2014-2015 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[Hiram Maxim]

What was your issue Hiram?

It ended up be the CAT.

 

[jeff_t]

Is there an advantage to loading the stove so much? It doesn't need that many to make a good strong fire. Which way is likely to be most efficient? I'd like to get these things to last as long as possible.

Absolutely none, just goofing around. Do what you need to stay warm. Should prolly build up to it, but your stove should have no trouble keeping a sizeable load of bricks in control.

 

[Poindexter]

parallax, there was an article in my local paper in the last couple weeks where the mfr of my local bio-logs was quoted as saying mixing part bio-logs with part wet/moist wood can reduce emissions "up to 70%", and mixing bio-logs with dry wood can reduce emissions "up to 40%".

I dunno. A bunch of meetings this week going on between the state DEC and the borough (like a county) air quality committee. I am reliably informed BKVP is in town to go to all these meetings too. If the borough and the state don't come up with an acceptable plan to improve our local air quality by Dec 31 the federal level EPA is going to tell us what the new plan is.

Try filling your stove with 22% fir with two bio-logs worth at the bottom of the firebox, check your stack, maybe try it with 1 or 3 biologs and see what it takes. I got a ton of them free this winter and can't see at the stack that my Ashford is burning any cleaner with them, but my wood pretty much meters 12-16% MC. If you can make it work and get some more bio-logs you can get cracking on drying next winter's wood.

 

[tarzan]

Loaded the Princess 25 hours ago as I type this with a mix of Locust and Beech. Cat probe thermometer setting at 10 o'clock and it looks like there's an easy three hours left in it.

Outside temps hit 55*F today so fans off, windows open and 83*F in the stove room. Yell, I should have paid more attention to the forecast before loading it last night. Still forgeting what this thing is capable of in shoulder season weather!

BTW, I wish I would have tried Beech years ago. I doubt there's much locally grown wood I haven't thrown through a stove door at one time or another. That smooth, greenish gray, slick bark just makes it look soft and juicy I suppose. Guess you can't judge a book by its cover.

 

[Rossco]

No let up today. Back to -23C and its frikin freeeezing. Went to -32C last night.

Trying to maintain 21C in here. Just about to do a re-load in 15-20mins.

On the plus side I knocked the ice sickles off of the chimney cap.

 

[Parallax]

I've got icicles on my chimney too. Was really surprised since there's been no rain recently. Is this moisture from the wood?

 

[Rossco]

I've got icicles on my chimney too. Was really surprised since there's been no rain recently. Is this moisture from the wood?

Iam not sure if its from the wood. It MC'ed good to go the last split I checked.

We had an 'Extreme weather' warning issued two days ago, I think the snow was blasted into the chimney. It was so voracious the snow has been driven into my wood pile.

Around 30" fell over night with 50-70mph gusts. Temps around -28C with a -37C wind chill. Last night it was -32C air temps.

Lovely.

EDIT: I have a steady stream of condensate coming from the chimney. Its so frikin cold here I have ice on one exposed basement wall.

 

[weatherguy]

Picked up a pallet of Homefire logs today, direct from the manufacturer. Actually, they're rejects and they come in a big box strapped to a pallet. The cost was $150. In the summer, the same box is $100. The weight pushed by old Nissan pickup down almost onto its axle but we (the box and I) managed to get home.

Now I'm burning those little sons of a gun and I must say I'm impressed. The temperature outside tonight dropped to 16 degrees. That's about as cold as I've ever seen it here in Bellingham. Yet the stove is pounding out heat. It's a big house and I wouldn't say it's toasty. But it's alright. Certainly much better than when we were running full loads of Doug fir in the 22% range. These "logs" are burning low and strong over many hours. I didn't load that many into the box since I'd never run them before and had heard they might expand. Started off with two together with the wood that was already burning. Then I added some broken pieces a few hours later. Finally, before bed, threw in another two logs. Now it's after 5 am and it's still pumping away.

It's going to take time to figure out the optimal load (unless someone whose used these things can give me pointers). I can see how a big load could potentially overdo it. Also, even a full pallet of these little suckers isn't going to last forever. I'd like to string it out as long as I can. Of course it wouldn't be that big a deal to run over there and grab another. Unloading the truck was a pain but not when one compares it to the amount of work that goes into cutting, splitting and stacking an equivalent amount of wood. Really, it was only a pain because it was so cold outside and the threat of moisture meant I had to get the whole thing unloaded before the sun went down.

For $150 (and $100 in summer) I'd load my garage with those logs. I used to put 3 on the bottom and the rest of the load was wood, used to get real hot and lasted a long time.

 

[Stump shot]

Iam not sure if its from the wood. It MC'ed good to go the last split I checked.

We had an 'Extreme weather' warning issued two days ago, I think the snow was blasted into the chimney. It was so voracious the snow has been driven into my wood pile.

Around 30" fell over night with 50-70mph gusts. Temps around -28C with a -37C wind chill. Last night it was -32C air temps.

Lovely.

EDIT: I have a steady stream of condensate coming from the chimney. Its so frikin cold here I have ice on one exposed basement wall.

Mine is also forming icicle on the cap. I believe it is normal when the temps are this cold. Really not a back side effect of an efficient stove. It's -13F here tonight but no wind so that is a plus. Stay warm!

 

[Rossco]

Mine is also forming icicle on the cap. I believe it is normal when the temps are this cold. Really not a back side effect of an efficient stove. It's -13F here tonight but no wind so that is a plus. Stay warm!

Pretty much a carbon copy of the weather here at the moment. No wind.

I did knock the main ice sickle off. Don't want it to grow so much it pulls the cap off. The roof ain't no place for man nor beast at the moment.

Trying to stay warm and so far so good with the forced air being used during baby bath time etc.

 

[BrotherBart]

I get'em in January and February for two grand less than a Blaze King.

 

[Grisu]

I've got icicles on my chimney too. Was really surprised since there's been no rain recently. Is this moisture from the wood?

20% moisture means burn 5 lb wood and about 1 lb of water. Plus, any combustion process generates CO2 and water. (What you see from the tailpipe of cars in the winter is mostly steam.) Push both together through a flue and you get icicles.

 

[Rossco]

20% moisture means burn 5 lb wood and about 1 lb of water. Plus, any combustion process generates CO2 and water. (What you see from the tailpipe of cars in the winter is mostly steam.) Push both together through a flue and you get icicles.

Yeah for sure but I've only just seen them form after the storm. The largest looked to be near 2'. That's the one I was after and it's gone.

 

[Seanm]

Yeah for sure but I've only just seen them form after the storm. The largest looked to be near 2'. That's the one I was after and it's gone.

I thought it was odd seeing them on my chimney as well since this is something new for me. Ive seen them often on the blaze king across the street but not on mine that I can recall.

 

[Rossco]

I thought it was odd seeing them on my chimney as well since this is something new for me. Ive seen them often on the blaze king across the street but not on mine that I can recall.

Yeah that storm was blowing real hard.

I ran the stove hard yesterday to try and burn them off with no luck. In the end, 4 chimney sweep rods done the trick.

 

[BrotherBart]

Why worry about it? It ain't stuff in the pipe. And icicle fires are kinda rare.

 

[rdust]

The BK manual says you'll get icicles when it's cold and to burn the stove hot to burn them off. Nothing to worry about.........

 

[Highbeam]

Why worry about it? It ain't stuff in the pipe. And icicle fires are kinda rare.

Do you think it would be a problem if they fell off and speared your roof or flashing cone? Maybe slid down the roof and mashed a gutter. Or since they are way up on top they will catch wind and blow the whole stack over? I've only had them form when we have had major freezing rain. Never a true creosicle.

 

[BrotherBart]

All of those airplanes flying over concern me more than icicles.

 

[Rossco]

Do you think it would be a problem if they fell off and speared your roof or flashing cone? Maybe slid down the roof and mashed a gutter. Or since they are way up on top they will catch wind and blow the whole stack over? I've only had them form when we have had major freezing rain. Never a true creosicle.

Yeah the storm included a round of freezing rain.

BrotherBart: my main concern was the size of the ice sickle. I don't want the weight on one side to push/pull anything it shouldn't.

 

[Poindexter]

Around 30" fell over night with 50-70mph gusts. Temps around -28C with a -37C wind chill. Last night it was -32C air temps.

Minus 30 C. In November. You seem to have that "Keep Calm and Carry On" thing going on.

 

[Rossco]

Minus 30 C. In November. You seem to have that "Keep Calm and Carry On" thing going on.

The other day set a new November record for low temps.

I was just saying to the wife yesterday.

Yeah it's cold, imagine if we lived up north or in Alaska

The weather is warming up to a mild -15 to -20C.

How are you guys doing?

 

[Highbeam]

9 North Idaho Energy logs at one time.... gets a little crazy. Stat slammed shut kept her down to 600. Good thing we are in a cold snap and could use the heat.

 

[Parallax]

Still learning how to burn the Home Fire logs. They burn so differently than cord wood. Longer and slower. They last a long time but it's hard to get the house above 60 degrees even with the stove set to 3.5 with a bunch of logs in the box.

 

[Rich2343]

The BK manual says you'll get icicles when it's cold and to burn the stove hot to burn them off. Nothing to worry about.........

I did not see that in the manual. I'm wondering what else I'm missing