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

[jetsam]

Hell no!

It feels like cheating to me, and I'm not willing to interact with the dealer again, so bang goes my free cat.

(I would still probably do it if the dealer got billed.... they owe me. )

Not that I am telling anyone else not to use their warranty!

 

[jetsam]

Pan out! pun! Since you boil in a pan!

I was amazed at the rejuvenation provided by the vinegar bath. I posted a whole thread somewhere. The dang cat works like a champ now and yes, I was burning over the weekend. Will it last another 10,000 hours? I don't know.

Just ordered another sooteater rod to replace the one that I kinked and broke while getting too greedy trying to sweep the princess through the door. Turns out you really need to keep one hand on the rod to hold it near the bottom of the loading door and prevent too tight of a rod radius.

That was a good thread. It had pretty pictures!

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I just got word that my new Blaze King Chinook 30 is at the stove shop and ready to be picked up in the morning. Now that the heating season is winding down I can install it in a leisurely time frame.

I decided to install it myself and buy from a dealer closer to my residence than the install site (ski cabin) because it was like pulling teeth just to get bids that actually specified the actual type of stove pipe being bid from the two dealers in the service area of my cabin. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I remember when a bid specified the brand AND model of equipment being bid.

Looking forward to next winter already!

 

[Marshy]

So I'm new to this. What is the actual expected/realised life span of the catalytic combustors? Here I've been thinking I would actually get 10 years... I should have known better. Lets assume a sirocco 30, burning 4 cords soft wood a year?

What are the best sources for quality replacements or is it a blaze king dealer only item.

Something isn't adding up for me, are you actually having an issue with your cat? How many years did you get from your combustor burning 4 cord per year? In the same paragraph which the hour rating on the cat was explained, it was also mentioned many cats can and do out perform the 10-12k hours. There are a lot over variables that effect the life of the cat.

I'm not going to assume anything about how you are operating it so please tell us how do you normally operate it (low and slow or on high), what is the moisture content of your wood, have you done the basic maintenance to the cat like brushing off the fly ash? There are several reason and suggestions in the owners manual for troubleshooting a low performing cat, have you tried all the suggestions?

 

[Ignerence]

Something isn't adding up for me

I don't have the stove yet, just inquiring since I had assumed the combustor survived 10 years...

 

[tarzan]

It feels like cheating to me, and I'm not willing to interact with the dealer again, so bang goes my free cat.

(I would still probably do it if the dealer got billed.... they owe me. )

Not that I am telling anyone else not to use their warranty!

It would be cheating for you AND ME because we willfully and knowingly burned unseasoned wood in our BK's and posted about it on the inter web

 

[jetsam]

It would be cheating for you AND ME because we willfully and knowingly burned unseasoned wood in our BK's and posted about it on the inter web

Well my cat has passed 10k hours burning nothing BUT unseasoned wood, and it's still going.

Another myth for the mythbucket.

I imagine that burning wet wood does lead to more mineral deposits on the surface because of the water vapor passing through the cat- which is probably why a vinegar bath is the recommended way to resuscitate them. (My stove room humidifier also needs to be disassembed and vinegared a couple times a year or its water channels get plugged.)

 

[webby3650]

Well my cat has passed 10k hours burning nothing BUT unseasoned wood, and it's still going.

Another myth for the mythbucket.

I imagine that burning wet wood does lead to more mineral deposits on the surface because of the water vapor passing through the cat- which is probably why a vinegar bath is the recommended way to resuscitate them. (My stove room humidifier also needs to be disassembed and vinegared a couple times a year or its water channels get plugged.)

So, after 10,000 hours of burning, you still haven't managed to acquire some seasoned wood? You'd be doing yourself a big favor to get ahead a little bit on your wood supply.

 

[jetsam]

So, after 10,000 hours of burning, you still haven't managed to acquire some seasoned wood? You'd be doing yourself a big favor to get ahead a little bit on your wood supply.

August will make 2 years in the ne house, so my oldest woodpile is (at most) about 22 months old. It's mostly red oak, so this winter should be my first with mostly-below-25% wood.

 

[webby3650]

August will make 2 years in the ne house, so my oldest woodpile is (at most) about 22 months old. It's mostly red oak, so this winter should be my first with mostly-below-25% wood.

Good, hopefully you'll see a big increase in performance this winter.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

August will make 2 years in the ne house, so my oldest woodpile is (at most) about 22 months old. It's mostly red oak, so this winter should be my first with mostly-below-25% wood.

Your firewood will season more quickly if you use those translucent corrugated fiberglass roofing panels to control rain. They come in 26" wide x 8' and 12' lengths and two different weights. If you live in snow country, get the heavier panels (still very light). The big advantage is they channel rainwater to the end of your pile instead of dripping off the sides like plywood or tarps. They also encourage good airflow (unlike plastic tarps). Sunlight shinning through the panels creates a bit of a greenhouse effect and causes air movement on calm days. The 26" width provides perfect overhang on both sides for my 16"-18" wide firewood.

In my area they are only carried by Lowes and 8-footers are about $24 while 12-footers are about $31. In our climate they will last more than 20 years. Here's a photo using a bucket half-filled with rocks as a weight (but I'm sure you can figure out a more aesthetic solution):

 

[jetsam]

Good, hopefully you'll see a big increase in performance this winter.

Saw a good increase the second year too (drier wood, plus I pulled out the expensive dealer install and added flue insulation, a blockoff plate, and insulated the masonry fireplace.)

Thanks, Hearth!

 

[showrguy]

Question,
I picked up a used Princess Ultra, manufactured 2006, I cannot see where there is a bypass gasket, or where there ever was one..
The door seems to close tightly steel to steel, and has the cam over thingy going on..
Did this year model not have a gasket ??
Stove could use some paint, but otherwise it's in great shape, appears to have the original ceramic combuster, with a few small cracks, but overall good shape..

 

[BKVP]

The gasket would be smashed down and quite hard after 11 years. With plate open, there should be a cross piece running left to right in the opening. That cross piece is welded to two of the four gasket retainers. Post a picture or two from flue collar lookking down.

 

[showrguy]

Hi Chris,
thanks for the reply, I'll try and get a picture or 2

 

[jetsam]

If BKs have always had the same level of overfire resistance that mine does, used ones probably avoid the worst of what you see in the used stove market.

 

[showrguy]

I think I got the pictures ??

 

[showrguy]

you can see about a 5/8" line around the passage where the plate sits, kinda looks like a welded area to me ??

 

[BKVP]

I see the gasket. It's just compressed. Call me late next week and I can run you through the process of replacement.

509-522-2730

 

[showrguy]

Thank you, sir..
I will do that..

 

[kennyp2339]

Can someone do a youtube video of the gasket replacement? I want to do mine before the next season.

 

[showrguy]

From what I read in a manual, you have to remove the cat combuster 1st..
I hope that is not the only way, cause this ceramic cat will likely fall apart if I try to remove it..

 

[jetsam]

From what I read in a manual, you have to remove the cat combuster 1st..
I hope that is not the only way, cause this ceramic cat will likely fall apart if I try to remove it..

If the cat has been abused to that extent, you would probably be happier with a new one anyway.

 

[showrguy]

If the cat has been abused to that extent, you would probably be happier with a new one anyway.

The CAT has a few thermal cracks, otherwise it looks like new...
I think the original owner of this stove had no idea how a CAT stove works, or how to operate one...
I think the stove was run in full bypass most of it's life...

I did find where the bypass gasket goes, I started to dig out what was left of it, things are making more sense now...

 

[jetsam]

The CAT has a few thermal cracks, otherwise it looks like new...
I think the original owner of this stove had no idea how a CAT stove works, or how to operate one...
I think the stove was run in full bypass most of it's life.

I'd be concerned with the condition of the bypass retainers then... make sure the bypass opens and closes completely (and replace the gasket, which you were doing anyway).