2013-2014 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

[rdust]

All....

Both the dealer and myself are keenly involved. The thermostats vary greatly between models. Some models have holes an others do not. They all have different springs.

As I write this from 30k' on my way to the East my luggage has a spare thermostat.

However, Zanny at my direction, flipped over his thermostat and reported back the stove burned super hot.

It is my opinion that a few of you realize that optimal draft is necessary in order to take advantage of the lower burn rates.

The more draft that is present in a particular install, the stove will burn hotter. That facilitates the ability to then run on lowering burn rates. And yes too much draft is also possible.

Also, the indexes on the thermostat labels are for a particular reference to a particular install. Not all 1.5 or 2's are equal.

There are far too many variables involved in combustion to create a one scenario fits all.

Zanny does not have a fuel issue. His combustor is fine as well. I am 90% certain his thermostat is also fine, but acknowledge there is a possibility it's not working correctly. However he has control over combustion air otherwise he would not be able to stall the stove.

Zanny has been very patient, great to work with and most willing to try various experiments. I will be very interested is getting some updates when the chimney is extended.

Thank you all for trying to help.

Chris

Good post Chris! It's nice to see this getting the attention it needs.

We want to see everyone as happy with their BK stoves as most of us are with ours. I can't see another stove knocking my Princess off the hearth unless it was another BK stove.

 

[webby3650]

Good post Chris! It's nice to see this getting the attention it needs.

We want to see everyone as happy with their BK stoves as most of us are with ours. I can't see another stove knocking my Princess off the hearth unless it was another BK stove.

Like I had said previously. It just makes no since to me. I could see one scenario or the other, no heat but long burns, or tons of heat and poor burn times, but not both. How can it possibly be getting a 3 hour burn and still make no heat? It's not adding up. Even if I left it on high, I would expect 8-10 hour burns, but I've never had to do it, 2-2.75 is max for me. With a full load of good wood, left on high would about melt mine into a puddle I'm afraid! But, even that would take more than 3 hours.

 

[HotCoals]

I still think he has the air con on..lol.

 

[alforit]

This is good to hear

Glad BK is on it for you.

I can set my Ashford on 1.5 and stay active just fine.....even lower than that......And my draft ain't perfect.

I'm with Webby on this one. Somethin's not right....Its not making sense.

 

[HotCoals]

Almost sounds like the by pass is messed up.

 

[webby3650]

My cat does seem to go inactive on low settings more often than my King did. I think this has to do with the steel cat, is like to try it with a cerimac cat just to see.
That being said, I simply turn the air up to bring everything back up to temp, no sweat. I like to do that every morning anyway for a little while.

 

[alforit]

My cat does seem to go inactive on low settings more often than my King did. I think this has to do with the steel cat, is like to try it with a cerimac cat just to see.
That being said, I simply turn the air up to bring everything back up to temp, no sweat. I like to do that every morning anyway for a little while.

Curiosity got the best of me and I ordered a ceramic cat a week ago

 

[alforit]

My cat does seem to go inactive on low settings more often than my King did. I think this has to do with the steel cat, is like to try it with a cerimac cat just to see.
That being said, I simply turn the air up to bring everything back up to temp, no sweat. I like to do that every morning anyway for a little while.

When I had my Bk Chinook 30 , I would wake up in the morning several times and the cat was inactive........I had a 12 foot chimney ........I was new and stupid to the BK thing and didn't know what I was doing......I Added a four foot section to my chimney and it changed the whole thing............Now my new Ashford works like a different stove than the Chinook did.

No more inactive cat.....until the very end of course.........Not to mention longer hotter burns .

 

[webby3650]

When I had my Bk Chinook 30 , I would wake up in the morning several times and the cat was inactive........I had a 12 foot chimney ........I was new and stupid to the BK thing and didn't know what I was doing......I Added a four foot section to my chimney and it changed the whole thing............Now my new Ashford works like a different stove than the Chinook did.

No more inactive cat.....until the very end of course.........Not to mention longer hotter burns .

12' total? Including connector pipe?

 

[alforit]

12' total? Including connector pipe?

Yep

 

[weatherguy]

I have to set mine at the 3rd dot to avoid a cat stall, it used to be around 2 when new but it's been 3 for a few years now. I hope Zanimal gets his running properly, I've maintained all along it might be his draft, I guess we'll find out.
Let us know Z.

 

[rdust]

I have to set mine at the 3rd dot to avoid a cat stall, it used to be around 2 when new but it's been 3 for a few years now. I hope Zanimal gets his running properly, I've maintained all along it might be his draft, I guess we'll find out.
Let us know Z.

The draft has been my first guess all along as well. We shall see!

 

[Highbeam]

The draft has been my first guess all along as well. We shall see!

But why? What about his draft? You only need 12 feet to meet spec on this stove. He burned some sort of smoke dragon on this flue and I wonder if the cap is clogged up.

 

[rdust]

But why? What about his draft? You only need 12 feet to meet spec on this stove. He burned some sort of smoke dragon on this flue and I wonder if the cap is clogged up.

Why not? If he can't dial it down and pull enough air through the stove to keep the cat active the first place I'm going to look is the draft. We know the spec on the chimney, draft can also be affected by the surrounding environment. We don't know if the house is in a low spot, has surrounding tree's affecting draft the list goes on and on. IIRC his chimney is 15' with 2 45's that puts him close to the bare minimum in a perfect test land world.

I said I suspect the draft, never said it couldn't be a draft issue caused by a plugged cap, just sayin'. I sure hope the installer would've swept the chimney and checked the cap before hooking up the new stove. A plugged cap also usually leads to smoke spillage from what I've read around here.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Where do folks buy BK parts ? I need gaskets (front door, bypass door, cat). I'd like to mail-order, as the dealer in my area is pretty much a no-show.

 

[jeff_t]

Where do folks buy BK parts ? I need gaskets (front door, bypass door, cat). I'd like to mail-order, as the dealer in my area is pretty much a no-show.

Yeah, that's a tough one. The cat gasket is pretty easy to find from fire cat. The door and bypass gaskets are a high density rope, and hard to find except from a BK dealer. Somebody came up with a source a few months ago, but I don't remember.

 

[weatherguy]

Where do folks buy BK parts ? I need gaskets (front door, bypass door, cat). I'd like to mail-order, as the dealer in my area is pretty much a no-show.

rusty, give me some time and ill send you the link, on my phone now

 

[Zanimal]

My thermostat flapper closes right at #1 on a cold stove which is also about one o'clock.
My maximum thermostat setting is #3 which is at five o'clock, not pointing directly at the floor.


I get that the draft may be responsible for low heat output. But I still do not understand how adding chimney height gets me longer burn times.

 

[weatherguy]

Where do folks buy BK parts ? I need gaskets (front door, bypass door, cat). I'd like to mail-order, as the dealer in my area is pretty much a no-show.

Try this Rusty

(broken link removed to http://www.hechlers.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=31_9&zenid=2aa1d4741b225b07ddb82c17fa8bd192)

 

[weatherguy]

My thermostat flapper closes right at #1 on a cold stove which is also about one o'clock.
My maximum thermostat setting is #3 which is at five o'clock, not pointing directly at the floor.


I get that the draft may be responsible for low heat output. But I still do not understand how adding chimney height gets me longer burn times.

It won't stall on you, the draft is the engine, a weak engine will stall, you need the power then you can find your sweet spot setting and let it idle.

 

[jeff_t]

Try this Rusty

(broken link removed to http://www.hechlers.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=31_9&zenid=2aa1d4741b225b07ddb82c17fa8bd192)

Nice. Local dealers here kinda suck, too, and have no idea what high density rope is. Nearest decent BK dealer is 1.5+ hours away.

 

[rdust]

Try this Rusty

(broken link removed to http://www.hechlers.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=31_9&zenid=2aa1d4741b225b07ddb82c17fa8bd192)

I've used them before, no problems with my order.

 

[weatherguy]

I've used them before, no problems with my order.

Have you tried these guys? I have them book marked but never ordered from them

(broken link removed)

 

[RustyShackleford]

Nice. Local dealers here kinda suck, too, and have no idea what high density rope is. Nearest decent BK dealer is 1.5+ hours away.

What I meant is that even in the local so-called BK dealer sucks. It's about 30 miles away and when I tried to look at one, I had to make an app
and meet them in some warehouse (they didn't even have one in their store). Fortunately, when I purchased a certain west-coast dealer was still shipping stoves, which also allowed me to skip the $1000 east-of-the Mississippi penalty. Anyhow, I don't even want to attempt to get the parts from them.

I hate to be harshin', but it seems like a LOT of "dealers" these days just want to collect the mark-up, but not really do any support.

Anyways, thanks for the mail-order suggestions !

 

[drastic]

Hi all. Id like to ask you as BK owners a question, maybe two. I have been thinking about the princess ultra I live near Tracy, CA so it mild here. my house is just over 2100sqft I have a thread started about the specs. of my house in another area. Would i be crazy to install this stove? Any thoughts from owners would be great -pms or posting in the other thread i started (so my dumb questions do not over take this thread) would be welcome thank you in advance to those owners willing to share their input and expirences with me. Oh i guess I should point out that this would be my first wood stove