2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK) Part 2

[Marshy]

Marshy,
I hardly ever pack the box full, last night I did, filled it about 10;30 with cherry, at 5am I raked the coals (firebox was full of coals) added 1 small round, went back to bed, it's now 2;30 , I just got home the coals are burnt down pretty good cat temp is 493deg. Soon time to add some wood..
T-stat was set around 4 o'clock, mid/low 30's overnight, house was 74 @ 5am., 73 now..
So 16 hrs. Burn time roughly without the best hardwood I have..

Doesn't sound abnormal to me but what do I know, my stove lives on high and lasts 8-9 hrs with a full load. A few nights ago I got out the bathroom scale and measured 70 lbs of wood that I fit into the fire box. I know I can get more in there if the ash/coal bed wasn't as high.

 

[jetsam]

How will you ever see it?

Couldn't resist... nerd humor.

LOL I didn't think anyone else would notice that.

The nanostove is loaded with a single particle of fine sawdust.

 

[jetsam]

Doesn't sound abnormal to me but what do I know, my stove lives on high and lasts 8-9 hrs with a full load. A few nights ago I got out the bathroom scale and measured 70 lbs of wood that I fit into the fire box. I know I can get more in there if the ash/coal bed wasn't as high.

Deeply jealous here. Not that my stove isn't great, but I'd love to have that firebox volume.

 

[lsucet]

Both firecat (I think that is who BKVP recommended) and condar say that. I found that tidbit while looking to see that they both also recommend pipe cleaners to scrub out the cells!

I think cat manufactures and stove manufactures are in some how saying the same but in different ways. in one way or another they recommend burn for an x amount of time or temperature to be sure that cat is engage at no less than 500 df. one use the term of active temp and other an established fire but at the end maybe is the same thing. maybe i am wrong.

 

[kennyp2339]

Sitting here tonight I'm smelling that BK smell from running my princess between low / medium (keeping getting those fire back drafts) Any way not really a big deal to me ( I rarely am able to hit that magic setting) So to keep people at ease I'm going to my FD and going to pick up our professional CO meter that we use at calls, I will report my findings to hopefully put people at ease.

 

[kennyp2339]

Nothing to worry about

 

[Highbeam]

Drill baby drill!

 

[Highbeam]

View attachment 193916
Nothing to worry about

I wonder if that creosote smell from the stove is like the smell of a creosoted piling at a dock. It smells like tar but isn't smoking.

 

[Woody Stover]

Both firecat (I think that is who BKVP recommended) and condar say that. I found that tidbit while looking to see that they both also recommend pipe cleaners to scrub out the cells!

Didn't say that here, just to get up to temp. http://www.woodstovecombustors.com/Operation_Tips.html
Did say to get over 500 for a time on this page, at "Why Combustors Might Struggle to Work Properly" : http://www.firecatcombustors.com/Articles.asp?ID=250#HotFire

I think cat manufactures and stove manufactures are in some how saying the same but in different ways. in one way or another they recommend burn for an x amount of time or temperature to be sure that cat is engage at no less than 500 df.

Right. Seems to me that if I get the stove to my target flue temp, then hold for ten minutes or so, I get a stronger, glowing light-off. Not sure if that's because the upper area of the stove is hotter, or if it's because more wood gets burning and gassing and the cat has more to eat. If I see the entire cat glowing within a minute or less, I'm certain that no creo is sticking to the cat. I know it would burn off later but I'd think that ash would stick, wouldn't blow out like fly ash. I guess a pipe cleaner would get the stuck creo ash off, but I simmer out my cats every couple of years, and I think that would remove everything as well.
Unfortunately, I'll have to drill the top of my Keystone to get a good cat temp reading. Doesn't work using the port provided with their stock cat. I'm gonna post about that shortly.

 

[tarzan]

View attachment 193916
Nothing to worry about

Brings back memories. I carried a Solaris 3 gas on my belt strap 10 hours a day for a few years.

 

[Poindexter]

Warmed up to -10dF here today, BK is running like it was built for this weather.

I know there are tons of folks here who love how their stove runs with a low tstat setting for days and days and days. Happy for them, I do that in shoulder season myself and like it.

Just a friendly reminder the stove can run at wide open throttle for days on end if you can feed it. I think next winter I'll see how many days running I can keep the cat in the active zone, 30 days continuous should be easy, 60 days continuous will take some planning on my part but I think I can do it. My Ashford 30 is proving to be quite the 500# gorilla with an efficient convection deck, clean stack plume and lovely output.

I wonder if I can do 90 days in a row continuously active cat from 11-15-17 to 02-15-18. Likely I will falter rather than the stove.

 

[kennyp2339]

Brings back memories. I carried a Solaris 3 gas on my belt strap 10 hours a day for a few years.

Yea that's one of our older spares incase one of our new ones gets broken

 

[Highbeam]

Just a friendly reminder the stove can run at wide open throttle for days on end if you can feed it.

I think you mean that it can run on max thermostat setting or even max output for days on end. Surely you aren't manually forcing the throttle blades "wide open" and surely the stove is closing that throttle blade to regulate its temperature? We often forget about that disconnect.

I forget poindexter, on that full load of softwood with fans running, how long does the stove burn before the wood is mostly gone? Are you having cat cloggage problems anymore?

 

[Woody Stover]

I forget poindexter, on that full load of softwood with fans running....Are you having cat cloggage problems anymore?

@Poindexter, you were getting pluggage? I'd like to learn more about the phenomenon, since I haven't seen it. You'd think the cat would stay clean...I'm sure it was glowing pretty brightly, especially running it hot like that. Were you burning a lot of Pine? How were you operating after reload....closing the bypass soon after probe read active? How long did it take for the cat to start glowing after you closed the bypass?

 

[webby3650]

@Poindexter, you were getting pluggage? I'd like to learn more about the phenomenon, since I haven't seen it. You'd think the cat would stay clean...I'm sure it was glowing pretty brightly, especially running it hot like that. Were you burning a lot of Pine? How were you operating after reload....closing the bypass soon after probe read active? How long did it take for the cat to start glowing after you closed the bypass?

From what I've heard this was an issue that's happened with the steel cats. My Ashford plugged up, only once so far though.

 

[BKVP]

I think this belongs here in this thread. With so much discussion about the need for a proper installation and knowing that my own personal install is to manufacturers spec, I did what I will call the 10 Minute Increment Test. The stove was last loaded at 5:00 a.m. and set medium low burn setting
My stack is 15'8" from stove top to cap. Turned off the blowers waited 10 minutes. Room temp 69F.



At 4:20 pm., using an IR gun, I took base line figures for surface temp (above combustor) and stack (12" above stove top on outside dbl wallpipe)
Stove top was 328F Stack was 135F. Loaded stove with 24lbs of cherry and silver maple. Turned the thermostat to high.




10 minutes later, 4:30 p.m. stove top temp climbs modestly to 352F. Stack 178F.

Went to kitchen to prepare dinner and set alarm.



10 minutes later, 4:40 p.m., stove top now 474F and pipe now 254F.




10 minutes later, stove top now 609F and pipe 399F.






House is 1895 Craftsmans Home, stove room temp now approaching 89F. Room with 8' ceilings, 18' x 22'.

Last reading...before shutting it down, glass temp!



I'm sorry but this thing works!! (Notice the eye searing flame!)

 

[showrguy]

You guys know, if you put cold wood in the stove, it will drop the internal temp ??
I've seen as much as 100deg. Drop...
Just passing it on.

 

[BKVP]

You guys know, if you put cold wood in the stove, it will drop the internal temp ??
I've seen as much as 100deg. Drop...
Just passing it on.

Great point. That is why I have the next load in the house 24 hors before loading. We did testing in our past line of non catalytic models and could thermocouple the baffle and it cat models the combustor and see the decrease. Leaving the main loading door open for longer period can also reduce FB temps.

 

[Woody Stover]

My Ashford plugged up

Plugged with creo, or just fly ash?

The stove was last loaded at 5:00 a.m. and set medium low burn setting....At 4:20 pm Stove top was 328F....Loaded stove with 24lbs of cherry and silver maple.

What? A sub-12-hr. burn? I hope Niko doesn't take offense. Actually, it looks like it's pretty cold out there today...
BTW, you can hover on your user name, click 'signature,' and add your stove make and model.

House is 1895 Craftsmans Home, stove room temp now approaching 89F.

Open layout? Good insulation and sealing? How many sq.ft?

I'm sorry but this thing works!!

We've seen some user feedback to that effect...

 

[webby3650]

I think this belongs here in this thread. With so much discussion about the need for a proper installation and knowing that my own personal install is to manufacturers spec, I did what I will call the 10 Minute Increment Test. The stove was last loaded at 5:00 a.m. and set medium low burn setting
My stack is 15'8" from stove top to cap. Turned off the blowers waited 10 minutes. Room temp 69F.
View attachment 193976


At 4:20 pm., using an IR gun, I took base line figures for surface temp (above combustor) and stack (12" above stove top on outside dbl wallpipe)
Stove top was 328F Stack was 135F. Loaded stove with 24lbs of cherry and silver maple. Turned the thermostat to high.

View attachment 193977
View attachment 193978

10 minutes later, 4:30 p.m. stove top temp climbs modestly to 352F. Stack 178F.

Went to kitchen to prepare dinner and set alarm.

View attachment 193979

10 minutes later, 4:40 p.m., stove top now 474F and pipe now 254F.

View attachment 193980


10 minutes later, stove top now 609F and pipe 399F.

View attachment 193981


View attachment 193982

House is 1895 Craftsmans Home, stove room temp now approaching 89F. Room with 8' ceilings, 18' x 22'.

Last reading...before shutting it down, glass temp!

View attachment 193983

I'm sorry but this thing works!! (Notice the eye searing flame!)

Almost identical to my experience as well. With it properly installed, it'll blow your mind!

 

[webby3650]

Plugged with creo, or just fly ash?
What? A sub-12-hr. burn? I hope Niko doesn't take offense. Actually, it looks like it's pretty cold out there today...
BTW, you can hover on your user name, click 'signature,' and add your stove make and model.
Open layout? Good insulation and sealing? How many sq.ft?
We've seen some user feedback to that effect...

Just with fly ash. Why would there be creosote in my system?

 

[jetsam]

Keeping the next load next to the stove is a fantastic tip if you are stuck with less than dry wood, too. If you stand a few splits next to the stove, the surface will dry out and they will catch fire a lot easier when you throw them on the coals. (They won't actually make more heat because most of the water is still in there, but it sure does make it easier to get 'em going.)

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be out the door before the first 'WHY would I have less than dry wood??'.

 

[webby3650]

Keeping the next load next to the stove is a fantastic tip if you are stuck with less than dry wood, too. If you stand a few splits next to the stove, the surface will dry out and they will catch fire a lot easier when you throw them on the coals. (They won't actually make more heat because most of the water is still in there, but it sure does make it easier to get 'em going.)

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be out the door before the first 'WHY would I have less than dry wood??'.

The best thing I ever did was build a woodshed! I only keep 1 days supply inside at a time usually. It's always dry and 3 seasons stacked. It's never been easier!

 

[Woody Stover]

Just with fly ash. Why would there be creosote in my system?

Oops, I mighta got ahead of myself, assuming it was a creo plug. Fly ash plug would make sense for Poindexter, if he's running the air open, with flame, sucking up a lot of ash dust. Might have happened to you as well, running with the thermostat on high for 20-30 minutes on a reload with the bypass closed, as the manual decrees (wording by Hb.) Thankfully, for us Woodstock guys this wood-wasting, cat-plugging, time-wasting step is not necessary.

 

[webby3650]

Oops, I mighta got ahead of myself, assuming it was a creo plug. Fly ash plug would make sense for Poindexter, if he's running the air open, with flame, sucking up a lot of ash dust. Might have happened to you as well, running with the thermostat on high for 20-30 minutes on a reload with the bypass closed, as the manual decrees (wording by Hb.) Thankfully, for us Woodstock guys this wood-wasting, cat-plugging, time-wasting step is not necessary.

Do you have a steel cat?