2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[BKVP]

What's the event? It looks like the State Fair ended yesterday. I see there is horse jumping scheduled and a clothing consignment event on the 15/16th.

The fair runs through September 24th. In Puyallup.

 

[Dieselhead]

Has anyone ever installed a BK with a 7" flue? If so, which one? I know 6" is recommended for most models, and 8" for the King, but I've got an Earth stove that needs replaced that has a lot of existing 7" class A in good shape. I'd hate to buy a bunch of new chimney.

I run approx 24' of 7" Class A on my king ultra. I was in the same boat as you with 3 year old double wall from a previous install. I have no issues as far as I know. I get around 18 hours on a full load of hardwood with the thermostat around the 2:30 position. Only got the elusive 24 hr burn once. Not sure if it's because I run the 7" or it's something else. Either way it's better then the 4 hour reloads I was getting with my old ZC.

 

[Highbeam]

I run approx 24' of 7" Class A on my king ultra. I was in the same boat as you with 3 year old double wall from a previous install. I have no issues as far as I know. I get around 18 hours on a full load of hardwood with the thermostat around the 2:30 position. Only got the elusive 24 hr burn once. Not sure if it's because I run the 7" or it's something else. Either way it's better then the 4 hour reloads I was getting with my old ZC.

You say you have the king but I think you might have the princess model. The king requires 8" minimum and is rated for 40 hours!

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

The fair runs through September 24th. In Puyallup.

I see. The Evergreen State Fair is in Monroe. Which is why I was confused.

 

[Dieselhead]

You say you have the king but I think you might have the princess model. The king requires 8" minimum and is rated for 40 hours!

It has the burn time of a princess! Rated and what each individual user gets are definitely 2 different things.

 

[Poindexter]

For august 2017 at sea tac airport the ave temp was 70.3 df and the average rh was 61%.

W2.weather.gov/climate blah blah

If you have your wood up off the ground and keep (kept) the rain off it long enough, it should (will) reach an emc of 11 % in an august like 2017.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

For august 2017 at sea tac airport the ave temp was 70.3 df and the average rh was 61%.

W2.weather.gov/climate blah blah

If you have your wood up off the ground and keep (kept) the rain off it long enough, it should (will) reach an emc of 11 % in an august like 2017.

Sea-Tac has a much different climate than here. I'm literally in a rain forest. All the rocks are covered in thick moss. Ferns grow on the rocks. Wood that has been in the rain for even two years is rotting and covered in fungus.

 

[kennyp2339]

Rain day here today, when I get home I'm going to install the new cat, go over and check my gaskets, adjust anything that needs to be adjusted and then wait for the cold.
I'm starting to get a little excited for the upcoming burning season.

 

[Ashful]

Sea-Tac has a much different climate than here. I'm literally in a rain forest. All the rocks are covered in thick moss. Ferns grow on the rocks. Wood that has been in the rain for even two years is rotting and covered in fungus.

Woody, you can stop now. We don't need more reasons to dislike the left coast... we have enough already.

 

[Ashful]

It has the burn time of a princess! Rated and what each individual user gets are definitely 2 different things.

True, but in my very limited experience, the BK ratings seem conservative. I can easily and repeatedly get 20% longer than the rated burn time on my Ashfords.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Woody, you can stop now. We don't need more reasons to dislike the left coast... we have enough already.

I try to dissuade, but people keep coming here in droves!

 

[jetsam]

It has the burn time of a princess! Rated and what each individual user gets are definitely 2 different things.

I think BK's a little conservative with their claims. They claim 27 hours on low for my stove, and I can get that with wood that is nowhere near as dry as what they ask for.

Maximum burn times are not really something you care about in the middle of the winter anyway, but it sure is nice to have a stove that goes that low in spring and fall.

 

[Highbeam]

For august 2017 at sea tac airport the ave temp was 70.3 df and the average rh was 61%.

W2.weather.gov/climate blah blah

If you have your wood up off the ground and keep (kept) the rain off it long enough, it should (will) reach an emc of 11 % in an august like 2017.

Dang, I'll need to go water my wood to get it back up to 15%!

 

[Highbeam]

I think BK's a little conservative with their claims. They claim 27 hours on low for my stove, and I can get that with wood that is nowhere near as dry as what they ask for.

Maximum burn times are not really something you care about in the middle of the winter anyway, but it sure is nice to have a stove that goes that low in spring and fall.

I care about max burn time all winter. My stove seems to fit my home very well with 95% of burning hours on the lowest setting. This isn't a noncat, no rollercoaster temps are desired in the home. Those few weeks that we're in the teens or single digits, I do crank her up!

Maybe you need two bk stoves for some reserve power!

 

[BeachBumm]

I care about max burn time all winter. My stove seems to fit my home very well with 95% of burning hours on the lowest setting.

When running your BK so low, how is the creosote in your chimney or in your chimney cap?

 

[Highbeam]

When running your BK so low, how is the creosote in your chimney or in your chimney cap?

When the cat is working fine I get a normal amount of dry, flakey, black debris at the cap and a couple feet down my class a system. Easily brushed down once per year. A normal amount is maybe 1/8" after burning 9 months of the year. Same as my noncat hearthstone on the same chimney but those deposits were brown.

If you try and run low with a dead cat and ignore or misinterpret the obvious symptoms then your flue cap will be coated with black, wet, goo. I made that mistake last year.

These cat stoves run cleanest and most efficiently at low burn rates.

 

[jetsam]

Maybe you need two bk stoves for some reserve power!

One princess insert is in fact undersized for what I ask it to do (2300sf, 10' ceiling in the stove room, no other heat sources). No shock there, says so right in the pamphlet.

The original plan was for that insert to be backup heat to lower the oil bill somewhat; I was surprised to find that it could do the whole job.

I don't think two stoves is in the cards, but I would like to tear out that fireplace and put a freestanding King there someday. Right now I reload every 24 hours in shoulder season, increasing to maybe 4x a day in real cold weather. A king would need half of that loading...

 

[begreen]

One princess insert is in fact undersized for what I ask it to do (2300sf, 10' ceiling in the stove room, no other heat sources). No shock there, says so right in the pamphlet.

I don't think two stoves is in the cards, but I would like to tear out that fireplace and put a freestanding King there someday. Right now I reload every 24 hours in shoulder season, increasing to maybe 4x a day in real cold weather. A king would need half of that loading...

Thanks for the honest assessment.

 

[jetsam]

Thanks for the honest assessment.

I also live on an island, so my "real cold weather" is warmer than inland "real cold weather" at the same latitude... for example here's a town in the middle of LI...

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USNY1348

...and a town in Iowa at about the same latitude...

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USIA0598
http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=USIA0598
Put this house in Maine and I'd be reloading 10 times a day in "real cold weather". =D

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I used the grease/paste. It's thick stuff and needs to stay put as much as possible in the heat.

What "disks" are you referring to? I have a 2 year old Free standing Princess. Just curious Jeff

 

[jetsam]

What "disks" are you referring to? I have a 2 year old Free standing Princess. Just curious Jeff

I wondered that too. I just lubed up my Princess's door latch (thought I was going to have to drill that roll pin out but it broke free eventually, lubed it to make it easier next time), the door hinges which were extremely easy, and the thread rod/nut that is the door gasket adjuster.

Speaking of door adjustment, with the latch adjustment tightened up to the point that you need a little force to close the door, I still have one spot where the dollar bill test is borderline failing.

Is there a suggested way to increase one part of the gasket's height a tiny bit without messing with the rest of it? I guess I could shim behind it with a piece of steel flashing and gasket cement?

Honestly, it's not an issue now (I can already set the thermostat so low the fire goes out, so whatever air is getting through there is an ok amount), but as the gasket wears and thins, I could see it becoming one.

 

[Highbeam]

What "disks" are you referring to? I have a 2 year old Free standing Princess. Just curious Jeff

In the thermostat housing there are these bent disc friction washers that hold your setting. They get scratchy so a dab of lube returns the adjustment to a smooth one. At least that's what I thought he meant.

 

[kennyp2339]

Did a test run of the princess last night, It was 48 deg at 7pm here, house felt a little chilly, so I loaded her up with poplar and a maple split. The new cat I put in functioned very well, beautiful red glow, turned the t-stat down and gave my clean window a nice glaze of black. I'm ready for the burning season.
14hrs later, still have about 2 splits left in there, active cat... back in the saddle with the alien technology

 

[w00zy]

It's about a month early, but it was 60 in the house this morning and 40 outside...

 

[Jeff in Maine]

In the thermostat housing there are these bent disc friction washers that hold your setting. They get scratchy so a dab of lube returns the adjustment to a smooth one. At least that's what I thought he meant.

ok thanks knock on wood mine is still very smooth