2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[Rossco]

how deep is the firebox on the ashford 30.1?

3" max on this stove. Achilles heal IMO.

The aesthetics are a negative compaired to the functionality of the PRINCESS & KING.

 

[Usernamemustbeunique]

I would imagine the firebox on the Sirocco is the same depth?

 

[drz1050]

I would imagine the firebox on the Sirocco is the same depth?

Yes. The firebox is identical on the Sirocco, Chinook and Ashford. Just different skins.

 

[fireplacenoob]

Highbeam already had the right answer. To add to what he said, the blower will affect burn time only if your t'stat is set in the range where it's doing it's job. Simply put, there is an air inlet damper, which is connected via bimetallic coil spring to your t'stat knob. The spring has a limited range of motion, opening the inlet damper when the stove is cooler, and closing it when the stove is hotter. This is why at some dial settings the stove will have a shorter burn time with the fans running, since the spring runs cooler and the damper opens more. However, at very low dial settings (eg. 1 o'clock), it's dialed back so far that you're beyond the limited range of this spring.

To test what I'm describing, turn your dial wide open, and then dial it back until you hear the damper thump shut. It will happen at dial settings just on either side of 2 (3 o'clock for you newer BK owners), depending on temperature of the stove. Repeat this exercise with the stove stone cold and screaming hot, to see the full range of this mechanism. Even a cold stove has the damper closing before you get back to 1 o'clock, meaning that the damper will never open at a dial set this low, despite fans running. And of course, no damper action = no effect on burn time.

I am going to do this test and then find the sweet spot for the catalytic.

 

[Highbeam]

I am going to do this test and then find the sweet spot for the catalytic.

Since we both have princesses and I think you said you have numbers, my lowest setting that dependably keeps the cat active is 1.75 which is the very bottom of the gold "normal" range. Many folks can use 1.5. You should expect to see no flames, your glass will get dirty, and the cat will stay quite hot as the wood bakes down to ash at a low low cruise.

This burn setting is where burn time is longest, emissions are lowest, efficiency is highest, and is what makes a bk superior to all other stoves. Happiness is a house heat demand that can be satisfied most of the time at this low low setting.

 

[fireplacenoob]

Since we both have princesses and I think you said you have numbers, my lowest setting that dependably keeps the cat active is 1.75 which is the very bottom of the gold "normal" range. Many folks can use 1.5. You should expect to see no flames, your glass will get dirty, and the cat will stay quite hot as the wood bakes down to ash at a low low cruise.

This burn setting is where burn time is longest, emissions are lowest, efficiency is highest, and is what makes a bk superior to all other stoves. Happiness is a house heat demand that can be satisfied most of the time at this low low setting.

I can burn at 1.3-1.4 and still be active at around 12 oclock on the gauge, Im going to try going lower. It seems like everyone's BK thermostat setting is just a little different. Ill keep you guys posted.

 

[Highbeam]

I can burn at 1.3-1.4 and still be active at around 12 oclock on the gauge, Im going to try going lower. It seems like everyone's BK thermostat setting is just a little different. Ill keep you guys posted.

That's pretty low. To verify that your pointer hasn't slipped on the shaft. Spin it to full max and confirm that the pointer in pointing straight down. Then rotate back to 1 slowly and listen for the clack of the intake blade closing at around 1.25 on a cold stove or higher on a warm stove.

When you close the bypass, are you feeling the cam over clunk from full engagement?

Dollar bill test the door gasket?

 

[claybe]

I have the princess insert that sits inside of the fireplace. It relies on the blower to get the heat out into the room. In the shoulder season I don't need to run the fan. I also can go with the lowest t-stat setting. In the winter when its cold I run the fan turn up the t stat to allow more air in because I don't want a bunch of coal build up before reloads. This can be a problem. This stove works great heats my house it's not magic burn times are really good I can sleep at night and not have to get up and feed the fire. I've been using this for probably 5 - 6 years average about three and a half cords of wood a winter. I get burnt out in February and go back to my furnace we love wood heat it's messy bringing in all this wood into the house but me and my wife love it.

For those of you asking about the fan reducing the burn time I agree that it does. BKVP did say that the princess fan is 210 CFMs. I have 1 Eco fan that is 125 CFMs and am ordering another one that is 175 CFMs. As they don't blow air over the whole unit I am noticing that I am getting way longer burn times. I also added a block off plate and insulated my single wall pipe. Plus I don't like the sound of the fan and the Eco fans don't make any sound .

 

[claybe]

I can burn at 1.3-1.4 and still be active at around 12 oclock on the gauge, Im going to try going lower. It seems like everyone's BK thermostat setting is just a little different. Ill keep you guys posted.

Yes it is! The great knob debate continues...

I think the best advice I received is don't worry about where you put the knob as long as your wood is "glowing". That seems to work for me. I turn off the lights when going to bed and if I don't see the logs glowing I turn it up a little bit until they do.

 

[forkedhorn]

Last year I couldnt bring the knob below 1.9 without stalling the cat. This year I added 4ft of class A to help with draft issues. I was running for a couple weeks at 1.5 and was heating the house too much 78-82 (didnt have that problem last year even though it was a warm winter). last night I tried the tstat at ~1.3 to see how it goes. Big difference! woke up this morning to the house at a perfect 72 and it looks like only 1/10 of the wood consumed! Cat was active hovering about 1/4 of the way into the active zone. 4' of pipe sure does make a big difference!

 

[robk]

It's still early in the year, but I have no problems turning the stat all the way to the lowest setting and having the cat stay active until the wood is gone. As it is, I only have approx 13-13.5 ft of pipe above the stove. Bonus.

And the kids LOVE the stove. I can't believe how much enjoyment a heater produces.

 

[Poindexter]

I agree faster fankit equals shorter burn times. Varying out door ambient temps will move the "sweet spot."

I just fill the firebox, run it on high for a while, turn the fan up to where i need it, the tstat down to where i need it and do yet another hot reload 12 hours later.

 

[Rossco]

Well it's 12F here right now.

Have it @ 72 in the living room and 77F in the hallway.

The wife has cracked it she said. I have a Tjernlund Vent fan in the hallway that pulls air from near the stove. Put that on and it goes crazy warm. Over 26C in the hallway earlier.

It's a sickness this wood heating affliction.

 

[Poindexter]

This burn setting is where burn time is longest, emissions are lowest, efficiency is highest, and is what makes a bk superior to all other stoves. Happiness is a house heat demand that can be satisfied most of the time at this low low setting.

I hardly ever disagree with you Highbeam. Been stewing a couple days, but I have to disagree on this one.

Running a cat engaged BK on low, or low low or etc for 30-40 hours at a time is a wonderful thing indeed. I agree on this point.

But you are describing my September and my March.

Turning the tstat up to medium in colder months and burning off the smoke with the cat with the fan kit on high, also a wonderful thing. Much longer more even heat in the house compared to having a non-cat stove making 1400dF in the upper chamber for brief periods.

In the depths of my winter, running a BK at wide open throttle/ full swoosh and tossing baseball sized chunks of spruce sap in there with regular splits on a every 12 hour reload schedule, also a wonderful thing.

For me to get through the depths of winter running a BK on "low low" I would need the "Second Coming of Angry Jesus" sized BK stove, probably about a 15 cubic foot firebox with dual 16" pipe coming off it.

I can burn a face cord in four days in really cold weather... can't imagine stuffing that much wood into a stove all at once.

I am, given my climate, sqft and envelope, on the cusp between needing a size 30 firebox or a Princess. The wife likes the aesthetics of the A30. Down to about -30dF with dry spruce and plenty of sap I am golden heating 1200sqft with the oil burner in the garage just making domestic hot water.

Below -30dF, I do shovel live coals out of my Ashford30 every 24 hours to make room for more wood. I "need" a Princess 7-10 nights per year.

I encourage all y'all, especially in North Dakota, the UP, Minnesota and Canada, look at the max BTU/ hour numbers on these stoves, run the break in procedure _exactly_ as described in the manual and be free to run at wide open throttle/ max output for weeks on end.

 

[Poindexter]

The wife has cracked it she said. .

As a US resident I understand about 30% of what Canadians say, less in Ontario. What does this mean?

 

[Highbeam]

I hardly ever disagree with you Highbeam. Been stewing a couple days, but I have to disagree on this one.

Running a cat engaged BK on low, or low low or etc for 30-40 hours at a time is a wonderful thing indeed. I agree on this point.

But you are describing my September and my March.

Turning the tstat up to medium in colder months and burning off the smoke with the cat with the fan kit on high, also a wonderful thing. Much longer more even heat in the house compared to having a non-cat stove making 1400dF in the upper chamber for brief periods.

In the depths of my winter, running a BK at wide open throttle/ full swoosh and tossing baseball sized chunks of spruce sap in there with regular splits on a every 12 hour reload schedule, also a wonderful thing.

For me to get through the depths of winter running a BK on "low low" I would need the "Second Coming of Angry Jesus" sized BK stove, probably about a 15 cubic foot firebox with dual 16" pipe coming off it.

I can burn a face cord in four days in really cold weather... can't imagine stuffing that much wood into a stove all at once.

I am, given my climate, sqft and envelope, on the cusp between needing a size 30 firebox or a Princess. The wife likes the aesthetics of the A30. Down to about -30dF with dry spruce and plenty of sap I am golden heating 1200sqft with the oil burner in the garage just making domestic hot water.

Below -30dF, I do shovel live coals out of my Ashford30 every 24 hours to make room for more wood. I "need" a Princess 7-10 nights per year.

I encourage all y'all, especially in North Dakota, the UP, Minnesota and Canada, look at the max BTU/ hour numbers on these stoves, run the break in procedure _exactly_ as described in the manual and be free to run at wide open throttle/ max output for weeks on end.

I don't think we disagree at all.

 

[Niko]

Did some reading around about the T stat, think mine might need to be replaced. Second year using the stove love it and have no compaints. But I have been noticing a huge change between the t stat setting from one day to another. For example i usually leave the t stat in the N for normal which is like 1.75. It seems tho the t stat stays open more as then it normally would. All my gaskets are good are door test is excellemt, cat is not clogged.

Can I do a test to confirm something?

I dont know if its just me but it seems my wood is burning faster on a full load. Never used to see flames and now sometimes i do.

 

[Lanningjw]

Why not pull the cover off the tstat side. Check to see that is clean and there's no fuzz balls on that side give it a good cleaning check over before you replace it. I pulled my t-stat cover off and there was a lot of dust and just a lot of contamination in the area that I vacuumed out did it work any better after doing that don't really know couldn't tell the difference

 

[Highbeam]

Did some reading around about the T stat, think mine might need to be replaced. Second year using the stove love it and have no compaints. But I have been noticing a huge change between the t stat setting from one day to another. For example i usually leave the t stat in the N for normal which is like 1.75. It seems tho the t stat stays open more as then it normally would. All my gaskets are good are door test is excellemt, cat is not clogged.

Can I do a test to confirm something?

I dont know if its just me but it seems my wood is burning faster on a full load. Never used to see flames and now sometimes i do.

In the colder weather, the draft is stronger which could affect your stat setting as you describe. You're also just on year two so the cat is just settling in and perhaps needs more heat from the fire to satisfy the stats demand. Finally, your wood supply being better as most second year burners find, will mean more flame from the same setting.

If your burn rate is higher than you would like for any reason, turn down the stat. You can keep turning it down until the cat goes inactive. Your system can perhaps now support 1.5. That's a good thing. The lower the setting, the more efficient your burn.

 

[rdust]

I'll echo what highbeam had already said. The colder weather makes my stat act different(stronger draft) and after my cat settled in the stat opened more to maintain the heat.

I'd pull the cover and take a look but it could be as simple as the cat being a year older and the bi-metallic coil relaxing a bit.

 

[Niko]

Makes sense somewhat, but last year I was using the fans and was getting the same burn times i am now without the fans on. Ill open it up and do some cleaning, its just weird seems to me the T stat is either closing to fast or taking to long to close if that make sense.

I just cleaned out "HELIOS" yes i named my stove once i fill it up again ill report back with some conclusions.

 

[Niko]

Ok this what I have noticed so far if these test im doing make sense. Ive been home all day and filled Helios up around 7pm had the fire going pretty good and cat was well into the active zone before i turned down the t stat from full open. The first test i counted about 15 seconds before flames dispeared after I turned the t stat to N of normal which is like 1.75.

Second test.

Turned the t stat to one and let the cat get about into the inaxtive zone. After about a hr or so if was near inactive tunred the t stat back all the up and repeated the same thing i did above. This time tho the flames took a good 70 seconds to go out.

from the past i always would see the flames go out pretty fast when i turn down the t stat. i can redomtest again and post with video to make more semse.

 

[Highbeam]

Ok this what I have noticed so far if these test im doing make sense. Ive been home all day and filled Helios up around 7pm had the fire going pretty good and cat was well into the active zone before i turned down the t stat from full open. The first test i counted about 15 seconds before flames dispeared after I turned the t stat to N of normal which is like 1.75.

Second test.

Turned the t stat to one and let the cat get about into the inaxtive zone. After about a hr or so if was near inactive tunred the t stat back all the up and repeated the same thing i did above. This time tho the flames took a good 70 seconds to go out.

from the past i always would see the flames go out pretty fast when i turn down the t stat. i can redomtest again and post with video to make more semse.

Setting 1 is too low. Now you know that your sweet spot is somewhere between. Try 1.5. Small changes make a big difference.

 

[Ashful]

Setting 1 is too low. Now you know that your sweet spot is somewhere between. Try 1.5. Small changes make a big difference.

If this is true, then folks with the swoosh sticker are going to be in for some real trouble.

 

[Niko]

Think you misunderstood me i turned the t stat to one on purpose to make the stove go out. So both tests would have flames in them when starting from the same startup.

I know my sweet spot between 1.75-2 but its been acting off this season so far. Thats why i stated about the flames taking much much lomger to go out.

I just went to check wood after sleeping and the cat is inactive plenty of charred wood on both side and middle is gone. Its like the t stat is not opening sometimes and not closing.