2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[mellow]

I got to see an Ashford 30 for the first time the other week, BK's are rare around here. That thing is a lot bigger in person than it looks in the pictures, a lot deeper than I thought. If only it was rear vent as that would be sweet sitting in my fireplace as well.

 

[Stump shot]

Getting ticked off now. I don't know what the heck to do. I've spent so much money on this set up, and it still continues to smoke worse than my 1984 lopi slammer in my pic. I've done everything I can think of. Replaced everything I know to replace. Either there's a crack in the stove letting smoke bypass the cat, or something is up. My new liner isn't gonna last a year like this. It's sticky wet like crap in my stove building up, yet right now it's very volatile in there. Almost scary since my cat keeps glowing too much for my liking, so I open the bypass, and damp it down more. If I give it a little air, it wants to act like it's got burn tubes. That's not wet, that's lets burn mode. Feels great in here, but I go outside, and white smoke it billowing out.I'm running this stove the way it's supposed to be ran, slow and steady, and smokey, and the cat is supposed to do it's job eating the smoke and making heat. Well, it's getting plenty red hot, so I don't know where all this smoke is coming from. I'll make a vid of it when it's cold enough during the day to try this out. I get to the point I just wanna open the bypass and let er burn HOT and clean. The ONLY other thing I can think of is that I used regular caulk/silicone mix up on the chimney cap, between the top plate and the liner coming through to block any air getting out. Maybe that's getting super hot and smoking, but I doubt it.

Bought a tester. left, center, and right after splitting. 15, 16, 13.2. Average that out.

White smoke is the moisture being driven out of the wood. This is typical for the first few hours of the burn. Check the stack after a few hours and I bet it will be good to go.

 

[Ashful]

My new liner isn't gonna last a year like this. It's sticky wet like crap in my stove building up, yet right now it's very volatile in there... That's not wet, that's lets burn mode. Feels great in here, but I go outside, and white smoke it billowing out.

Smoke is usually black. Steam is white. Steam comes from wet wood.

Have you tested your wood using a moisture meter? Describe your procedure for an accurate reading.

 

[Ashful]

I got to see an Ashford 30 for the first time the other week... That thing is a lot bigger in person than it looks in the pictures.

That depends on the fireplace in which the picture was taken.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Split one in two. It's all already split pretty small so it would dry faster last year. One side measured what I posted before with the three measurements. The other side of the split tested 30 percent in areas, so it's like my wood has water "veins" in it. It was stringy when I split it and pretty wet. Lots of it grew mold while drying in my basement. Mostly poplar. When I went up to the roof last night to check out the cap, I noticed it was only half smoke smelling ish if that makes sense, but almost steamish feeling. Like not pure smoke. The 18 inch extension and cap was just Luke warm. Not hot.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Just purchased a new T stat. Said it takes them 4 days to ship it out, so hopefully it's not coming from the south pole and a month out. Little more than I thought it would be. Been waiting for a month on the T stat knob. Guess the new T stat comes with a knob.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I don't have any smoking problems unless I don't wait long enough before opening the door.

Well I spoke too soon I guess. When I got ready for bed I knew I would have to add some wood for the night. So I shut off the fan opened the by-pass and opened the thermos wide open. Now knowing it has been burning low and slow I tell myself to let it run a few minutes before I open the door and do it slowly when I do. So naturally I wait about 40 seconds and begin to open the door bad idea smoke and quite a bit of it. So now in the future when I add wood I will set the timer to 5-10 minutes then open the door I think it needed time for the flames to come up and burn off the in stove gases . If I had waited a few minutes instead of 30 seconds I think all would have been well. I am naturally a "in a hurry type of person" so I blame me!

 

[edyit]

New sofa, strategically placed between office tv and stove.

View attachment 185397


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

looks like someone has already claimed the seat

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Split one in two. It's all already split pretty small so it would dry faster last year. One side measured what I posted before with the three measurements. The other side of the split tested 30 percent in areas, so it's like my wood has water "veins" in it. It was stringy when I split it and pretty wet. Lots of it grew mold while drying in my basement. Mostly poplar. When I went up to the roof last night to check out the cap, I noticed it was only half smoke smelling ish if that makes sense, but almost steamish feeling. Like not pure smoke. The 18 inch extension and cap was just Luke warm. Not hot.

Not to sound like a know it all,.. but if your smoke was heavy with steam and your wood measured 30% you may now know at least some of your problems.

I have a half a "Gadillion" cords of Poplar on my land, I have to say I have never tried it for fire wood .I have too much other better woods I guess. I know a man that has almost all poplar on his land and that is what they have always burned I am talking 50 years or so. I kind of thought he was crazy to burn poplar but his son and I are great friends and one day he said well what are ya gonna do ? it's all dad has really and It does work.

I guess my point is wood well seasoned wood will burn fine some takes longer than others Ash is quick to season low moisture content to begin with. Yellow birch is slower to season much denser wood . I have always cut my wood in the winter and burned it the following fall for 35 years or more that is the way all my family does it and I have had no issues. I have used a old Modern Glenwood, an Ashley, and Old Mill . Now I use a BK.
I will tell you this though wood tree length does not really dry nor does wood sawn to stove length and left in the round not as good anyway as it would have if split open. If you want your wood to dry cut it down pull it to an open sunny place and saw and split it as soon as possible let the air get to it and You will be fine.
My cousin had some wood mold one year in his cellar,.. it was a very rainy summer and fall and by the time he got his wood in,.. it was saturated. I grew very pretty shade of blue and gray mold while in his cellar even though once the furnace got going and it was 85 * there because it was it was put up very very wet and in the round.

 

[becasunshine]

Hello!

Considering the first fire of the season. Staring at the stove. Staring at the HVAC t-stat. And the t-stats on the other THREE WEATHER STATIONS we have around here (plus a NOAA weather radio.)

Last night it was in the mid-forties outside. The house was in the low 60s when we got up. Now in the mid-60s. Tonight is supposed to be in the upper 40s.

Thiiiiiinking about it... thiiiiinking...

 

[Woody harrelson]

Hello!

Considering the first fire of the season. Staring at the stove. Staring at the HVAC t-stat. And the t-stats on the other THREE WEATHER STATIONS we have around here (plus a NOAA weather radio.)

Last night it was in the mid-forties outside. The house was in the low 60s when we got up. Now in the mid-60s. Tonight is supposed to be in the upper 40s.

Thiiiiiinking about it... thiiiiinking...

DO IT, DO IT!

 

[becasunshine]

DO IT, DO IT!

THANK YOU!

Thank you, Woody!

I was all, "GEEZ, WHERE ARE THESE GUYS AND GIRLS ALREADY???"

Obviously at these temps we *could* rely on the heat pump, but I'm so ready for a wood stove fire! <:3~

 

[Woody harrelson]

THANK YOU!

Thank you, Woody!

I was all, "GEEZ, WHERE ARE THESE GUYS AND GIRLS ALREADY???"

Obviously at these temps we *could* rely on the heat pump, but I'm so ready for a wood stove fire! <:3~

Need a picture for verification of said first fire of season

 

[becasunshine]

Need a picture for verification of said first fire of season

I'm thinking wood stove, a little Jack Daniels and a flannel nightgown. And some mindless t.v. Dog sleeping on his bed. Husband "resting his eyes on the sofa." <:3~

And a picture. For y'all.

It's absolutely luxurious to *consider* lighting the stove when the house is in the 60's as opposed to walking into a house that's as low as 50' at 9pm-ish, who knows what temp outside and who knows how low it will go, and bringing the house and everything in it up to comfortable room temps. While unpacking the car and the cooler and dealing with A LABBIE WHO IS VERY HAPPY TO BE IN THE COUNTRY/AT THE RIVER AFTER A WEEK IN TOWN O.M.G. <:3~ That's when we were still traveling back and forth, heating the house in town with pellets and heating the house here with wood.

This living full time with a wood stove is kinda nice!

 

[kf6hap]

White steam can easily look like black smoke in the wrong light.

 

[becasunshine]

But first, a gorgeous early fall sunset for all of y'all. Yes, it is getting chilly out there!

 

[Woody harrelson]

I'm thinking wood stove, a little Jack Daniels and a flannel nightgown. And some mindless t.v. Dog sleeping on his bed. Husband "resting his eyes on the sofa." <:3~

And a picture. For y'all.

It's absolutely luxurious to *consider* lighting the stove when the house is in the 60's as opposed to walking into a house that's as low as 50' at 9pm-ish, who knows what temp outside and who knows how low it will go, and bringing the house and everything in it up to comfortable room temps. While unpacking the car and the cooler and dealing with A LABBIE WHO IS VERY HAPPY TO BE IN THE COUNTRY/AT THE RIVER AFTER A WEEK IN TOWN O.M.G. <:3~ That's when we were still traveling back and forth, heating the house in town with pellets and heating the house here with wood.

This living full time with a wood stove is kinda nice!

I remember last year when you were working on getting it all figured out. Heating the house full time with wood is the only way to go. It will be a lot more enjoyable not having to start with such a cold house

 

[becasunshine]

First fire of the season. <:3~

 

[drz1050]

Well I spoke too soon I guess. When I got ready for bed I knew I would have to add some wood for the night. So I shut off the fan opened the by-pass and opened the thermos wide open. Now knowing it has been burning low and slow I tell myself to let it run a few minutes before I open the door and do it slowly when I do. So naturally I wait about 40 seconds and begin to open the door bad idea smoke and quite a bit of it. So now in the future when I add wood I will set the timer to 5-10 minutes then open the door I think it needed time for the flames to come up and burn off the in stove gases . If I had waited a few minutes instead of 30 seconds I think all would have been well. I am naturally a "in a hurry type of person" so I blame me!

You could also just crack the door and leave it like that for a bit before opening it, that helps to get the flue going. Just barely a crack makes a big difference- still latched, but not locked down.

 

[Mr. Jones]

OK, I just split my already split wood into large kindeling pieces, and tested them. 20 percent was the highest on like one, and most were 15 ish with the low around 13. Maybe it's the bark that's still wet. It's stringy like on this poplar. Maybe it will burn off the moisture faster being split so small. Guess we'll find out tonight. Our first freeze warning in the early am.
One thing I need to do better is damper it down slower. What happens is I have a raging fire going trying to burn out the moisture. Then I close the bypass, and damp it down. The flames go out, and all the sudden the box fills with cat fuel, and the thing glows like crazy, until it starts to smolder less after some time, and finally stops glowing. What I hate about charring the wood first is half the fuel and burn time goes right up the chimney. Not used to having to do that.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Ever seen the cat glow bright enough to light up the floor in front of the stove?

 

[BKVP]

Ever seen the cat glow bright enough to light up the floor in front of the stove? View attachment 185488

Many, many times.

 

[Scoutin Wyo]

Mr. Jones,
My cat lights up the living room floor very often.
On your process of dampening down, I would suggest you try a slower method. The king in my old house had a less than ideal chimney setup and I burned only pine, both of which could create a fuel rich environment that could flash ignite and burp smoke in the house. It was cured by slowing my roll on the T-stat. I would start fire, once caught I could latch the loading door with bypass open and Stat at full throttle. Then once in active zone drop the bypass, let burn on high for 20, then only move the t-stat down from 3 to 2-1/2, let sit for 15 minutes, then down to 2, which was my cruising temp in that house. You really aren't sending that many btu's up the pipe when you run on high for 20 minutes charring and driving out moisture. I know it feels weird but it really does help these stoves run longer and hotter.
Good luck and keep up the experiments!

Sent from my GT-I9295 using Tapatalk

 

[mellow]

Many, many times.

You're either on the road or you are really an early riser, don't think I could think straight at 5:30am, let alone post on here

 

[Ashful]

First fire of the season. <:3~

What? Where's that flannel nightgown?

First fire of the season, two nights ago, in Ashful house.