2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[SCOTT S.]

What do you think of my burn practices. Below 30 degrees, wake up 445 load stove by 530 dial it back to 2. Get home by 6 rake coals forward put small split on top burn on high until 9 o'clock load 3/4 of the way full and start over in the morning. I know I could be more efficient if I just filled it when I get home, but we really enjoy the light show in the evening. Is there any problem with my technique?

 

[drz1050]

Does it keep you warm/ are you happy with it? That's really all that matters...

Yes, from what I understand cat stoves are most efficient when ran on a low & slow burn on a full load, but I often do the same thing as you.

 

[Scoutin Wyo]

What do you think of my burn practices. Below 30 degrees, wake up 445 load stove by 530 dial it back to 2. Get home by 6 rake coals forward put small split on top burn on high until 9 o'clock load 3/4 of the way full and start over in the morning. I know I could be more efficient if I just filled it when I get home, but we really enjoy the light show in the evening. Is there any problem with my technique?

I used the exact same technique with my king for 12 years. It worked great and it still had the original cat when I sold the house.

 

[SCOTT S.]

Does it keep you warm/ are you happy with it? That's really all that matters...

Yes, from what I understand cat stoves are most efficient when ran on a low & slow burn on a full load, but I often do the same thing as you.

Yes warm and happy

 

[SCOTT S.]

I used the exact same technique with my king for 12 years. It worked great and it still had the original cat when I sold the house.

That is good to hear I was wondering if it could have any ill effects on the cat.

 

[SCOTT S.]

My first year and a half with the Ashford was all about max efficiency. The wife loved the heat but was really unhappy with no fire show. So I figured what is one small split a day going to hurt. I'm not as efficient as I could be but as long as I'm not hurting the stove Everyones happy.

 

[webby3650]

Running the stove with some flames certainly won't hurt, it'll be very good for it. You really need to fire it up and let er rip on occasion. I do once everyday.

 

[Heftiger]

So we've got a cold front going through right now. I've been burning a little more wood to keep warm. My pine isn't ideal so I'm lucky if I can get a 12 hour burn with the fans on. I usually load everything up, let it char, and then turn it down, and wake up to just some coals and a cooling house. Lastnight I loaded up and got the the door and bypass closed. Then I got stuck with a sleeping baby on the couch as I watched the fire roar. I let it burn for a while and got the cat almost pegged, stovetop about 450 before I turned it down. The reason I write all of this is because I woke up with a warmer house and some wood left in the firebox. This is the first cast iron stove I've ever operated. I'm wondering if loading it up, getting it charred and then turning it down is the wrong way to burn it. Should I be getting it nice and hot first? How do other Ashford owners burn?

 

[Scoutin Wyo]

So we've got a cold front going through right now. I've been burning a little more wood to keep warm. My pine isn't ideal so I'm lucky if I can get a 12 hour burn with the fans on. I usually load everything up, let it char, and then turn it down, and wake up to just some coals and a cooling house. Lastnight I loaded up and got the the door and bypass closed. Then I got stuck with a sleeping baby on the couch as I watched the fire roar. I let it burn for a while and got the cat almost pegged, stovetop about 450 before I turned it down. The reason I write all of this is because I woke up with a warmer house and some wood left in the firebox. This is the first cast iron stove I've ever operated. I'm wondering if loading it up, getting it charred and then turning it down is the wrong way to burn it. Should I be getting it nice and hot first? How do other Ashford owners burn?

Sounds to me like you have pine that is slightly higher than optimal in moisture content. Burning high helped drive the moisture out early therefore allowing better combustion and higher temps later in the burn. That's the way I understand these BK stoves, I could be wrong though.

 

[BKVP]

Just last week I was speaking with a guy that said his burn times had gone from 20+ to just over 12 hours in a full load.

After more than 20 minutes of discussion, I learned that he had split down the wood to smaller sizes because it was not as dry as it should have been. (his wood was 20% and read read somewhere it should be 10%)

I challenged him to go back to loading some very large pieces and call me with an update on his burn times. He's back to over 20+ hours.

Having split down the wood to smaller dimensions resulted in a HUGE increase in the amount of surface area exposed to combustion. 50 lbs of wood in 3 pieces is going to burn longer than 50 lbs of wood comprised of 12 pieces.

Another pleased wood burner!

 

[kennyp2339]

Yup, I had to reteach myself to split big, felt weird but got it down now.

 

[Highbeam]

Yup, I had to reteach myself to split big, felt weird but got it down now.

I find it harder to fill the stove with big splits. Lots more wasted space. Since it takes a few years between splitting and when I burn it I can't really fix an error in this department for a few years.

My plan is to have a mixture of mostly large splits plus sufficient mediums to fill in the gaps.

After running a non-cat and having it run away on her it still spooks the wife when she sees me load the BK tightly to the roof. It is still impressive to me to watch that huge fuel load just simmer for such a long time.

 

[jetsam]

I find it harder to fill the stove with big splits. Lots more wasted space. Since it takes a few years between splitting and when I burn it I can't really fix an error in this department for a few years.

My plan is to have a mixture of mostly large splits plus sufficient mediums to fill in the gaps.

After running a non-cat and having it run away on her it still spooks the wife when she sees me load the BK tightly to the roof. It is still impressive to me to watch that huge fuel load just simmer for such a long time.

Sometimes I wonder where the wood went. It wasn't even on fire, and now it's GONE...

If I need a really long burn, I load the biggest knottiest splits I can get in there, and fill the holes full of smaller stuff.

The weather has me down to loading my little princess insert once a day now.

 

[moresnow]

Anyone have pics of a Ashford 20 as a corner install?

 

[ohiojoe13]

Anyone have pics of a Ashford 20 as a corner install?

I'm not sure how much smaller that 20 is but I have a 30 corner install If you would like some pictures.

 

[Gotrek]

Post them anyways

 

[Poindexter]

Heftiger, were your fans on as usual for the different burn?

 

[Heftiger]

Heftiger, were your fans on as usual for the different burn?

Yes, the fan was on low.

 

[Poindexter]

Just last week I was speaking with a guy that said his burn times had gone from 20+ to just over 12 hours in a full load.

After more than 20 minutes of discussion, I learned that he had split down the wood to smaller sizes because it was not as dry as it should have been. (his wood was 20% and read read somewhere it should be 10%)

I challenged him to go back to loading some very large pieces and call me with an update on his burn times. He's back to over 20+ hours.

Having split down the wood to smaller dimensions resulted in a HUGE increase in the amount of surface area exposed to combustion. 50 lbs of wood in 3 pieces is going to burn longer than 50 lbs of wood comprised of 12 pieces.

Another pleased wood burner!

But if I burn 50# of wood in 12 hours instead of 24 hours, don't I get more BTUs into the house during the 12 hour burn? I mean compared to burning 25# of wood in 12 hours and having 25# of fuel left in the stove for the next 12 hours.

Also, won't the thermostatic alien technology to some extent enable me to turn down the thermostat on the load of small splits to burn longer if I want them too? (Wait, I know this one. If my wood is dry enough to turn the Tstat down that far yes, but if I am compensating for marginal wood by splitting it small turning the Tsat way down probably will cause a stalled cat.

huh. I guess I just hadn't thought it through.

 

[sequoia]

How do you all prep your stove for the long boring summer? Any concern about moisture and how to avoid rusting inside?

 

[webby3650]

How do you all prep your stove for the long boring summer? Any concern about moisture and how to avoid rusting inside?

Only if your house has abnormally high moisture content. I never do anything, no rust at all.

 

[Highbeam]

Three months from now.

 

[Poindexter]

How do you all prep your stove for the long boring summer? Any concern about moisture and how to avoid rusting inside?

Wood ash is pretty hydroscopic, attracts water. On mine I brush the flue one last time, wait a week or two to be sure all the coals are dead, and then vaccuum all the ash I can out from between the bricks. Clean the window once a year and call it good.

 

[drz1050]

And if that wood ash does get wet, it creates lye. Weak lye, sure... but lye. Definitely wouldn't be good to leave sitting in your stove for a few months. If you're worried about moisture, put a few desiccant packs in there.

 

[tarzan]

I haven't burned for the last week, to warm. Next cold days will probably be the last so I will crank the stove up one last time. Let er rip to help clean the glass. By mid April I will clean the chimney, get the ashes out, clean the glass and done.

By October I will be looking forward to building the first fire but for now I just bought a new tractor (Massey Ferguson gc1720) and have plenty of summer projects to do.