2014-2015 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[Stump shot]

I would agree with the cold air cooling down the stat. How long is the OAK run inside the house?

 

[turbojoe]

I would agree with the cold air cooling down the stat. How long is the OAK run inside the house?

About 3 ft.

 

[Rickb]

Mine seems to run like this. Its kinda nice I leave my t-stat down as low as it goes and when its warmer outside the stove runs cooler and when its cold out it runs a little hotter. Keeps my basement at 75F no mater the outside temps.

 

[kennyp2339]

Got the princess in and loving it, it's been running since lastnight and getting established with heat... The only grip I have is I should have ordered the fan kit, I will order one on Monday

 

[rdust]

Got the princess in and loving it, it's been running since lastnight and getting established with heat... The only grip I have is I should have ordered the fan kit, I will order one on Monday

Basement installs are tough, I hope it works ok for you. A fan kit is definitely a requirement on any steel stove of mine.

 

[kennyp2339]

It's 32 deg here, up stairs has been and is holding steady at 70 deg, if I get the fan kit I'm certain that I can keep the house warmer on the coldest of days, I can't believe how much less wood I'm burning I've read it here online but I still can't believe it's really happening, this stove is awesome

 

[kennyp2339]

So I'm now back on the lap top (easier to type on) I cant believe this stove, I'm a true BK believer, to temporally mitigate my need of a blower I set up a box fan and have it blowing at the stove, it is only a temporary solution but it is working out so far with my setup, my temps upstairs went from 68 to 74 with an outside temp of 35. I know that its kind of warm out but I'm banking on the steady long heat flow coming out the stove to maintain these upstairs temps when the outside temp falls, I'll be happy with 68 upstairs and 20 deg outside until I get the blower kit. My girlfriend says I'm driving her nuts with this new stove because I keep running back and forth to it just to monitor it, she says let it be, it will take care of itself, but I cant help myself at this point lol. My burn times so far are amazing compared to the old stove, I'm really proud of this purchase. Everything on the stove is operating normally, I'm thinking my sweet spot is right at setting 2, but its not really not cold out yet so that could change, my stove probe is keeping the needle in the higher active range (2 oclock) but I think its running warm because the CAT is new and is really eating the smoke and producing the heat. I'm running a little test on wood usage, I have a 5x6 wood rack in the garage, I filled it to the top last Tuesday before the noreaster and I got 9 days out of it with the old stove running 24/7, I filled it back up last night before I fired the new princess so I'm curious to see how long it lasts, my gut is saying atleast 2 full weeks, but I will report on it when its empty. At the end of the day I feel very confident in the purchase of this princess.

 

[tarzan]

Your girlfriend said "let it be, it will take care of itself" sounds like she has had a BK before! Lol

I'm not sure why, or if anyone else here had a similar experience but mine just seemed to get a little better every day for the first month. As in burn times and heat at a lower setting.

 

[Poindexter]

kennyp, I find the sweet spot on my thermostat varies with outdoor temps...

 

[kennyp2339]

Here are some pics of the install, I'm the skinnier guy lol, but I needed big Brian to help love the stove around, of course the bear was more than happy to lend a hand

 

[claybe]

So I'm now back on the lap top (easier to type on) I cant believe this stove, I'm a true BK believer, to temporally mitigate my need of a blower I set up a box fan and have it blowing at the stove, it is only a temporary solution but it is working out so far with my setup, my temps upstairs went from 68 to 74 with an outside temp of 35. I know that its kind of warm out but I'm banking on the steady long heat flow coming out the stove to maintain these upstairs temps when the outside temp falls, I'll be happy with 68 upstairs and 20 deg outside until I get the blower kit. My girlfriend says I'm driving her nuts with this new stove because I keep running back and forth to it just to monitor it, she says let it be, it will take care of itself, but I cant help myself at this point lol. My burn times so far are amazing compared to the old stove, I'm really proud of this purchase. Everything on the stove is operating normally, I'm thinking my sweet spot is right at setting 2, but its not really not cold out yet so that could change, my stove probe is keeping the needle in the higher active range (2 oclock) but I think its running warm because the CAT is new and is really eating the smoke and producing the heat. I'm running a little test on wood usage, I have a 5x6 wood rack in the garage, I filled it to the top last Tuesday before the noreaster and I got 9 days out of it with the old stove running 24/7, I filled it back up last night before I fired the new princess so I'm curious to see how long it lasts, my gut is saying atleast 2 full weeks, but I will report on it when its empty. At the end of the day I feel very confident in the purchase of this princess.

I have the princess insert and the dots and numbers are all different from everyone else's. I wish everything was the same so I could understand what you free standers are talking about!!

 

[tarzan]

I have the princess insert and the dots and numbers are all different from everyone else's. I wish everything was the same so I could understand what you free standers are talking about!!

The free standers, as far as I know, are all numbered 1 to 3 with "normal" being from about 1.6 to 2.4. It is possible however to turn the knob counter clockwise to well under where 0 would be, if it had one, and up to 3.5

Then there's the newer model stoves that I have heard has a slightly different thermostat. Add to that the fact that everyone's draft is different and changes according to the weather and how hot the stove runs then you can see how thermostat setting becomes a loose point of reference anyhow.

 

[Calentarse]

Here's my 2014 Ashford 30 thermostat just how it came from factory... sorry couldn't get tablet to focus as I had to be so close.

 

[BrotherBart]

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.

Guy must have a Blaze King.

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[Highbeam]

Here are some pics of the install, I'm the skinnier guy lol, but I needed big Brian to help love the stove around, of course the bear was more than happy to lend a handView attachment 146781View attachment 146782View attachment 146783View attachment 146784

Key damper on single wall?

Oh and 35 is NOT too warm to burn. I just started a fire, it's 57 out but only 64 inside the house. Perfect time for a noncat style pulse fire.

 

[kennyp2339]

Key damper on single wall?

Oh and 35 is NOT too warm to burn. I just started a fire, it's 57 out but only 64 inside the house. Perfect time for a noncat style pulse fire.

Yes, it was part of my old setup, I didn't order the double wall pipe yet and I think its not going to kill the stove using only 5ft of single wall pipe, the rest of the chimney is triple wall dura vent that is straight up and on the inside of the house *to stay warmer. I just ordered the fan kit online $251.00, I have princess parlor, my question is would a convection deck fit on this thing, and is it worth it?

 

[R'Lee]

Don't know if it will fit but, yes; the convection deck IS worth it (*at my place).

 

[rdust]

Yes, it was part of my old setup, I didn't order the double wall pipe yet and I think its not going to kill the stove using only 5ft of single wall pipe, the rest of the chimney is triple wall dura vent that is straight up and on the inside of the house *to stay warmer. I just ordered the fan kit online $251.00, I have princess parlor, my question is would a convection deck fit on this thing, and is it worth it?

When I got my princess(ultra) I had fans but not the deck. I ordered the deck since I feel it finishes the look a little. I've burned it with and without the deck and can't say if it helps one way or the other. To me it was worth the 100 bucks or whatever it was.

 

[kennyp2339]

Thank you for the replies, I think I'll wait for the blower to come in and then decide if the deck is needed, I'm really trying to get use to this stove, there is nothing for me to due, I kinda like loading my stove and poking the stuff around, and with this one I cant really do anything, it really is the worlds most boring stove, but a top performer.

 

[R'Lee]

The Fan/Blower Kit is essentually a deluxe rear heat shield. With the convection deck, it directs the air across the top of the stove and out in front. Combined, it puts out serious heat very quickly. We only use it to get the house warm promptly after which we tone it down You will chew through more wood because it has a cooling effect and the thermostat compensates trying to keep the stove at whatever temp it's generically set for. In the shoulder season which is still intermittent here in MI, small hot fires with the blower for perhaps an hour max is all we need. Then we let it smolder & no blower. We do have one of the ecofans that helps moves the air as well & no AC is required.

 

[Gareth96]

I've been burning pretty much 24/7 since Halloween.. Today I did my first test with the Lowe's moisture meter and opened up my stovepipe for the first time to see what a month plus of shoulder/smolder season has done. Majority of my wood (no idea what kind it is) is at 12-13%, the other major type (I think is maple) is at 18%. With the inside of the princess being often so black and creosoty from the slow burns (I try to do the daily hot fire thing) I was scared the stovepipe was going to look the same. Well, with the exception of very little buildup around the 15 degree elbows, there was nothing but a VERY thin layer of soot.. hit the elbows with the sooteater and buttoned it back up... VERY HAPPY CAMPER!

 

[Rossco]

So then. I got me Convection deck.

The stove has been cooled for 12hrs or so as we've had a warm spell. Cleaned the ash out and pulled the pipes. Lots of build up in the pipes and subsequent chimney mmmm .. Just dusty but very flakey. This is like 2ft above the stove, I cleaned the 45* - 12" - 45* section and its back to shiny stainless. So Iam wondering what kinda build up this was? I didn't take a pic as I look like a chimney sweep ATM.

ANYHOW, its all cleaned and looking pretty again, Iam currently bringing the unit up to temp then I will snap a pic of the deck. I modified it slightly so as the CAT probe don't hit the lower fin.

 

[Poindexter]

My understanding of chimney sweepings is shiny black is the least desirable stuff, and sheets of shiny black is the worst way to find it.

I bet there is a guide on this site already somewhere, perhaps begreen or grisu has a link to it in their favorites folder.

1620 (base 65) heating degree days for me in calendar November 2014. My 30 year trailing average for November is 1860 HDD. Still burning spruce almost exclusively and keeping the house at +80dF. Loving my Blaze King, I haven't even touched my birch pile yet.

For comparison Minneapolis, MN had 1179 HDD in Nov 2014. Jan 2014 with the polar vortex going on Minneapolis, MN recorded 1762 HDD.

 

[Rossco]

Yeah I don't understand chimney sweeping very much. The build up looked allot worse than it actually was. When I sent the brush up the chimney I hardly got and debris. Just some real real fine black powder, same with the
Thimble and DWSP.

I can re-describe the build up as 'Fluffy' if that helps.

EDIT: Poindexter: I have no idea what the rest of your post means ?

 

[NinjaTech]

I decided to get a draft gauge, got a good deal on one and thought why not. Thought I would post a few pictures. Two months burning full time, and that's all the buildup in the pipe I don't think I will even bother sweeping it till next spring. The top of the pipe looks just as clean. I'm VERY happy with this stove. Gotta love catalysts!