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

[Tumpin' Wood]

We installed an Ashford 30.1 this summer and burned one break in fire. It is in our island cottage and has not been used since August.

In mid March we will be going to the island where the building and stove have been sitting unheated all winter. When we get there temperatures will likely be between 15*F and 40* F. I am wondering how I should go about heating the stove up to prevent damage to it or the firebrick. Thanks for your advice.

 

[tarzan]

I've been trying to burn it off. Will even go the full 60 minutes at max setting, cat meter at top of range. Then back to first blue and then white smoke when I turn the stat down to 60%. Then I can change smoke colors after that by turning the stat back up to abnormal levels for my home. I'm almost 10 hours into a burn cycle now and 25% of the full load remains. my burn times are way down, heat production low, and smoke levels way up. The manual calls for a cleaning which I will do next. I think my cat died.

I checked the cap and top of chimney. All clear. Icky but clear.

Bk does not seem fond of vinegar baths. I do have an extra cat gasket on hand.

Too be clear, I was suggesting giving the compressed air in a can a try, not the vinegar bath although I wouldn't rule neither out as a last ditch effort but would try compressed air first.

IIRC, Poindexters cat showed similar symptoms at the start of burning season as yours does now. Sounded like it was for sure dead but he cleaned it (can't remember if he stated the method he used) and is still running it now as far as I know.

My ceramic cat acted different when it was done (as mentioned above) but it could be the difference in ceramic vs steel.

You mentioned snow so I assume this is obviously not a good time for you too shut down so best of luck.

 

[Highbeam]

Is this the second cat for this stove? and if so how long did the first last?

The original ceramic lasted almost three years but didn't fail as catastrophically and suddenly as this one seems to have. It also never saw 14% wood though and mostly alder so less smoke load. I switched to this steel cat to try it out and it worked great.

I'm still hoping to save this one. I'll vacuum and blow it out tomorrow. It definitely has a lot of hours on it.

 

[Ashful]

I never heard that 'burning pine will burn your house down' until I moved to the east coast.

it takes a unique sort of idiot to bother processing pine, in a part of the country where you can't walk blindfolded 40 feet in any direction without slamming into an oak or ash. So, is it any surprise the small fraction of folks burning pine on the east coast are those also most likely to burn down their house?

No offense to our western brethren... you can't help it.

 

[Highbeam]

Too be clear, I was suggesting giving the compressed air in a can a try, not the vinegar bath although I wouldn't rule neither out as a last ditch effort but would try compressed air first.

IIRC, Poindexters cat showed similar symptoms at the start of burning season as yours does now. Sounded like it was for sure dead but he cleaned it (can't remember if he stated the method he used) and is still running it now as far as I know.

My ceramic cat acted different when it was done (as mentioned above) but it could be the difference in ceramic vs steel.

You mentioned snow so I assume this is obviously not a good time for you too shut down so best of luck.

I have compressed air and shop vac to try and clean in place. Will do both tomorrow. I also have vinegar and distilled water on hand if that fails.

Firecat has 2 day shipping and 186$ for a new ceramic cat. They say 10000 hours is the life.

 

[tarzan]

it takes a unique sort of idiot to bother processing pine, in a part of the country where you can't walk blindfolded 40 feet in any direction without slamming into an oak or ash. So, is it any surprise the small fraction of folks burning pine on the east coast are those also most likely to burn down their house?

No offense to our western brethren... you can't help it.

Well, I suppose I need to explain the Pine in my stacks now

My dad and I were cutting several pines down that was shading my back yard. The larger ones were cut, split and stacked.

 

[Ashful]

Well, I suppose I need to explain the Pine in my stacks now

My dad and I were cutting several pines down that was shading my back yard. The larger ones were cut, split and stacked.

Yeah, I was just fooling around. I have burned pine as well, never because I chased it, but because it was in my yard and needed removal.

 

[webby3650]

I have compressed air and shop vac to try and clean in place. Will do both tomorrow. I also have vinegar and distilled water on hand if that fails.

Firecat has 2 day shipping and 186$ for a new ceramic cat. They say 10000 hours is the life.

Shoot some air through it, I'll bet it a big difference. That would explain the sudden crash.

 

[tarzan]

Yeah, I was just fooling around. I have burned pine as well, never because I chased it, but because it was in my yard and needed removal.

I know. When I read your post I had too explain to my wife why I was laughing. She's not well versed on the Pine vs Hardwood issue but did agree with you on the unique sort of idiot part.

 

[webby3650]

A few years back I had a guy delivering split pine and tulip for $25 a truckload! He said no one would buy it because it had pine mixed in. I said bring it on! The BK didn't it at all. In fact, my burn times weren't a whole lot different than with hardwood.

 

[Highbeam]

Shoot some air through it, I'll bet it a big difference. That would explain the sudden crash.

Any guidance on a safe pressure to regulate the compressor? It's just a portable pancake style and one of those safety blower nozzles with the thumb button.

The cat looks fine from below but you can't really see very far into the cells due to the angle.

 

[lsucet]

We installed an Ashford 30.1 this summer and burned one break in fire. It is in our island cottage and has not been used since August.

In mid March we will be going to the island where the building and stove have been sitting unheated all winter. When we get there temperatures will likely be between 15*F and 40* F. I am wondering how I should go about heating the stove up to prevent damage to it or the firebrick. Thanks for your advice.

I will say, just burn it normal. also, you can follow the recommendation in the manual. enjoy it.

 

[lsucet]

I have compressed air and shop vac to try and clean in place. Will do both tomorrow. I also have vinegar and distilled water on hand if that fails.

Firecat has 2 day shipping and 186$ for a new ceramic cat. They say 10000 hours is the life.

Check if you can find something like this in an auto part place. it works good. You can adjust it at the tip.

 

[Highbeam]

Check if you can find something like this in an auto part place. it works good. You can adjust it at the tip.

That looks like on of the old fashioned brass nozzles for the hose. Trouble is, to blow through the cat installed in the stove there is very little clearance up there behind the airwash.

 

[lsucet]

That looks like on of the old fashioned brass nozzles for the hose. Trouble is, to blow through the cat installed in the stove there is very little clearance up there behind the airwash.

I think it works fine with the ceramic cat. i just point it to the holes but not in a straight way because of the clearance like you said. I did it but not because it needs it. Maybe with the steel cat is different.

 

[Niko]

Any guidance on a safe pressure to regulate the compressor? It's just a portable pancake style and one of those safety blower nozzles with the thumb button.

The cat looks fine from below but you can't really see very far into the cells due to the angle.

keep the nozzle at a safe distance and slowly bring it closer to the cat. I don't understand a high burn for 60 minutes should burn away crap way better then a blower nozzle or a vinegar bath. I haven't done either of the air or vinegar, I just put my cat on full blast once in a while and let that crap melt off.

I would think the precious metals that are on the cat are a hell of a lot more delicate when cold.

 

[rdust]

Firecat has 2 day shipping and 186$ for a new ceramic cat. They say 10000 hours is the life.

Was just going to post that! I bought one from them at the start of the season, may order another and shelf it at that price.

 

[Highbeam]

keep the nozzle at a safe distance and slowly bring it closer to the cat. I don't understand a high burn for 60 minutes should burn away crap way better then a blower nozzle or a vinegar bath. I haven't done either of the air or vinegar, I just put my cat on full blast once in a while and let that crap melt off.

I would think the precious metals that are on the cat are a hell of a lot more delicate when cold.

The theory is that you can't melt everything. Things like ash don't melt out. Even a thin coating could cover up the catalyst. Most importantly, I tried burning it clean. Ran the cat right up to the top of the scale but that didn't help the low end recover. Maybe nothing will but I won't know until the tool box is empty!

 

[Highbeam]

Was just going to post that! I bought one from them at the start of the season, may order another and shelf it at that price.

I might do it too. Be prepared.

 

[begreen]

3 cats already? Hope it cleans up and responds.

 

[Highbeam]

3 cats already? Hope it cleans up and responds.

Two. For all I know, the first one and now this one can be saved. We have such a long burn season here and dirty conifers.

I'm hoping to blow some junk out and rejuvenate this thing.

I feel like three years is still a reasonable life expectancy regardless of hours.

 

[rdust]

I feel like three years is still a reasonable life expectancy regardless of hours.

I nursed my first one 5 seasons, I noticed the efficiency started dropping after 3. When I bought the stove I was figuring a cat every 3 seasons so I'm ok with that.

 

[begreen]

So the 6-10 yr. life is just for cabins with occasional use?

 

[Highbeam]

So the 6-10 yr. life is just for cabins with occasional use?

Applied ceramics says 10,000 hours. They appear to make the oem cats. Divide that by your hours of burning per year to get the answer to your question.

 

[Woody Stover]

I won't know until the tool box is empty!

I'll be very interested to hear the results of the vinegar bath, if you get to that point. I've done it but didn't notice a whole lot of difference...but then again, those cats hadn't appreciably diminished in performance. If your cat is tapping out and nothing else works, you've got nothing to lose.
What about calling in the warranty...considered that? I think you get free replacement within the first three years.

So the 6-10 yr. life is just for cabins with occasional use?

Yeah, I think you're going to start to see a drop-off in performance after three average years of full-time use. I've been swapping the original ceramic and a diesel-foil in my stove so I'm not really sure how many hours either one has got.

may order another and shelf it at that price.

I like to have a spare on hand as well, but the warranty period starts on the purchase date. I don't worry about it, but it's something to be aware of.