2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[Highbeam]

I occasionally feel like a salesman, but I think you guys are mailing my checks to the wrong address!

On a more serious note, I have a Honda motorcycle and a Honda car, but I don't go onto car enthusiast websites and write about how Hondas are the best vehicles, possessed of features you can't get from another carmaker- because they're not. I think they're good, but I could be just as happy with a Chevy and a Ducati. They do roughly the same stuff roughly as well as the Hondas. BK isn't like that!

The BK really can do things that no other stove can. The closest competitor to BK can only burn half as long which means that the minimum burn rate is twice as high. That's ridiculous and other brands should be ashamed (or perhaps motivated to catch up). Heck, that's like buying a car that can only go 35 mph when the speed limit is 70. The BK can go 70 OR it can go 35.

 

[Highbeam]

I was fooling with the insert last night and felt the bypass was getting a little hard as far as opening and closing. I worked it back and fourth a few times then stuck my hand on the plate just feeling the operation. What surprised me is that several times when I'd go to close the bypass my plate would close wonky on one side and leave a large gap around the gasket. Now my retainers are in place on either side of my cat but I reckon the need for lubricant on the ramp of the bypass rod is causing this. Only thing I can figure is the dry ramp is pulling instead of lifting the bypass straight up and causing the plate to shift side to side. It was enough at one point where the bypass plate came out of the slot on one side which would have been terrible if I had been burning 24/7. Anyhow just something for everyone to check out before we get into the full swing of burning.

That's a big deal. The insert has a somewhat hokey cable system that depends on the weight of the bypass plate since you can't push a rope! Everything has to be perfect for it to work.

 

[Blazing]

That's a big deal. The insert has a somewhat hokey cable system that depends on the weight of the bypass plate since you can't push a rope! Everything has to be perfect for it to work.

Chris is addressing this with me.

 

[SuperJ]

The BK really can do things that no other stove can. The closest competitor to BK can only burn half as long which means that the minimum burn rate is twice as high. That's ridiculous and other brands should be ashamed (or perhaps motivated to catch up). Heck, that's like buying a car that can only go 35 mph when the speed limit is 70. The BK can go 70 OR it can go 35.

I think it's the opposite. Other stoves are like being a car that can only go 70 when the speed limit is 35 (shoulder season). The only way to control the speed is to turn the key off (short fires). Where the BK can just throttle down and shift gears and purr along at 35 without having to turn the key off.

 

[Highbeam]

I think it's the opposite. Other stoves are like being a car that can only go 70 when the speed limit is 35 (shoulder season). The only way to control the speed is to turn the key off (short fires). Where the BK can just throttle down and shift gears and purr along at 35 without having to turn the key off.

That does seem to fit the situation better.

 

[tarzan]

I have ran several stoves over the years and right now I doubt any modern stove could make me happier than I am with the BK Princess that I'm currently running. I doubt I would ever go back to a pure tube stove, just doesn't work well for me. Woodstock makes some interesting stoves but lack of a blower and many of the models I liked not being mobile home approved caused me to move on.

I don't consider myself a fanboy or a booster, but I did do my homework before dropping nearly $3,000 on a wood stove and got the right one for me. Sometimes that happens

 

[BKVP]

A couple years ago you had a burning cycle line graph for the BK king, can you guys please repost that back on your website?

 

[tarzan]

I have a Honda motorcycle and a Honda car,

Hey, me too! Well, the car anyway and I have had a few Honda motorcycle.

I suppose whatever "Tarzan"'image I had left in your imagination is gone now!

 

[SuperJ]

Ashford 30 owners. I'm building a hearth pad for a corner install, I've looked at the dimensions on the website, but since the back of the stove appears to be narrower than the front I suspect the stove will sit a little deeper into a corner than the overall dimensions would suggest.

I'm curious how long your front diagonal is (the distance across the front of the heart pad from wall to wall across the corner, or the distance along each wall your pad goes out. My critical dimensions are going to be the 4 inch corner clearance, 18 stack to wall clearance and the 18 inches in front for ember protection.

I'm surprised that Blaze King publishes minimum clearances, but don't translate that into minimum hearth sizes.

 

[Ashful]

Ashford 30 owners. I'm building a hearth pad for a corner install, I've looked at the dimensions on the website, but since the back of the stove appears to be narrower than the front I suspect the stove will sit a little deeper into a corner than the overall dimensions would suggest.

I'm curious how long your front diagonal is (the distance across the front of the heart pad from wall to wall across the corner, or the distance along each wall your pad goes out. My critical dimensions are going to be the 4 inch corner clearance, 18 stack to wall clearance and the 18 inches in front for ember protection.

I'm surprised that Blaze King publishes minimum clearances, but don't translate that into minimum hearth sizes.

I don't have a corner install, but I do have a couple of Ashford 30's. If you can point me to the question in this post, I'd be happy to answer it.

 

[begreen]

Blaze King recommends double wall stove pipe which has a 6" stack clearance.

 

[Poindexter]

I used an 8' piece of 3" angle iron to bridge the front of the hearth between two walls making the corner. For a previous stove i put in a layer of 3/4 plywood to stiffen the subfloor, then a lauer of micore, then durock, then micore again, then durock again and finally mortared in ceramic tile.

Previous stove required R 2.2 hearth.

My chimney is 18.00" off one wall and 18.75" off the other. Stove is centered under the chimney so the entire exhaust pipe is a straight run.

Rear clearances are fine, even with the fan kit.

I have 22" of hearth in front of the opening of the loading door.

 

[SuperJ]

I don't have a corner install, but I do have a couple of Ashford 30's. If you can point me to the question in this post, I'd be happy to answer it.

Thanks for the offer. If you could get a width across the back of the stove (where the fans are), that would help me. And also the width at the back of the cast top (rather than at the middle bulge). If it's cluttering up this thread feel free to PM me.

And with regards the pipe, yes it will be double wall for sure. I missed the fine print that said 18" was for single wall only. Looks like the vent clearance won't be a factor.

 

[SuperJ]

To answer my own question about hearth pad dimensions. Turns out Blaze King has them on the website, but it's buried in the site tree. The URL says dealer area, but there is a link to them on the public side.
(broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/dealerarea/hearthpad/)
(broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/dealerarea/hearthpad/AF30.1%20clearance%20specs.pdf)
(broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/dealerarea/hearthpad/AF30.1%20corner%20clearance%20with%20ember%20protection.PDF)

 

[begreen]

That's excellent info. Note that the Ashford 20.1's corner clearance pad spec is repeated under the 30.1. This appears to be an error.

 

[SuperJ]

That's excellent info. Note that the Ashford 20.1's corner clearance pad spec is repeated under the 30.1. This appears to be an error.

I noticed that, but it looks like it's just an error in the name of the link, the PDF itself says AF30.1.
Also interesting is that the AF20 needs a larger hearth pad than the AF30 when corner mounted. (58.41" versus 57.58")

 

[Ashful]

Thanks for the offer. If you could get a width across the back of the stove (where the fans are), that would help me. And also the width at the back of the cast top (rather than at the middle bulge). If it's cluttering up this thread feel free to PM me.

Width at back of stove = 24". This is the sheet metal plenums to which the fans mount, extending from flue center back about 8". There is another small protrusion in the middle back of the stove (the thermostat box), but it's only 8" wide, and protrudes about 11" from flue center.

The back corners of the cast top are 27" wide.

 

[SuperJ]

Width at back of stove = 24". This is the sheet metal plenums to which the fans mount, extending from flue center back about 8". There is another small protrusion in the middle back of the stove (the thermostat box), but it's only 8" wide, and protrudes about 11" from flue center.

The back corners of the cast top are 27" wide.

Thanks, that narrow plenum explains why it sits nice and deep in the corner. I'm guessing the thermostat box wouldn't affect corner positioning if it's narrow and in the middle.

 

[Ashful]

Thanks, that narrow plenum explains why it sits nice and deep in the corner. I'm guessing the thermostat box wouldn't affect corner positioning if it's narrow and in the middle.

That's correct. Assuming it's sitting at 45-degrees in a 90-degree corner, the thermostat protrusion will be shy of the layline. It's the corners of the 24" wide plenum, assuming fans don't count, that will be your primary constraint.

 

[Tegbert]

Data like this is why I wish I would have done more research before buying.

Owners of the ashford 30.1, when run on low what is the temp of the stove itself? My current stove full of fuel ran on low will hover around 500 is the ashford around the same?


Lopi Rockport

 

[Highbeam]

Data like this is why I wish I would have done more research before buying.

Owners of the ashford 30.1, when run on low what is the temp of the stove itself? My current stove full of fuel ran on low will hover around 500 is the ashford around the same?


Lopi Rockport

The rockport is a hybrid but still has a max burn time of 10 hours for its 2.15 cubic feet. Pretty much the same as a decent noncat. As such, it must be dumping high amounts of heat into the home at all times and will be running much hotter than the ashford that can burn 30+ hours on a 2.75 CF firebox.

Stove surface temps of a real cat stove on low are highly variable since the source of heat is mostly the cat itself. There is a hot spot on top and the rest is pretty cool.

The Lopi will always be much hotter on low than an ashford on low. To be conservative, the ashford will be half as hot.

 

[Ashful]

Data like this is why I wish I would have done more research before buying.

Owners of the ashford 30.1, when run on low what is the temp of the stove itself? My current stove full of fuel ran on low will hover around 500 is the ashford around the same?


Lopi Rockport

I can rest my hand on it, for at least a short period. With the convection top and blowers going, I'd guess it might be under 200F, but I've never measured it.

Remove the convection deck, and measure the steel firebox right above the cat, I'm sure it will be a few hundred degrees warmer, so what are you calling "temp of the stove"?

 

[Tegbert]

The rockport is a hybrid but still has a max burn time of 10 hours for its 2.15 cubic feet. Pretty much the same as a decent noncat. As such, it must be dumping high amounts of heat into the home at all times and will be running much hotter than the ashford that can burn 30+ hours on a 2.75 CF firebox.

Stove surface temps of a real cat stove on low are highly variable since the source of heat is mostly the cat itself. There is a hot spot on top and the rest is pretty cool.

The Lopi will always be much hotter on low than an ashford on low. To be conservative, the ashford will be half as hot.

Oh it definitely dumps the heat out that’s for sure.

I can rest my hand on it, for at least a short period. With the convection top and blowers going, I'd guess it might be under 200F, but I've never measured it.

Remove the convection deck, and measure the steel firebox right above the cat, I'm sure it will be a few hundred degrees warmer, so what are you calling "temp of the stove"?

My stove is a cast iron jacketed steel stove with a convection top too. So pretty much the outside cast iron I measure on the side of the stove because when the blower is on of course it ends up cooler on top because of it as you know. Definitely can’t touch it probably hardly at all when running after a full load.

Like high beam said it dumps heat out like no other even with the fan off. In the middle of winter when it’s 20 degrees out it’s perfect but this time of year not so much especially when you don’t want to use the baseboard heat.

Pretty much that was the reason for the temp of the stove question if they actually run cooler on low than other stoves and mine.

Lopi Rockport

 

[jetsam]

Pretty much that was the reason for the temp of the stove question if they actually run cooler on low than other stoves and mine.
Lopi Rockport

That's a pretty subjective question with a BK, because the stoves can be dialled very, very low, so each user's minimum setting is based on their wood and their install, not on how low the dial goes.

My minimum setting for keeping the cat active for 24 hours is very low, but it is well above the lowest thermostat setting of the stove. If you pulled my stove out and installed it at somebody else's house, the lowest cat-active setting would not be the same.

I want to burn a load on minimum someday (which will be smoldering the whole load, because the cat will die after 8-12 hours, I'd think), just to see how long it goes.

 

[lsucet]

That thermostat make BK a different animal. it is well put controlling the intake, well designed, well calibrated. giving you an unmatched control over the burn.

https://mffire.com/catalyst-stove/
I was looking into this site the other day and when it looks good and cool, the efficiency and burn times disappoint me. including the BK 20 series do better than that