and he thinks it is around 80 BTU. Apparently I can either increase my fan speed to get the heat out or work with the limit switch.

With the lever up and calling for heat the rear opens I beleve where with the leaver down the front one opens. Mine works OK except when the control limit switch kicked them out. These furnaces actually produce much more BTU than advertized of course depending on the wood. I use dry pine, spruce and a little birtch all seasoned well.

I'm happy as I know after 35 years of wood plus my folks and relitives using the old RSF with all their cresote problems and the Caddy glorified stove built to resemble a furnace with a very limited fire box we have the best out there so far.


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## Gooserider (Jan 10, 2010)

On the binding lever, I'd suggest putting a dab of high temperature Never-Seize on it when you put it together - helps to discourage any future galling, etc...

For the thermometer, you can get 9v "wall wart" transformers that can either come with a battery clip, or you can make one to "fake it" and then you'll never need to worry about batteries again...

Gooserider


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## Wood cutter (Jan 10, 2010)

I take it you do not have the new furnace? There is little if any heat on the part that bound up.

Why me to buy a walmart transformer when Blaze King is sending me the new one. but thanks anyway.


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## Wood cutter (Jan 10, 2010)

Guess I never answered your question very well Herbster

What I have not figured out yet is what triggers the dampers to open and shut.  They don’t seem to work off of the temp probe in the duct above the stove.  Do you know how they are triggered to open and close?

I have 2 thermostats on the main floor. One for the Apex and the other is set way down for the electric furnace. The wiring from the thermostat feeds into a jct box above the furnace door and is routed into the limit switch and then the little motors that lift the dampers. 
The temp probe is only used to tell you what the temperature is at the CAT so you know when to engage it with the lever. The manual says 500 deg and above. Guess it will plug up if ran too cool.
Good luck on your chimney cleaning you may be as suprized as I was.


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## Lanningjw (Jan 10, 2010)

Herbster said:
			
		

> I ordered from a gent out of Caledonia MN.  His name is George Stone; runs a place called Caledonia Home Services and can be reached at 507 725-8646.  Got his information through Blaze King when I called them to find a dealer close to me.  He called me last Wednesday and told me that the furnace is ready to ship!  The price is around $2400.00.  I had to order the optional duct and fan since I'm not going to hook it up next to my existing furnace.
> 
> I've talked to BK a couple of times since I had this thing on order.  Each time they told me how impressed they are with this furnace.  The last guy I called (asked him about some measurements) told me that I'll be amazed with the burn times.  We'll see....
> 
> ...


George sells them right out of his house to keep costs down. I went with the BK dealer in Spooner. Good luck with the furnace.


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## Gooserider (Jan 10, 2010)

Wood cutter said:
			
		

> I take it you do not have the new furnace? There is little if any heat on the part that bound up.


I don't own the furnace, however metal to metal contact between moving parts in any kind of mechanism (even if the movement is low speed and slow) can lead to galling and binding that sounded like what you described.  I have found high temp Never-Seize is a highly effective lubricant in preventing this - regardless of temperature.



> Why me to buy a walmart transformer when Blaze King is sending me the new one. but thanks anyway.



I didn't say "walmart" - I said "WALL - WART" - this is the term many people use to describe those little block transformers which plug into the wall, and are used to power many small electronic devices of all sorts - if you have a vivid imagination they look like a wart, and stick out of the wall, and hence - "wall wart"  While I'd suspect you could get one at Wal-Mart, I would actually be more inclined to go to a Radio Shack if looking for one...

If BK is sending you a replacement, probably no need to worry about it for now, but you weren't the only person mentioning having the issue - and if the replacement isn't any better about battery consumption, it might still be worth considering...  I will admit to having a strong bias against using batteries in anything that is not going to move around and can be plugged in instead...

Gooserider


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## Wood cutter (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks Gooserider.
I too hate using batteries for power source's. ~I `would have to cut off the leads that connect the +  and - from the 9 volt battery and connect them to the plug in if I was to get one that's why I am waiting for the change up promised. One could also change the circuit inside the display so instead of having it run the full 30 minutes to 2 or something. That I may be able to do but if the dealer wants the old one in exchange It may be be best keep it stock. Just looking hear at my desktop I have 3 of those power sources used for various gadgets in my recording studio.

It would not be hard to take the handle apart again and if I do I will have some of that high temp Never- Seize on had. Good point.

Today I cleaned the chimney for the second time since I installed the Apex. Again there was nothing other than a bit of cresote at the rain cap. Two months running I am amazed The old MP-80 would have given me at least 2 five gal pails of creosote from the chimney cleaning.

Wood quality plays an important part of any wood furnace performance. We have a huge supply of bug killed pine and buying it by the logging truck load I can heat my home for about 400$ or less per year. I did pay 3200$ Can for the Apex though.

Great site, thanks


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## herbdan (Jan 28, 2010)

Here's some comments to date and a few pics of the APEX install.  Most happy with about everything on this furnace but a few things could use improving.  I had it shipped to a dealer in Minnesota and drove over to pick it up.  A bit of the paint was rubbed off during transit.  You can barely notice it, now it is sitting in the basement.  Here's a couple of pics of it sitting on my trailer in the garage.


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## herbdan (Jan 28, 2010)

I had to modify the damper that the HVAC guy installed so that I could keep it open without the blower blowing on the wood furnace.  This way the heat feeds the duct work and keeps it warm.


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## herbdan (Jan 28, 2010)

Here's how it looks installed!  Been running it 24/7 since install.  Cleaned the Chimney once to make sure no excessive buildup.  There was about a cup and a half of creosote. It took a while to learn how to burn it when it got above 20 °F .  Wife had the window open many a night so far, but if I just throw in 3 or 4 splits it will burn all night and have a nice bed of flaming red coals in the morn.  

The few things I do not like:  There's a few places where they should of used machine screws instead of sheet metal screws.  Like on the low burn adjustment flap and the on the big door in front.  I ended up taking the sheet metal screw out of the adjustment flap completely and it burns good in my situation (27 foot of indoor 7in chimney)  I also have been using up 9 volt batteries for the temp probe.  Once you learn how to use this baby, you don't really need the temp probe but it still fun to look at it.  

Besides those minor things, this furnace is great, especially in the efficiency department.  Last night it went down to -3 °F and with 3/4 of a load of wood at 10pm and I had large chunks of splits left at 6am this morning.  What an improvement over the non EPA stoves of a few years ago.


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## Wood cutter (Jan 29, 2010)

Nice Pictures Herbster

Looks like you are set up the same as me with the electric on the side even the same colour.

I recieved the 9 volt power suppy from Blaze King ( Valley Comfort ) after phoning them. They responed right away and it came a couple days later, but as someone said once you get used to how it works you can go without it. 3 months now and  I feel I made a very smart move. My neighbours pour out smoke using twice the amount of wood and those with pellet stoves are working on 5 ton this winter at a cost of about a thousand $ so far. I am on my 3rd cord of firewood nheating just under 3000 sq ft.

Good luck with your new furnace.


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## Hiram Maxim (Mar 23, 2011)

Hello BK Furnace user!

I'm interested to find out how the Apex is working out for you?

Are you still using around 1 cord of wood per month?

What type of wood are you primarily burning?

And what are your average burn times now that you have some time invested in your furnace.

Thank you, Hiram


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## herbdan (Mar 23, 2011)

Furnace worked great all winter, only time gas furnace came on was over Xmas when we were gone for a few days.  As far as how much wood we burned I never really figured it out.  In the pictures u can see my stacks in the basement.   I had three stacks, 14' long about 7' high; whatever that equals out to be.  One thing I did before getting this furnace was to cut a bunch of wood rather short, so that it would fit in any furnace or stove I bought.  Then when I got this furnace I cut a bunch of wood (next winters) that is long, to fit in the Apex's long firebox.  Now I wish I cut it short, as I will be doing from now on.  The reason being is that I need to be able to make small fires, otherwise the furnace overheats the house.  I leave a bunch of ash in the firebox, throw 3 small splits in the middle of the firebox and we're good to go.  

Burn times are long enough to fill it up (never all the way yet) at night and since I'm retired, get up a a bit later sometimes (depends how much beer been consumed) and always have a warm house and enough coals to start over by just throwing in a few splits, leaving the bypass and the furnace door open for a few minutes, then shutting both and good for most of day.  I've learned that if I'm going to home I can throw smaller amounts of wood into it, and tend to it 5/6 hours later.  This really cuts down on the wood consumption and not over heat the house.  It's easy to get 10-12 hour burn times if needed.   Wife still sleeps most nights with the window cracked.  

Overall the furnace has lived up to my expectations and would recommend it!

Herbster

PS  If you plan on going the Apex route please note that the recommended stove pipe is 7" diameter.  Around where I live that means special order, though I got mine through Menards and still got a good price on it.  I had to wait a bit for one of the elbows I needed since it had to come from the factory, just a bit of advance planning to avoid waiting.....

PSS  Forgot to mention that I burned 95% red oak.


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## Wood cutter (Mar 23, 2011)

After the 2nd winter of heating our home with the Apex I have a few comments that you may or may not want to hear.
I quit burning cardboard left over wine boxes and have never had any more problems with the sticky handle thing. I also got a replacement temp readout ( free ) that only reads out for a short period saving the battery as we only used 2 all winter. I found the AC adapter a pain with the cord and all.

I am not using the furnace right now as the afternoon sun warms the house and a little electric is all we need. The furnace was ran from early November right up until March 15th or so and I used less than 4 cord actually a little over 3. My wife complains about the fine ash in the furnace room that we never had before with the MP-80. Seems fueling the fire can get ash drifting out. You got to be quick!  I only cleaned out the fire box 3 times all winter as everything gets burnt up much more. I cleaned up the chimney 3 times also and  get very little creosote although having the fire at temperatures of less than 500deg I will get the creosote buildup some what.

I burn dry pine mostly and some birch during the colder nights. The wood should be dry of course. We had temperatures as low as -25 and cold winds a few times this winter and the furnace easily heated our 1475 x 2 floors house. I  could get 10 hours on the coldest nights and 14 average I would say but it could go longer if I let it burn down lower. -25 I would not want it getting too low!!

We find the good and the bad in this Furnace.
Good-long burns, easy to control and efficient
Bad- fine ash that collects around the furnace room

We live at 55deg------128 Northern BC 










Hello BK Furnace user!

Iâ€™m interested to find out how the Apex is working out for you?

Are you still using around 1 cord of wood per month?

What type of wood are you primarily burning?

And what are your average burn times now that you have some time invested in your furnace.

Thank you, Hiram


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## Hiram Maxim (Mar 24, 2011)

Herbster said:
			
		

> Furnace worked great all winter, only time gas furnace came on was over Xmas when we were gone for a few days.  As far as how much wood we burned I never really figured it out.  In the pictures u can see my stacks in the basement.   I had three stacks, 14' long about 7' high; whatever that equals out to be.  One thing I did before getting this furnace was to cut a bunch of wood rather short, so that it would fit in any furnace or stove I bought.  Then when I got this furnace I cut a bunch of wood (next winters) that is long, to fit in the Apex's long firebox.  Now I wish I cut it short, as I will be doing from now on.  The reason being is that I need to be able to make small fires, otherwise the furnace overheats the house.  I leave a bunch of ash in the firebox, throw 3 small splits in the middle of the firebox and we're good to go.
> 
> Burn times are long enough to fill it up (never all the way yet) at night and since I'm retired, get up a a bit later sometimes (depends how much beer been consumed) and always have a warm house and enough coals to start over by just throwing in a few splits, leaving the bypass and the furnace door open for a few minutes, then shutting both and good for most of day.  I've learned that if I'm going to home I can throw smaller amounts of wood into it, and tend to it 5/6 hours later.  This really cuts down on the wood consumption and not over heat the house.  It's easy to get 10-12 hour burn times if needed.   Wife still sleeps most nights with the window cracked.
> 
> ...


*That's 3.06 cords*

Nice job! Great info.......


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## Hiram Maxim (Mar 24, 2011)

Wood cutter said:
			
		

> After the 2nd winter of heating our home with the Apex I have a few comments that you may or may not want to hear.
> I quit burning cardboard left over wine boxes and have never had any more problems with the sticky handle thing. I also got a replacement temp readout ( free ) that only reads out for a short period saving the battery as we only used 2 all winter. I found the AC adapter a pain with the cord and all.
> 
> I am not using the furnace right now as the afternoon sun warms the house and a little electric is all we need. The furnace was ran from early November right up until March 15th or so and I used less than 4 cord actually a little over 3. My wife complains about the fine ash in the furnace room that we never had before with the MP-80. Seems fueling the fire can get ash drifting out. You got to be quick!  I only cleaned out the fire box 3 times all winter as everything gets burnt up much more. I cleaned up the chimney 3 times also and  get very little creosote although having the fire at temperatures of less than 500deg I will get the creosote buildup some what.
> ...



*Less than 4 cord actually a little over 3*

That is outstanding considering your burning soft/medium wood. Thank you!


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## SolarAndWood (Mar 24, 2011)

I'm curious about the burn times and heat output you guys are reporting.  The advertised firebox size is roughly a third bigger than what Hiram and I burn.  We both do 24 hour burn cycles that produce even heat through the cycle.  Is this not possible to do with the Apex?  It sounds like it burns too hot in the beginning of a burn cycle with a full firebox and you have resorted to building smaller fires?


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## herbdan (Mar 24, 2011)

No, I wouldn't say it burns too hot in the beginning of the cycle, it throws off a lot of heat throughout the cycle.  Like this morning, 14 degrees F outside, the furnace had about 5 inches of red blazing chunks, a lot of them being 4-6 inches big.  I threw in 3 spilts, shut the door, shut the bypass and went upstairs---left the thermostat turned up for about 10 minutes, then turned that down to 70.  I won't look at the stove again until 6pm.  

If I filled up the stove, I'm sure I could get a good amount of heat out of it throughout a 12-18 hour cycle, depending on outside temps; it just seems I use a bit less wood if I don't fill it to the brim each time.  Heck, with burning that little bit of wood for a whole winters worth of heat and having no problem with a long overnight burns I am more than happy with the burn cycles.  

Herbster


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## SolarAndWood (Mar 25, 2011)

Herbster said:
			
		

> If I filled up the stove, I'm sure I could get a good amount of heat out of it throughout a 12-18 hour cycle, depending on outside temps; it just seems I use a bit less wood if I don't fill it to the brim each time.



Gotcha, thanks!


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## Hiram Maxim (Mar 25, 2011)

Herbster said:
			
		

> No, I wouldn't say it burns too hot in the beginning of the cycle, it throws off a lot of heat throughout the cycle.  Like this morning, 14 degrees F outside, the furnace had about 5 inches of red blazing chunks, a lot of them being 4-6 inches big.  I threw in 3 spilts, shut the door, shut the bypass and went upstairs---left the thermostat turned up for about 10 minutes, then turned that down to 70.  I won't look at the stove again until 6pm.
> 
> If I filled up the stove, I'm sure I could get a good amount of heat out of it throughout a 12-18 hour cycle, depending on outside temps; it just seems I use a bit less wood if I don't fill it to the brim each time.  Heck, with burning that little bit of wood for a whole winters worth of heat and having no problem with a long overnight burns I am more than happy with the burn cycles.
> 
> Herbster



Great information.

One more question.....How much radiant heat does the furnace give off in the basement while in operation?

Really sounds like you have an excellent set up. Very impressed with the burn times and low wood consumption.


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## herbdan (Mar 25, 2011)

Most of the radiant heat comes off of the single wall stove pipe that is about 5' long.  The furnace housing and duct work give off a little also.  There is a lot mass to heat up in the basement, cement walls and floor.  It takes a couple/three days to actually get the chill out of the basement.   I have 1'' of styrofoam on the outside of the basement walls, wish I had more....

Herbster


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