2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[Mr. Jones]

Hey, I want that gage. Actually, thanks. Now I know high noon is 1k degrees. The glass or lexand or whatever it is is actually bubbled on the lower sides like it's been too hot, or just old from previous owner. No big deal for now in the shoulder season on smoulder burns, but maybe when its time to crank her up with flames full time, id like a nice clean and smooth piece of glass i can clean. It also looks like it's really two pieces of glass sandwiched together. On my other stove, I'd use easy off oven cleaner. Let it sit 20 min, and it all just wiped off totally clean.

 

[tarzan]

I clean the glass on mine.......every spring.

 

[mellow]

Most will run their cat 1000F to 1500F, in other brand stoves

Correct, my Appalachian purrs along at 1250-1500, sometimes higher depending on the wood but it has not damaged the cat.

 

[Ashful]

That "glass" should be clear ceramic. It's going to take temperatures that would melt your stove to a puddle, before it's damaged. If you bought this stove used, best be sure it wasn't replaced with some inferior material.


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[kf6hap]

Dip a wet paper towel in ashes and use the slurry to remove the window grunge. I don't bother with the corners though. Finish with a clean damp cloth. Use the rags several times then let them dry out and use them for starting.

Mr Jones. This is an excellent article about cats from BKVP himself. Loaded with information. A must read.

http://www.chimneysweepnews.com/Combustors.htm

Enjoy

 

[kf6hap]

Mine has Blaze King etched into it. Does anybody know if all stoves have this?

 

[webby3650]

Mine has Blaze King etched into it. Does anybody know if all stoves have this?

Yes, all current models do, Seems like the earlier models did not though.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Ok, Started a fire. About 15 to 20 min in on high, I close the bypass as the guage says it's ready. Two min later, this is what's coming out. It's a little blue in color. Still on high.


I let it run another 15 min on high, and slowly damped it down over another 10 min. Once I got it back to fully closed, with the exception of the small hole drilled in the piece of metal that blocks the air. I'm now at the lowest setting, and it's just cruising where I want it to being warmer out and raining in the shoulder season. It's 50 out. Here's a pic when the stove is 3/4 to high on the gage, and running on low. Notice the smoke is more white?

It must still be a little wet.

 

[kf6hap]

The top picture is mainly steam with some smoke. The bottom picture is just steam. Notice how it magically disappears after a short distance? Steam, normal. Bring 3 days of wood in the house, if possible. Let it dry, using the oldest wood first. Nice looking wood racks are not too costly.

 

[Mr. Jones]

The top picture is mainly steam with some smoke. The bottom picture is just steam. Notice how it magically disappears after a short distance? Steam, normal. Bring 3 days of wood in the house, if possible. Let it dry, using the oldest wood first. Nice looking wood racks are not too costly.

It's been in my basement since last fall. It grew mold. I opened two windows and put a box fan in one to draw dry hot air all summer long to address the mold growing problem. Again, it tests between 15 to 20 percent, with a few in the 30 percent. Maybe there's a few in the 30's lurking in the pile. To compensate, Iv'e started to split them again, so they're basically extra large kindling pieces now. That way I can try and drive most of the moisture out in the initial burn before I close the by pass.

Lol, I don't feel like such a nut having a fire with it being in the 50's, since I saw another neighbor having a fire while on my roof.

 

[BKVP]

I would like to remind readers of this thread of two items:

1) Fan air across the stove can result in false readings. Please take readings 15-20 minutes after turning off fans.

2) Bimetal catalytic thermometers are not scientific equipment. They provide a level of consumer awareness only. You may have noted our have no actual temps. This is because the accuracy from thermometer to thermometer can vary as well as most having a margin of error compared to the actual use of thermocouples.

 

[Ashful]

It's been in my basement since last fall. It grew mold. I opened two windows and put a box fan in one to draw dry hot air all summer long to address the mold growing problem. Again, it tests between 15 to 20 percent, with a few in the 30 percent. Maybe there's a few in the 30's lurking in the pile. To compensate, Iv'e started to split them again, so they're basically extra large kindling pieces now. That way I can try and drive most of the moisture out in the initial burn before I close the by pass.

Lol, I don't feel like such a nut having a fire with it being in the 50's, since I saw another neighbor having a fire while on my roof.

Opening a basement window is counterproductive, as that hot summer air contains more water than the air in your house. Best to keep wood outdoors drying, at least until fall, and keep your basement sealed against that humid summer air!


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[Woody Stover]

It's been in my basement since last fall. It grew mold.

Ah, once the mushrooms burned off, the exhaust got white.

 

[Poindexter]

@Mr. Jones , post 408 above is a lot wetter than 14.x % average MC. I agree with @kf6hap the second pic shows a steam plume, esp give reported outdoor ambient of +50dF.

Have you downloaded the manual from bk website? I havent read them all, but i expect the manual will tell you to get the stove up to temp, close the bypass door, then run the load on the high tstat setting for 30 minutes before turning the tsat down.

Running 30 minutes on high will boil a LOT of water out of your wood, and give you likely a much smaller steam plume.

Having reviewed the last few pages my understanding is you bought a used bk. You have had to replace the cat, your bypass door is warped, the front glas on your stove is bubbled, and the wood you seasoned in the basement is measuring 14-30%mc.

It is not clear to me if you are running the cat probe that came with the stove, or a new one.

Is the roof of your firebox plumb and square where the bypass door seats?

How much is a replacement bypass door from bk?

How much is replacement loading door glass from bk?

My general impression, unless i have missed something important, is that you have bought a stove that was run time and again with the bypass door and likely also the loading door open.

When your bypass door is closed with the lever fully cammed over to the locked position, a good seal will not let you have the whole bill. You should either be tearing the bill or have to open the bypass door to get your money back. "Pretty sure" is not a passing score.

 

[Mr. Jones]

It's nowhere near tearing a bill tight, but it's uniform now and takes more pull than it did before. Not sure what this cam over means, and not sure how anything would make a click noise. It's not designed to physically push down on the damper. It simply rests it's weight in top. There may be a "thud" noise if I close it fast onto the gasket, but definitely no click noise. I doubt getting a new gasket area is even an option, as one would have to saw the top of the stove off, then grind that gasket retainer off, and weld everything back together. Not happening.

 

[Scoutin Wyo]

Pointdexter, remember he is running an insert. I don't think they cam over. Not sure though since I'm a free stander princess guy.

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[Mr. Jones]

Just started a second small load today. Starting to get the hang of it with charring the wood longer, and damping down slower in increments, instead of all at once. I'm definitely happy with these long burn times on tiny loads of wood with such low BTU, poplar. Can't imagine if I had some large logs of dry Osage orange.

 

[claybe]

It's nowhere near tearing a bill tight, but it's uniform now and takes more pull than it did before. Not sure what this cam over means, and not sure how anything would make a click noise. It's not designed to physically push down on the damper. It simply rests it's weight in top. There may be a "thud" noise if I close it fast onto the gasket, but definitely no click noise. I doubt getting a new gasket area is even an option, as one would have to saw the top of the stove off, then grind that gasket retainer off, and weld everything back together. Not happening.

I have a princess insert and when I close the damper the lever goes down and then I push it down a little further and it "clicks" which seals it shut and it is a little difficult to pull a dollar through it. You might see if you are able to push it down a little further or if something is blocking it from closing all the way. Yours might not click either, but mine does

Also, I never look at my cat. I load it, watch the cat thermometer, when it is active or near, close the damper and turn the thermostat down to half and let it sit for a while, then turn it down to the desired setting. And, I have found I have to keep mine on the 3rd dot (I don't have numbers or a swoosh) for it to run optimally. I hardly ever run it on low. Maybe during shoulder season, but very seldom. I am sure you will figure it out!


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[jetsam]

Pointdexter, remember he is running an insert. I don't think they cam over. Not sure though since I'm a free stander princess guy.

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My princess insert doesn't have a cam on the latch handle. I'll try to remember to take a picture when I get home tonight.

Though if you want to get technical, you could probably make an argument for the latch itself being a face cam...

 

[BKVP]

Pointdexter, remember he is running an insert. I don't think they cam over. Not sure though since I'm a free stander princess guy.

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Yes, they cam over.

 

[BKVP]

Just started a second small load today. Starting to get the hang of it with charring the wood longer, and damping down slower in increments, instead of all at once. I'm definitely happy with these long burn times on tiny loads of wood with such low BTU, poplar. Can't imagine if I had some large logs of dry Osage orange.

Post some pictures of your insert and chimney please.

 

[Mr. Jones]

There's two pics of my chimney at the top about 10 posts up. There's a pic of the insert about a page back. So is this supposed to push down on the block off plate with force when it cams over? Like I said, when I had it all out, and replacing the gasket, I watched the operation of it. The bar that goes through the loop deal that's welded to the bypass damper just sits there about an inch or so above touching anything, floating freely when I'm engaged all the way. Unless there's some part missing up in there, I don't know how it could magically push down on the damper.

 

[Poindexter]

The loop thing welded to the upper surface of the bypass door is the "ramp".

The operating rod is controlled by the bypass lever outside the stove.

When you operate the bypass lever to open the bypass door the operating rod should engage the ramp to lift the bypass door, opening the firebox directly to the chimney, bypassing the combustor.

When you move the lever the other way the operating rod should rub against the ramp in a way that causes the bypass door to rest on the bypass door gasket.

When the lever pushed a little bit further the operating rod should interact with the ramp in a way that locks the bypass door firmly against the gasket. In this condition the bypass door should be airtight.

 

[Mr. Jones]

Wish mine camed over and applied pressure to the damper. She don't though. It's installed, cemented in and done for now. Either it's melted up there, or something broke off. I dunno. If I remember right, there was still half an inch or more before it would push down on anything. I doubt tightening the bolt would get the welded ramp to move a full inch.

 

[Ashful]

Is it just tightened to a point where you can't get to / pass the top arc of the cam?