2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[jetsam]

It's still summer here. Stove's ready.... *tap tap tap*

 

[Beldin]

The stove had been burning in my garage for three days. I have a feeling that I will be needing a few extra cord this year. I did not even have to build a fire until October last year. I'm glad I am updating at least one stove. Two more to go.

 

[Beldin]

 

[Beldin]

To pick a few brains here..have any of you BK users had any trouble with 90 degree elbows on your stoves? I'm lining my chimney with insulated liner also. I will have 16 feet from top of flue up.

 

[Ashful]

I did the dual-45 thing, and no issues here, but I have 29 feet of pipe on that chimney. I have another chimney that's closer to your 16 feet, but it's all straight.

On that shorter chimney, I can't burn quite as low as I can on the longer one, until the weather turns real cold. That means no nice low-and-slow fires on 55F days, on that pipe. On the longer pipe, I burn on the lowest setting on days when outside temps hit 65F.

So, my answer is that you can definitely put a 90 degree bend on a 16 foot pipe, but then you're severely limiting the low range of the stove in warmer weather. Given that this low-and-slow capability for burning long on less-cold days is precisely why most are willing to spend a few extra bucks on a BK, you're sort of negating some part of your investment, by doing this.

I'd go with dual-45's, and then you'll just have to find where your stove is happy running on this pipe. In cold weather, it will not be a very big issue, as draft will be much stronger. But on warmer days, you may experience some stalling at very low settings.

edit: Another option is always extending your chimney a little taller, either continuing up with that unfinished chimney core block I see thru the window, or by transitioning to class-A above the masonry.

 

[Beldin]

I did the dual-45 thing, and no issues here, but I have 29 feet of pipe on that chimney. I have another chimney that's closer to your 16 feet, but it's all straight.

On that shorter chimney, I can't burn quite as low as I can on the longer one, until the weather turns real cold. That means no nice low-and-slow fires on 55F days, on that pipe. On the longer pipe, I burn on the lowest setting on days when outside temps hit 65F.

So, my answer is that you can definitely put a 90 degree bend on a 16 foot pipe, but then you're severely limiting the low range of the stove in warmer weather. Given that this low-and-slow capability for burning long on less-cold days is precisely why most are willing to spend a few extra bucks on a BK, you're sort of negating some part of your investment, by doing this.

I'd go with dual-45's, and then you'll just have to find where your stove is happy running on this pipe. In cold weather, it will not be a very big issue, as draft will be much stronger. But on warmer days, you may experience some stalling at very low settings.

edit: Another option is always extending your chimney a little taller, either continuing up with that unfinished chimney core block I see thru the window, or by transitioning to class-A above the masonry.

Thanks! That was my concern. Draw. We'll I could build a chase up through the knee wall, but being that I am going to be remodeling in the next year...I will go with it. It is snowing hard right now, but I would rather dial it in when the weather is colder anyway. Hopefully I can get 12 hours out of a little warmer burn for now. The house is old and drafty anyway. I've got to drop a few firs, and a large spruce in my yard. That may help draft a little more. I will post a pic of the outside.

 

[Beldin]

 

[Highbeam]

View attachment 200369 View attachment 200369

So what are we looking at there for flue pipe? Is it B-vent, galvanized, stainless, spray painted?

 

[jetsam]

I had a little less height than BK asks for on mine when it was first installed. I added a couple feet of flue, and it's made a huge difference in warm weather. I had some smoke spillage sometimes when reloading in warm weather, which was greatly reduced, and I feel like I can start up faster and burn a little lower now. (I don't understand why better draft matters when you're barely using any air, but I feel like adding the height helped my low burn somehow.)

 

[Beldin]

So what are we looking at there for flue pipe? Is it B-vent, galvanized, stainless, spray painted?

The old NG earth stove is still in the house. I am not removing it until the blaze king goes in. That's four inch galvy you see now. Am I understanding your question correctly? Unfortunately, I'm not very bright. I recently bought this place,

 

[Beldin]

I had a little less height than BK asks for on mine when it was first installed. I added a couple feet of flue, and it's made a huge difference in warm weather. I had some smoke spillage sometimes when reloading in warm weather, which was greatly reduced, and I feel like I can start up faster and burn a little lower now. (I don't understand why better draft matters when you're barely using any air, but I feel like adding the height helped my low burn somehow.)

Thanks jetsam. I may shoot some elevations tomorrow with my lazer. That way I can get a little better measurement. Not that one inch will matter. I would rather do it right the first time.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Thanks jetsam. I may shoot some elevations tomorrow with my lazer. That way I can get a little better measurement. Not that one inch will matter. I would rather do it right the first time.

If those are standard concrete blocks, you have a little over 19 feet from the clean-out to the cap.

 

[Beldin]

They are concrete, but the guy that I bought the house from wasn't well known for his Block work. My camera is terrible but some of those lines are better than an inch. Some are a quarter inch with the grout smeared to look bigger. Good news is that he put the thing on a great footer. Two feet deep with rebar scrap and new motor cycle handle bars in the concrete. My place was the first stihl dealership in town. Kinda funny

 

[Highbeam]

The old NG earth stove is still in the house. I am not removing it until the blaze king goes in. That's four inch galvy you see now. Am I understanding your question correctly? Unfortunately, I'm not very bright. I recently bought this place,

Woops, my fault, I thought that the photo was the BK with a b-vent hooked to it. Now that I look closer the glass is way too big. Get the BK in soon, snow is here!

 

[Ashful]

Unfortunately, I'm not very bright... lazer.

Quick... how do you spell "stimulated"?

 

[SuperJ]

I'm ordering a stove this week. It'll be a Blaze King. I was measuring out some clearances. My wife wants the smaller stove since the room isn't that big where the stove is going and doesn't want to lose any more floor area than she has too. My stove will be mounted at a 45 across a corner.
It looks like Ashford 20/30 will actually take up about the same space in the room (at min clearances due to the corner clearance requirement being 6" on the Ashford 20 and 4" on the 30. This means the 30 can actually sit about 1.5 inches deeper into a corner, which negates it's additional depth, and the width is negated by the reduced corner clearance.

Am I doing my math wrong?

I think the corner clearance will be the limiting factor in a corner install. For the hearth pad it'll be 18"front min, and 8" behind and sides (wondering if this affects corner clearance).

Ashford 20 26.5" wide x 27.125 deep x 6" corner clearance
Ashford 30 29.5" wide x 29.25 deep x 4" corner clearance

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I'm ordering a stove this week. It'll be a Blaze King. I was measuring out some clearances. My wife wants the smaller stove since the room isn't that big where the stove is going and doesn't want to lose any more floor area than she has too. My stove will be mounted at a 45 across a corner.
It looks like Ashford 20/30 will actually take up about the same space in the room (at min clearances due to the corner clearance requirement being 6" on the Ashford 20 and 4" on the 30. This means the 30 can actually sit about 1.5 inches deeper into a corner, which negates it's additional depth, and the width is negated by the reduced corner clearance.

Am I doing my math wrong?

I think the corner clearance will be the limiting factor in a corner install. For the hearth pad it'll be 18"front min, and 8" behind and sides (wondering if this affects corner clearance).

Ashford 20 26.5" wide x 27.125 deep x 6" corner clearance
Ashford 30 29.5" wide x 29.25 deep x 4" corner clearance

Judging by the BK drawings, I think you're probably correct, they will both protrude about the same amount.

I measured for my Chinook 30 very carefully and laid out a template on the hearth. When I moved the actual stove onto the hearth I had more room than the template suggested. There were a couple reasons for this. I think the BK measurements are slightly conservative (small). A bigger reason has to do with where BK illustrates the corner measurement is taken. On the Chinook it is to the corners of the top of the stove. Since the sides are curved, it is narrower at the back corner than the width would indicate. BK does not dimension this width on their drawings so the stove can go deeper into the corner than the full width measurement would indicate.

The Ashford is a little different because BK shows the corner measurement taken from the fan protrusion on the back of the stove. However, the net effect should be the same or greater (because the fans are narrower than the stove width). I'm pretty sure either stove (20 or 30) will fit a little tighter than you think, maybe by as much as 2" or more. I also think the Chinook 30 would fit more compactly than either. But you have to like the clean lines and modern styling, which I do.

Since your surround is non-combustible the 8" behind/side ember protection is met (even though the corner clearance is only 4"-6").

 

[jetsam]

this is VERY hard for me to say but....we installed a h-h-h-heat pump this summer

How the mighty have fallen, from the wild and mighty Tarzan barehanding entire flaming trees across the river and into his stove, to Mister Electric Heater.

I'll have a moment of silence for you when I start burning...

 

[Beldin]

Ok. The dealer I bought the BK from called and flexed their incompetence. That is the only stove I really want, but it looks like I'm back in the market for a stove that has honest, hardworking support staff. Unfortunately the other close dealer for blaze king is too far away. It is part my fault though. The last couple times that I went through that dealer they hacked the propane inserts. Being a building contractor, I just won't refer them to customers, or use them for any new construction. The last two kids they sent out were too young to shave, and when I got into the attic to seal the chase up, the pipe wasn't even connected right. I wonder if Blaze King knows?

 

[Beldin]

Woops, my fault, I thought that the photo was the BK with a b-vent hooked to it. Now that I look closer the glass is way too big. Get the BK in soon, snow is here!

No problem. My phone camera isn't that great. It would be nice to have that much glass in a wood burner. However, I would the first to break it!

 

[Highbeam]

Ok. The dealer I bought the BK from called and flexed their incompetence. That is the only stove I really want, but it looks like I'm back in the market for a stove that has honest, hardworking support staff. Unfortunately the other close dealer for blaze king is too far away. It is part my fault though. The last couple times that I went through that dealer they hacked the propane inserts. Being a building contractor, I just won't refer them to customers, or use them for any new construction. The last two kids they sent out were too young to shave, and when I got into the attic to seal the chase up, the pipe wasn't even connected right. I wonder if Blaze King knows?

Blaze King makes stoves. They have authorized dealers to sell their stoves. The dealer's ability to install a chimney that BK didn't make is probably not that important to BK.

 

[Beldin]

Like I said...I have some fault here also. I knew better but did it anyway. That is stupid on my part. I honestly figured Blaze King was a company like Benchmade knives. Not just anybody can easily become a dealer with them. I really get sick of building. It's getting harder to want to come work on my places too. I'm just gonna order one of those ideal stoves and install myself. That is what I get for getting lazy.
Thanks for stating the obvious high beam. You listen well. I did say that I'm not very bright.

 

[tarzan]

Ok. The dealer I bought the BK from called and flexed their incompetence. That is the only stove I really want, but it looks like I'm back in the market for a stove that has honest, hardworking support staff. Unfortunately the other close dealer for blaze king is too far away. It is part my fault though. The last couple times that I went through that dealer they hacked the propane inserts. Being a building contractor, I just won't refer them to customers, or use them for any new construction. The last two kids they sent out were too young to shave, and when I got into the attic to seal the chase up, the pipe wasn't even connected right. I wonder if Blaze King knows?

The best way to insure the job is done to right is to do it yourself, regardless of what brand you choose. Being a building contractor, you probably knew that.

 

[Beldin]

Yes. However, I know many good contractors that I trust and promote. Thanks everbody.

 

[webby3650]

Don’t give up on a BK because of an incompetent dealer. I’m sure @BKVP would help you out with another dealer if needed. It’s the best stove you could possibly have, don’t lose site of that... For a guided hunt I’d bring one up there myself!