2012-2013 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

[Todd]

We're just getting through a cold snap complete with weather inversions and thick fog, burn bans, low 20s every day which for WA is pretty dang cold. I had to run the princess as hard as I ever have and really have to recommend the fans. Those fans strip heat off of the stove very fast and allow a rapid heat up of the room. Very impressive and worth the noise.

I also got to run a load above 2. Still at the top endge of the "normal range" so about 2.25 and the stove was flaming for nearly the whole load. I don't think that these cat stoves are really good at burning clean and hot, seems lots of pollutants make it past the cat at high burn rates. I thought it was steam but the smoke travelled quite a ways.

Do your BKs pollute when burned at high settings? Is that a normal cat thing? As the load burned down, the smoke cleared up.

Yep, I see smoke at 2 and above but rarely have to burn that high. My Woodstock will throw smoke at higher settings as well.

 

[greythorn3]

oh the blazeking.

 

[rdust]

I expect to see zero or lower tonight, I'm gonna have to work to burn this load by 7am, loaded just after 9pm. I got a little carried away when I was loading it.

 

[Badger]

Currently -8F heading for -22F. Loaded the princess up good with Tamarac at 9, but not that tightly packed. Darn Tamarac is so twisted that I can only get the firebox 80% full at best. Hopefully it keeps the house over 70 and is fully burned before 8 tomorrow morning.

 

[weatherguy]

Currently -8F heading for -22F. Loaded the princess up good with Tamarac at 9, but not that tightly packed. Darn Tamarac is so twisted that I can only get the firebox 80% full at best. Hopefully it keeps the house over 70 and is fully burned before 8 tomorrow morning.

Thats why I save my nice straight splits of white oak and locust for these cold snaps, I can really load the box up and burn it hot and long. I have a separate small wood rack in the basement I keep these primo splits on.

 

[rdust]

Yeah, I knew I got a little out of control loading the stove last night. I think I could've left a stick or two out. These stoves are bad to the bone.

 

[jeff_t]

This morning, I had a big empty spot in the middle, with a few coals in the back and splits still on both sides, still about 550 on top. I thought I was going to be leaving the house after the kids got on the bus, so I turned the air down and opened the bypass for a while to cool it off a little bit. I then leveled out the coals in the back and filled up the middle with splits, not touching the stuff on the sides. Now, I'll be home for another couple of hours. I could have burned it down and got a load in there to last until midnight, when I go to work.

Was -3 here.

 

[rdust]

14 hours out of this mornings load,(stove top still almost 400) which isn't bad since the coal bed was so large when I loaded. The high today was 9 according to weather.com. 78 in the stove room when I killed the blower to reload, by the time I turned it back on it was 75. Inside temps sure drop fast when it's zero outside and your house was built in the 80's. Not bad at all from a stove less than 3 ft3.

Second year with this stove and the performance still impresses me. Last year it didn't get tested much, this year hasn't been brutal but pretty close to average. I think I'll keep the little lady around for a while longer.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

I'm no gonna lie...I've been running the blower from time to time,it's so cold!

The last few days have been "Black Locust" fuel only in the King

I even burned both stoves last night. BK on 1.5

It was 83* in here...

 

[rdust]

I'm no gonna lie...I've been running the blower from time to time,it's so cold!

The last few days have been "Black Locust" fuel only in the King

I even burned both stoves last night. BK on 1.5

It was 83* in here...

Below 30 and my blower is usually on low.

 

[jeff_t]

I'm no gonna lie...I've been running the blower from time to time,it's so cold!

The last few days have been "Black Locust" fuel only in the King

I even burned both stoves last night. BK on 1.5

It was 83* in here...

I still have my wood furnace in the basement, disconnected from the ductwork. I've been burning it the last few days too. I can maintain temp with the BK, it just feels so much better with the basement warm, and I've been burning up some junk and long splits.

 

[Highbeam]

That blower kicks ass. Totally worth the cost over just a plain heatshield back there. Not too loud, and actually blows enough air to matter.

 

[Hiram Maxim]

The blowers kick major ass!

I really don't use them often...

Jeff T., I would imagine a wood furnace is a nice thing to have.

I turned on my Natural gas furnace today to warm the basement and crawl space a little.

My buddy was saying it was -6* this morning in Clarkston...brrrrr

 

[claybe]

For princess insert owners: do you use a kettle for humidity??? If so what kind and how do you fit it on the stove top??? Pictures would be nice

 

[Rich L]

Do any of you Princess owners run your stoves with single wall pipe instead of the recommended double wall pipe ?If so how well or not does the stove operate ?

 

[rdust]

Do any of you Princess owners run your stoves with single wall pipe instead of the recommended double wall pipe ?If so how well or not does the stove operate ?

There are a few, I think if it's a short run you'll probably be ok without the double wall. This time of year when it's burning hot I doubt it matters but for the shoulder season when these things are dialed down the flue temps are low so double wall might help keep the flue temp up a little at those time.

 

[Rich L]

There are a few, I think if it's a short run you'll probably be ok without the double wall. This time of year when it's burning hot I doubt it matters but for the shoulder season when these things are dialed down the flue temps are low so double wall might help keep the flue temp up a little at those time.

Ya i'm considering picking one up at a discount price.Once I make the purchase that's it for cash and I won't be able to afford the double wall pipe until the off season.I just need the stove to operate well enough during these cold spells with the single wall pipe until I can do better.

 

[rdust]

Ya i'm considering picking one up at a discount price.Once I make the purchase that's it for cash and I won't be able to afford the double wall pipe until the off season.I just need the stove to operate well enough during these cold spells with the single wall pipe until I can do better.

I know Hotcoals runs his with single wall and has never reported any issues because of it. When I bought mine it was a discounted price(floor model, never burned). I sold my Endeavor and bought the BK with only 200 coming out of my pocket, it was a no brainer for me.

 

[weatherguy]

Do any of you Princess owners run your stoves with single wall pipe instead of the recommended double wall pipe ?If so how well or not does the stove operate ?

I dont but one poster does, dont remember who, he said he took the grill of the top and it gave him more room, I was going to do it this year and it slipped my mind when I did my yearly cleaning and didnt feel like taking the sides off again, Ill probably do it this year if I dont forget.

 

[Highbeam]

Once I make the purchase that's it for cash and I won't be able to afford the double wall pipe until the off season.I just need the stove to operate well enough during these cold spells with the single wall pipe until I can do better.

The stove will be functional with single wall. Double wall is only recommended. Expect to get more smoke spillage when you open the door during a cool burn and also a little longer warm up time. If the rest of your flue is better than the minimum, it can make up for and overcome single wall down low.

 

[Rich L]

I dont but one poster does, dont remember who, he said he took the grill of the top and it gave him more room, I was going to do it this year and it slipped my mind when I did my yearly cleaning and didnt feel like taking the sides off again, Ill probably do it this year if I dont forget.

What is the grill ?What do you mean more room and taking the sides off?

 

[Rich L]

The stove will be functional with single wall. Double wall is only recommended. Expect to get more smoke spillage when you open the door during a cool burn and also a little longer warm up time. If the rest of your flue is better than the minimum, it can make up for and overcome single wall down low.

The Princess I'm looking at is the pedestal model.A floor model.Do you know if the Pedestal drafts better than the model with legs ?

 

[jeff_t]

What is the grill ?What do you mean more room and taking the sides off?

He's talking about the insert version with surround.

The Princess I'm looking at is the pedestal model.A floor model.Do you know if the Pedestal drafts better than the model with legs ?

Won't make any difference.

 

[weatherguy]

What is the grill ?What do you mean more room and taking the sides off?

Sorry, thought you meant the insert, nevermind.

 

[rdust]

Rich, if you don't mind me asking what is your reasoning for wanting to move away from the Liberty?