2014-2015 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)#2

[bobdog2o02]

So... are you guys getting over 16 hour burns in the coldest parts of the winter? I mean like 20 degrees and below. Just curious.

Not me, when it gets to 20F with wind I'm around 8 hrs. Again it depends on the house and setup. I'm in a 1950 ranch with no insulation. Wind kills my burn times.

 

[rdust]

So... are you guys getting over 16 hour burns in the coldest parts of the winter? I mean like 20 degrees and below. Just curious.

Please define the test criteria for a 16 hour "burn". Too many variables, how much can the house temp slip, how hot does the inside temp need to be, what does my STT need to be after the 16 hours or do I just need to have enough coals for a restart. Once you define the criteria I'll let you know if I can meet it.

If I don't run the fans I can get a 16 hour burn time, at 20*. I can probably live without the fans and burn 16 hours + keeping the house in the upper 60's. If you're talking single digits not a chance, need the fans running on low which will knock my burn time to the 12-13 hour mark with a 300* STT.

 

[Highbeam]

So... are you guys getting over 16 hour burns in the coldest parts of the winter? I mean like 20 degrees and below. Just curious.

Absolutely, burn times are determined by the operator, not the stove. The house temp will slowly drop though since the stove output at that low/medium setting is lower than heat loss from the house. Since that is unacceptable to our comfort, I usually drop to 12 hour reloads at outdoor temps that low.

But really, 12 hours still beats just about all other stoves even when they're on low.

 

[rdust]

Absolutely, burn times are determined by the operator, not the stove. The house temp will slowly drop though since the stove output at that low/medium setting is lower than heat loss from the house. Since that is unacceptable to our comfort, I usually drop to 12 hour reloads at outdoor temps that low.

But really, 12 hours still beats just about all other stoves even when they're on low.

He's just picking on us since he has that big stove(IS) with a 3.2 cubic foot firebox vs our little Princess stoves with a meager 2.85 cubic foot firebox.

 

[Quentin2]

So... are you guys getting over 16 hour burns in the coldest parts of the winter? I mean like 20 degrees and below. Just curious.

Found one of my old posts when I was chronicling my burn times. This one looks like it fits the bill.

Had the day off so was able to load stove during day. It was mid teens last night and low 20s today. Late last night I turned the stove up to almost 2 because I saw upstairs thermostat was trending down to 71. A perfect temp but I was guessing it was gonna slowly drop.

So I reloaded at 17 hours on a full bed of coals from the load in my previous pic. Downstairs is currently 76 upstairs is 72.

 

[Poindexter]

I'm starting to hate all of you BK owners. Ya'll have it so easy.

Not exactly. Two hurdles for me.

I split my first round and loaded it into the stove several months later when Gerald Ford was in the White House. I have had to put aside everything I 'know' about woodburning and start over since this is my first season with a catalytic equipped stove.

Second, purchase price.

Everything else, yup, I got it pretty easy, but I got the dry wood it really wants.

 

[ambull01]

Please define the test criteria for a 16 hour "burn". Too many variables, how much can the house temp slip, how hot does the inside temp need to be, what does my STT need to be after the 16 hours or do I just need to have enough coals for a restart. Once you define the criteria I'll let you know if I can meet it.
If I don't run the fans I can get a 16 hour burn time, at 20*. I can probably live without the fans and burn 16 hours + keeping the house in the upper 60's. If you're talking single digits not a chance, need the fans running on low which will knock my burn time to the 12-13 hour mark with a 300* STT.

What does STT mean? Also, how does running the fan decrease the burn time? I thought the fans just help move the heat outside of the firebox/stove so I didn't think it would affect the burn time.

Found one of my old posts when I was chronicling my burn times. This one looks like it fits the bill.
Had the day off so was able to load stove during day. It was mid teens last night and low 20s today. Late last night I turned the stove up to almost 2 because I saw upstairs thermostat was trending down to 71. A perfect temp but I was guessing it was gonna slowly drop.
So I reloaded at 17 hours on a full bed of coals from the load in my previous pic. Downstairs is currently 76 upstairs is 72.

Man you Alaskan guys are spoiled. 76 deg during the winter!

Not exactly. Two hurdles for me.
I split my first round and loaded it into the stove several months later when Gerald Ford was in the White House. I have had to put aside everything I 'know' about woodburning and start over since this is my first season with a catalytic equipped stove.
Second, purchase price.
Everything else, yup, I got it pretty easy, but I got the dry wood it really wants.

Gerald Ford, jeez that was a long time ago. Had to look up when he was the pres. Was it easy to pick up the cat stove techniques?

Yeah purchase price is kind of steep.

 

[tigger]

So, I got the call...............................................The call from the oil company........."hey are you buying oil from someone else?" They did a fill up of 30 gallons. She said they would skip me for the next two fill ups........Thanks BlazeKing!

 

[Highbeam]

Also, how does running the fan decrease the burn time? I thought the fans just help move the heat outside of the firebox/stove so I didn't think it would affect the burn time.

When you run the stove blowers the cold room air blowing across the hot stove is like when you blow on a spoonful of hot soup. You cool the stove and the cold room air takes that heat away. BK stoves have a thermostat that acts to maintain stove temp by increases the burn rate. So as you blow on the stove, burn rate automatically goes up to maintain the stove temp. This also means that the fans are really effective.

I don't like noise. I like a silent and steady heat source. The BK blowers work so dang good that we use the blowers to increase room temp quickly and then turn the blowers off at night or to just maintain room temp. You can really get a lot more heat with the BK blowers.

 

[Tenn Dave]

Absolutely, burn times are determined by the operator, not the stove. The house temp will slowly drop though since the stove output at that low/medium setting is lower than heat loss from the house. Since that is unacceptable to our comfort, I usually drop to 12 hour reloads at outdoor temps that low.

But really, 12 hours still beats just about all other stoves even when they're on low.

BURN TIMES

I define 'burn times' as the duration of time between reloads where the stove is maintaining an inside temp range of 76 to 72 degrees and there is still a good hot coal bed for relighting the next load. Variables such as sq. ft., insulation, window quality and quantity, and outside temps will have a huge effect on 'burn times'. In cases where stoves have similar efficiency ratings and load sizes, longer burn times simply mean less btu's per hour are given off as heat. Where BKs have an advantage over other stoves is in areas which have very long shoulder seasons or where the homes are extremely well insulated with lower heating needs. They have focused on smolder technology which allows long burn times where less heat is required. The down side at these low and slow burn rates is black glass (no fire view), and in some cases a slight smoke smell and more frequent cap cleanings due to potential clogging.. I live in an area of the county where winters are on the milder side and I have a well insulated home. Bk was high on my list, but ultimately I decided to go with a Progress Hybrid. Good looks and fire view capability at low and slow burns won out. I generally can get 16 hour burns during normal Tenn winters, but I opt for 12 hour burns because it fits better into my schedule. I only fill the stove to about 70% capacity (4 to 5 splits of good dry wood). I wish I had room for a second stove because I would love to try a BK Ashford. I think we are extremely lucky to have such good stove options to choose from.

 

[ambull01]

When you run the stove blowers the cold room air blowing across the hot stove is like when you blow on a spoonful of hot soup. You cool the stove and the cold room air takes that heat away. BK stoves have a thermostat that acts to maintain stove temp by increases the burn rate. So as you blow on the stove, burn rate automatically goes up to maintain the stove temp. This also means that the fans are really effective.

I don't like noise. I like a silent and steady heat source. The BK blowers work so dang good that we use the blowers to increase room temp quickly and then turn the blowers off at night or to just maintain room temp. You can really get a lot more heat with the BK blowers.

I see. That's really interesting. I guess that's why the price is kinda up there, it's a fancy pants stove.

 

[Calentarse]

Well it may be a western eastern shore thing then lol. Nice, you're real close to OC then. I'm in Centreville. I absolutely LOVE the ES so far.

Yeah I think we've only had a few days of single digits here with the wind chill. Not that bad at all. If I can just figure out how to keep the skeeters and ticks off of me during the summer/fall I'll be in heaven.

I know I'm a guy and I have a USMC avatar but my mother in-law made us a little basket worth of firestarters which I can only describe as cute. They were made with cup cake paper things, a slim candle inside the cup cake wrap, and a pine cone attached to the candle. There were probably 20-30 of them in the basket. Wife's grandparents gave us 2 boxes of Fatwood and 4 boxes of those triangle shaped starters. We've already gone through all the fatwood and triangle thingies since getting them in December.




I'm starting to hate all of you BK owners. Ya'll have it so easy.

You being Centreville will have much colder temps and consequently, more snow than I. Wife did her undergrad at Washington College so I know how much colder it can be up there. Take that in consideration in buying a stove. My Ashford operates low and slow and that's just what I needed. Haven't needed a fan kit...and most winters I don't feel I will.

You are right, the BKs are so easy. I had all these kindling piles stored up and I just threw them in the stove all at once and burnt them up. No need when you have a Blaze King!

 

[rdust]

What does STT mean? Also, how does running the fan decrease the burn time? I thought the fans just help move the heat outside of the firebox/stove so I didn't think it would affect the burn time.

STT=Stove Top Temp
Highbeam explained the fans vs. no fans perfectly.

 

[ambull01]

You being Centreville will have much colder temps and consequently, more snow than I. Wife did her undergrad at Washington College so I know how much colder it can be up there. Take that in consideration in buying a stove. My Ashford operates low and slow and that's just what I needed. Haven't needed a fan kit...and most winters I don't feel I will.

You are right, the BKs are so easy. I had all these kindling piles stored up and I just threw them in the stove all at once and burnt them up. No need when you have a Blaze King!

I hope not much more snow. One complaint I have is they really suck with clearing streets here. Get a few inches of white stuff and it will stay on the streets for a long time. They were much better at clearing the roads in Annapolis area.

I love that college campus. Passed it a few times going through Chestertown. I'm hoping my kids go to a college like that. Read this fantastic article about Ivy League schools and how you shouldn't go there. Of course they are great schools but the author brought up some great points.

 

[Poindexter]

Gerald Ford, jeez that was a long time ago. Had to look up when he was the pres.

I was in elementary school at the time, my dad was all about learning how to do stuff.

Was it easy to pick up the cat stove techniques?

Honestly the hardest part is leaving the darn loading door shut so the stove can do what it's designed to do.

You need one match and a bit of kindling for the first fire at the beginning of the season.

You need really dry wood. My local BK dealer has been beating the "16% per electronic gizmo" drum for as long as I can remember. I got some wood at 16%, and some at 12%. The BK manual for the Ashford 30 specifies 13% MC, the moisture meters that say BK on them are electronic gizmos with two pins sticking out one end. I ran a load at 20% just to see, I am burning my 16% stuff this year because it is good enough, and I am splitting next year's wood smaller than I did last year, I wanna see 12% or less in every piece I sample going into the shed this fall. It makes a difference- my install - my insulation envelope - etc.

NB: When I find a split in the shed that feels heavy for size, ie probably over 16% MC, those I am putting back out in the sun on the racks for another year.

Yeah purchase price is kind of steep.

I am not the only contributor to this thread who feels like I got my money's worth. If space aliens tractor beam my BK into the mother ship tonight I will go buy a new Ashford 30 tomorrow AM and try to get it installed before the oil furnace kicks on.

 

[JA600L]

Thanks for all the responses. Honestly, it sounds like in very cold weather the Blaze King and Ideal Steel can probably hang with each other. I am getting 11-14 hours of good heat below 20 degrees. 16 hours at most with oak chunks. I'm sure that as the temps go up in a few months the Blaze King will pull ahead again.

At one point I considered Blaze King and I think they are great stoves. I made a decision and went with the IS. Sometimes I start to wonder all the what ifs..... . However, I'm content with my choice! Carry on!

 

[alforit]

Thanks for all the responses. Honestly, it sounds like in very cold weather the Blaze King and Ideal Steel can probably hang with each other. I am getting 11-14 hours of good heat below 20 degrees. 16 hours at most with oak chunks. I'm sure that as the temps go up in a few months the Blaze King will pull ahead again.

At one point I considered Blaze King and I think they are great stoves. I made a decision and went with the IS. Sometimes I start to wonder all the what ifs..... . However, I'm content with my choice! Carry on!

You made a good choice...........Hell, its cat stove that can burn well on low.

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks for all the responses. Honestly, it sounds like in very cold weather the Blaze King and Ideal Steel can probably hang with each other. I am getting 11-14 hours of good heat below 20 degrees. 16 hours at most with oak chunks. I'm sure that as the temps go up in a few months the Blaze King will pull ahead again.

At one point I considered Blaze King and I think they are great stoves. I made a decision and went with the IS. Sometimes I start to wonder all the what ifs..... . However, I'm content with my choice! Carry on!

Yes but our bks aren't warping parts. How about your is?

You're right that at high outputs the Woodstock hybrids are at their best.

 

[BrotherBart]

Boom!

 

[Tenn Dave]

Quote="Highbeam, post: 1891337, member: 1382"]Yes but our bks aren't warping parts. How about your is?


they are just leaking smoke and clogging caps...............(sorry BK friends - the devil made me say that)

 

[rdust]

Yes but our bks aren't warping parts. How about your is?

You're right that at high outputs the Woodstock hybrids are at their best.

they are just leaking smoke...............oh well

Common guys can't we all just get along!?


No reason to come into a BK thread and screw it up. It'll be locked if people keep up the mine is better than yours. Tenn Dave it's funny you mention the leaking smoke since yours did that for a while too if I recall correctly. Silly stuff I tell ya!

 

[Tenn Dave]

Common guys can't we all just get along!?


No reason to come into a BK thread and screw it up. It'll be locked if people keep up the mine is better than yours. Tenn Dave it's funny you mention the leaking smoke since yours did that for a while too if I recall correctly. Silly stuff I tell ya!

Mine did leak smoke initially and I posted about it here. And I don't take cheap shots at BKs (I respect them). Read my posts.

 

[rdust]

So... are you guys getting over 16 hour burns in the coldest parts of the winter? I mean like 20 degrees and below. Just curious.

Here is my burn from this morning, I wasn't shooting to test the 16 hour burn thing but fell asleep with the kids tonight after reading books. Didn't let it go 16 hours but would have made the 16 hour mark if I waited.

Loaded about 8am with oak, ash and soft maple.


STT tonight at 10:48pm, coals left in the stove at that point, with and without the flash.






Stove room temp and outdoor temp at 10:53pm


11:20pm after burning the coals down for a bit. STT and front of the stove.

 

[rdust]

Loaded up for tonight, expecting minus single digits for tonight.

 

[Jeepman401]

When you run the stove blowers the cold room air blowing across the hot stove is like when you blow on a spoonful of hot soup. You cool the stove and the cold room air takes that heat away. BK stoves have a thermostat that acts to maintain stove temp by increases the burn rate. So as you blow on the stove, burn rate automatically goes up to maintain the stove temp. This also means that the fans are really effective.

I don't like noise. I like a silent and steady heat source. The BK blowers work so dang good that we use the blowers to increase room temp quickly and then turn the blowers off at night or to just maintain room temp. You can really get a lot more heat with the BK blowers.

My BK came with a fan kit as a promo so I installed them myself, very easy. But looking at them and running the stove with and without there is a loss of burn time. But would that loss mainly come from the colder air off directly of the fans hitting the back of the firebox (cooling the back steel) and also cooling the combustion air? (the route up goes across the 2 channels)
What I wonder is has anyone tried a set-up to suck or blow air across the top of the stove for heating? If you blow air only across the top, instead of across the back of the stove and up to the top like factory, would you have a drop in burn time as much as factory?

I think of my stove as a furnace, its downstairs right next to the furnace so who care what it looks like, it just has to work. The BK is light years ahead of my old stove and it works very well. But I had my old stove hooked up to blow air into the furnace duct via a small squirrle cage fan and steel flex duct. I also added a coil made of pipe and fittings to the firebox and heated my water that way during the winter. I ran that stove heating my water and all rooms evenly for 5-8 years. I can't see why we have a stove that burns 12-34 hours at a time but we can't heat water. Seems silly to me.