Claybe can you walk us through step by step on how you're running the stove? Where is the stove is installed, chimney set up(size, height, turns etc), when was the wood c/s/s, stove top temps you're seeing, pipe temps along with how full you're loading the stove. When we talk about a loaded stove we're talking about full loads similar to the picture below.
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2012-2013 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)
- Thread starter rdust
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Realize that only the guys with inserts have dots on their air controls. The rest of us have numbers with #2 being 50% throttle. Usual cruise for me is just under that 50% mark which reads as 1.75 on the freestanders.
You mention adding two splits and then three splits. These stoves aren't meant to be burned like that. You need to be loading 8-12 splits at a time, filling it up, if your goal is long burn times or lots of heat.
I read your post a couple of times and don't see your problem. What do you want to occur that is not occuring?
Claybe can you walk us through step by step on how you're running the stove? Where is the stove is installed, chimney set up(size, height, turns etc), when was the wood c/s/s, stove top temps you're seeing, pipe temps along with how full you're loading the stove. When we talk about a loaded stove we're talking about full loads similar to the picture below.
Stove is in my walkout basement. 1 45 degree angle coming off the stove to a stainless steel flexible liner up an approximate 30 foot masonry chimney. Wood is at least 3 years old c/s/s. stove top temps act like a non-cat stove like I had in last house. I have a 3 inch coal base and I can't stack like the picture. See below.
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. Stove top is at 600 degrees cat probe is at 2:30. 70 degrees in the basement right now. Would have thought it should be 80 at least.Wait, I thought when you referring to numbers, ie 1,2,3 you were referring to dots??? I have been trying to run at 2 dots or around the number 1???
Nope, freestanding stoves have actual numbers. When your stove is cold what "dot" do you hear the t-stat flapper close at also what "dot" does the stove go from flames to no flames on a hot stove? If you can't load it like the picture above you'll never get the max burn times out of the stove. With your stove at 300-400 degrees does the basement cool or does the temp hold steady?
I really think the biggest issue is you have a high heat load due to the basement install. My stove with a 400+ stove top will add heat to my nearly 2000 sq' house when it's in the low 20's. We had mid 20 temps all day with the winds blowing and I've ran the stove at 350* all day long and held the house steady in the low 70's. With a basement install you're probably never going to get the benefits of a low/long cat burn. If I ran a 600* stove top for any amount of time I would be run out of here.
If I was installing a stove in the basement and trying to heat the whole house I would have a big honkin' steel non cat stove. To me the benefit of a cat stove is the low burn, something that doesn't get used much in a typical basement install. If the basement is fully insulated and the only space you want to heat a cat stove may be a benefit.
Why can't you stack like Rdust's picture? That's how it is done. What's stopping you?
Your cat probe is not a clock and has no hour hands. Describe what you mean with more universal terms. Is the cat probe indicating 50% of the active range?
The firebox should not be flaming like that if you want a long burn. When you turn the stove down until those flames fo away, your cat would normally be glowing for the first hour at least.
30 feet is a tall chimney.
There are too many coals to stack like rdust. The probe is a circle. Imagine it like a clock and you will understand what I referenced.
What Highbeam is getting at is the Princess freestanding stove with a convection deck requires us to flip the probe upside down so our 6 o'clock is your 12 o'clock. It's been an adjustment I've always made it my head but Highbeam likes the ranges.
The Princess is 6 inches or so below the door even with a 3 inch coal bed you should still be able to load it up n/s pretty good.
[quote="rdust, post: 1310879, member:
If I was installing a stove in the basement and trying to heat the whole house I would have a big honkin' steel non cat stove. To me the benefit of a cat stove is the low burn, something that doesn't get used much in a typical basement install. If the basement is fully insulated and the only space you want to heat a cat stove may be a benefit.[/quote]
Ours is in the basement and it heats the whole house all winter and we just came out of 2 weeks of -45. As hot air rises it heats the upstairs very nicely. Blaze king ultra cat with fan. North Pole, Alaska. Long winters. It's the only way to go if you want serious long heat with minimal effort.
If I was installing a stove in the basement and trying to heat the whole house I would have a big honkin' steel non cat stove. To me the benefit of a cat stove is the low burn, something that doesn't get used much in a typical basement install. If the basement is fully insulated and the only space you want to heat a cat stove may be a benefit.[/quote]
Ours is in the basement and it heats the whole house all winter and we just came out of 2 weeks of -45. As hot air rises it heats the upstairs very nicely. Blaze king ultra cat with fan. North Pole, Alaska. Long winters. It's the only way to go if you want serious long heat with minimal effort.
Houses in Alaska don't count! The houses up there are usually insulated pretty well.
CLAYBE- I know what you're dealing with. Confirm that you're burning Pine, 'cause Aspen burns quite a bit different, at least up here.
Don't forget our R/H will affect heat transfer. Low humidity just takes longer to warm up, and keep warm. Last few days have been a trial, I hear ya.
Don't forget our R/H will affect heat transfer. Low humidity just takes longer to warm up, and keep warm. Last few days have been a trial, I hear ya.
By adding just a couple splits here and there your going to build up too many coals, as you've found out. Burn the coals down by piling them up and throwing a piece of pine on top, when you get the coals burned down then load the stove up like pictured above. With the insert we dont have as deep a box as the freestanders have, they have 6 inches, we have 3-4 ".
Once you get it going and the therm is in the active range close the bypass, without the blower on let the cat get to at least 3/4 oclock position, then turn it down to about the second dot, turn the blower on and it should cruise there for a long time and throw a lot of heat providing your fuel is good.
Once you get it going and the therm is in the active range close the bypass, without the blower on let the cat get to at least 3/4 oclock position, then turn it down to about the second dot, turn the blower on and it should cruise there for a long time and throw a lot of heat providing your fuel is good.
Mine acts the same way.
I think they all do..very lazy t-stat.
Sure wish it was more sensitive to temp change.
Well lets start with your wood..what do you have and how long has it been cut,split and stacked?
Also as someone mentioned are you sure the by-pass is locking shut..when new it takes some doing to lock it shut.
Is your house hard to heat with gas or oil..whatever you use.
Does the draft seem good?
If you open up the air(t-stat) will the fire rip pretty good?
With a insert you will need to use the fans probably.
looks to me his wood is too long to load n/s. mine is the same. i cut it to 16 inches before burning it. it sucks i have to do it but i dont have much left. plus i dont like sticking my hands in there to load e/w!
in the morning or twords the end of a 12 hour burn i still have a good bit of log chunks/coals. stove top is usally around 3-350* tstat at 1.5 at that time i turn up the tstat to 2.5 fire heats right back up, stove top goes to 500* for another hour or so. i wish the tstat would do this for us but oh well, at least i dont have to load up every 4-5 hours!
in the morning or twords the end of a 12 hour burn i still have a good bit of log chunks/coals. stove top is usally around 3-350* tstat at 1.5 at that time i turn up the tstat to 2.5 fire heats right back up, stove top goes to 500* for another hour or so. i wish the tstat would do this for us but oh well, at least i dont have to load up every 4-5 hours!
What Highbeam is getting at is the Princess freestanding stove with a convection deck requires us to flip the probe upside down so our 6 o'clock is your 12 o'clock. It's been an adjustment I've always made it my head but Highbeam likes the ranges.
The Princess is 6 inches or so below the door even with a 3 inch coal bed you should still be able to load it up n/s pretty good.
Oh, okay, that makes sense. I had seen a clock referenced before and thought they were the same. Thanks for explaining
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Comanche79p
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- Dec 12, 2012
- 96
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UPDATE: It is 3 and 1/2 hours later and this is how it looks. I have the tsat on the 4th dot and stove top is at 500 degrees and the basement is at 72 degrees and up stairs is at 67 degrees. I don't think this is going to work. I think I am going to have to move the stove upstairs as we don't spend much time in the basement. Now I have to run a liner and a cap upstairs. Uuuggghhhh.
How big is the basement space, space above the stove and is it fully insulated? Try burning a few loads through it keeping the basement temps up the best you can, if you can get everything warmed up you may have better luck with the next load. I know you're needing to burn pretty hot if you have flames after 3 1/2 hours mine is lights out after about a half hour when I dial it down. I may see a flicker of flames every now and than but not often.
Not counting the Alaska guys a basement install with a normal cat stove is a tough task. If you do move the stove upstairs I expect you'll be a lot happier. Most the time when someone is thinking about a basement install we try to persade the user to put the stove where they spend the most time. If it's the basement that's fine but results vary on how well it works to heat the rest of the house.
Not counting the Alaska guys a basement install with a normal cat stove is a tough task. If you do move the stove upstairs I expect you'll be a lot happier. Most the time when someone is thinking about a basement install we try to persade the user to put the stove where they spend the most time. If it's the basement that's fine but results vary on how well it works to heat the rest of the house.
Don't give up right away. Give it a good week running 24/7. If you are adding more het to the house than you are loosing to the environment, you should see a nice heating of the themal mass in the house, resulting in a higher ambient temperature, and then you may find it much easier to get the entire home a few degrees warmer.
That's a good load. If your stat is set at about 50% then you should be making some major heat. 500 stove top temps are pretty low, I easily bump into the mid 600s with a load like that and 50% throttle.
I still wonder about the strong draft from that super long chimney.
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