2013-2014 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

[Highbeam]

I have to pull the pipe to sweep my chimney so it's a none issue for me. For those that don't want to pull the pipe I think you can probably make a thin sheet metal deflector of sorts that you can fit up the bypass opening to direct the soot in front of the bypass plate so the soot can't fall behind it and get in front of the cat. It may take a two piece design but I'd think something can be fabricated.

Stuff a rag up there in the right spot too. The flue is quite rearward on the princess.

 

[BKInsert]

So did you find a troublesome accumulation of sweepings up behind the cat that could not be cleaned from the firebox? I'm confused, you say that there is definitely firebox access but then you say that the only way to clean ashes is to remove a cat or pipe.

What i was trying to say is that It is possible to clean the stove without removing the pipe, but you need to remove the cat in order to get and clean the cavity area behind the cat. When i removed the pipe and cleaned mine there was some ashes behind the cat, but I did not push the brush prior to removing the pipe and placing the bag., so I really don't know for sure how much ashes would have wind up in there.

 

[jeff_t]

I found that pic. This is only part of what ends up behind my cat when sweeping into the stove. I had already vacuumed up a good bit of it before I thought to take a picture.

 

[wireedm]

I want to thank everyone for the time they take to give input, answer questions, and give valuable advice and instruction.

I built a homemade insert years ago to get a little heat from our fireplace while being able to easily see the fire burn. After a few years of 4-5 hour burns using red oak I am getting tired of losing the sticks so quickly! During the past month I've been trying to inform myself on what the best replacement insert would be for us and after coming back to hearth.com it was easy to find the information I need.

I'm happy to say that this past Saturday (Thanksgiving week) I ordered a new BK Princess insert. I am having the chimney cleaned this week before I install the new liner and insert.

Now to patiently wait.... lol

Thanks again to everyone for helping make this decision so much easier and knowing without a doubt that I've made a wise one with the BK.

 

[jeff_t]

Welcome to the fold, Brother.

DIY install? Keep us posted. I'm sure you already know about the pics.

 

[wireedm]

Welcome to the fold, Brother.

DIY install? Keep us posted. I'm sure you already know about the pics.

Yes, DIY. I'll make sure to take a few pics along the way. My homebuilt unit weighs about 500lbs....I dread that part. lol

 

[johnstra]

it's been cold this week. This has been my first occasion to work the stove and I'm extremely pleased. It's currently -1F. Last night's low was -8F, the high today was 4F. I loaded full with oak last night and I'm about to reload after 18 hours. Stove top is 325 (with the fans on low) and there's still a very hot bed of coals. I would stretch it another hour or two but we're going out tonight and I need to have the fire settled in before we leave.

 

[hack]

Thinking about placing a double wall T inline just above my stove to aid in cleaning out the soot after sweeping. Do you guys see any issue with this? It would still be a strait vertical flue and I would be able to just pull the cap off the back of the tee and stick a vacuum down in there and clean behind the cat. Thoughts? Not worried about it looking great as this is a basment install.

 

[Highbeam]

Thinking about placing a double wall T inline just above my stove to aid in cleaning out the soot after sweeping. Do you guys see any issue with this? It would still be a strait vertical flue and I would be able to just pull the cap off the back of the tee and stick a vacuum down in there and clean behind the cat. Thoughts? Not worried about it looking great as this is a basment install.

Interesting thought. Not sure you would be able to get a vacuum tube to make the required snake into the proper areas. Perhaps you would have to reach in there with your whole arm and the tube in hand. Also, you could insert a plug so that the sweepings never fall into the stove.

 

[rdust]

Also, you could insert a plug so that the sweepings never fall into the stove.

That solution would get my vote....

 

[tjcole50]

Figure this would be a good spot to ask. Can the bk king be used as an insert or is the princess really the largest insert?

 

[Highbeam]

Figure this would be a good spot to ask. Can the bk king be used as an insert or is the princess really the largest insert?

You'd have to have a HUGE fireplace to swallow a king.

 

[BKVP]

No. The thermostat is located on the rear of the King and Princess stove. Additionally, so are the by pass handles.

On the Princess insert all the controls are located up front.

Our original design of the insert had the thermostat in the rear but reflective heat messed with the bi metallic thermostat.

For now, the Princess is our largest insert.

Thank you
Chris

 

[tjcole50]

Figured if I can fit a buck 91 with plenty of room I could handle the king could be wrong. Anyone know if blaze king has plans for a larger insert?

 

[rdust]

Figured if I can fit a buck 91 with plenty of room I could handle the king could be wrong. Anyone know if blaze king has plans for a larger insert?

The man who posted above you is the one to ask, Chris is the BK VP. He said "for now" the Princess is the largest insert which leads me to believe something bigger is in the future. Who knows if it's 2 year or 10 years though.

 

[tjcole50]

The man who posted above you is the one to ask, Chris is the BK VP. He said "for now" the Princess is the largest insert which leads me to believe something bigger is in the future. Who knows if it's 2 year or 10 years though.

From all the posotive things I have heard/read about blaze king and I will hold off on my upgrade if u guys come out with something like buck91 insert size wise

 

[TX-L]

Last night I observed a brilliant glowing ceramic grid with nary a flame in the firebox, coupled with a stovetop temperature of 650. Stat set at just over 2. Indeed, it was a beautiful thing.

 

[HotCoals]

Still doing 24 hour burns even with temps in the mid 20's or less.
A few nights I have thrown 3 or 4 small splits on at around 6pm to boost temps before the night load around 10.
I might get by with just 8 face cords this season. Granted I'm not keeping the house 75 or more. But the coolest it has been down to is like 67.

 

[HotCoals]

Almost forgot!

I been doing something diff when i get to the coal stage and wondered if any of you folks would try it to confirm my results?

I move the coals to the back half of the stove vs the front and turn the air up to maybe 2.5. I get way higher stove top temps at the back half of the stove top now and the front half of the stove top seems about the same as moving the coals to the front.
Maybe it's just me but I feel I'm getting way more heat during the coal stage doing this.

 

[hack]

Finally got the King installed!

Pics can be seen here: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/bk-king-install.119488/#post-1599659

As far as the stove, it is a huge improvement over the Princess for my heating needs. I am easily getting 12 hr burns at higher burn settings with lodge pole pine. I like the new door latch design as well.

I am burning the stove on roughly 23' of 6" chimney. As far as I can figure the smaller chimney will reduce my max output and cause spillage during reloading. I have way more max heat than I need but I did get quite a bit of spillage during reload at first. My first solution was to make a steel plate with an insulated handle that would hang on the top of the door lip and cover about 1/3 of the door opening. When finished loading the left side I would slide the cover to the left and finish loading the right. This worked and stopped the spillage. Not wanting to have my wife deal with this I ordered the Tjerlund auto draft and it has solved all of my loading woes. I only turn it on with the door open. We'll see if this holds true during shoulder season. With the door shut, I see no negative symptoms with the smaller chimney, only big improvements over my Princess.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Pull your cat probe out and make sure it is properly calibrated. At room temp, the needle should be at the bottom of the active zone.

A typo I think - you mean it should be at the bottom of the INACTIVE zone, right ?

 

[RustyShackleford]

What i was trying to say is that It is possible to clean the stove without removing the pipe, but you need to remove the cat in order to get and clean the cavity area behind the cat.

That seems kinda crazy. Seems like a lot more trouble to remove the cat than to remove the pipe - given that (so I've read) you almost certainly have to replace the cat gasket if you remove it. Maybe the trade-off of effort would be different if you weren't running single-wall pipe like me (my stove draws fine with single-wall, the double-wall rec is just to reduce smoke-spillage complaints, it's worth trying single-wall first, but that's a whole 'nother discussion)...

 

[BrowningBAR]

You'd have to have a HUGE fireplace to swallow a king.

I have one of those. It will hold the king with room to spare!

 

[jeff_t]

A typo I think - you mean it should be at the bottom of the INACTIVE zone, right ?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Since it's ok to gloat about our BKs in this thread, I made up a joke ...

Q: How do you get a BlazeKing to hold a fire for 10 hours ?

A: Only load it half full.