2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[WoodyIsGoody]

Seasoned burners sometimes have difficulty believing the thermostatic control actually works when stoves of the past would rage out of control every time you stood up to change the channel.

Wow! You are old enough to remember when you had to stand up to change the channel? Just kidding, me too!

Then you probably remember those early remotes that were called "clickers" for short? You know, could you hand me the clicker? Because you couldn't select a new channel directly, you could only click up or down. And a loud click it was. Of course this wasn't as big of an issue as it sounds because there were only 12 channels!

But I didn't know anyone who could get more than 4 or 5 of them!

Before that we didn't have a TV. Because TV's cost a lot of money!

 

[kf6hap]

Those clickers were actually ultrasonic xylophones. Zenith "Space Command" remotes.

In a few days, when i start burning, rather than playing the how fast light-off game the new one is how short can you get to water clear.

 

[Highbeam]

In a few days, when i start burning, rather than playing the how fast light-off game the new one is how short can you get to water clear.

Which to me is the goal, how long until stealth mode. Looking forward to your results.

Oh and I grew up with big wooden console TVs with no remote, a noisy knob, attic antenna with that flat tape cable, and tubes inside. Probably not as old as some of you guys but my father was also an engineer and wouldn't upgrade until the thing broke!

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Which to me is the goal, how long until stealth mode. Looking forward to your results.

I might need a roof cam because it's gets old running outside to check. Or maybe I should go low-tech with a big mirror in my yard.

 

[kf6hap]

My Dad worked on RADAR in the war (Navy), so our TVs in the 50s were repaired units nobody wanted. We got color in '65.

I have it easy as the flue stack hat is visible from a sky light. Will keep you posted.

 

[Ashful]

Guys, Highbeam has it, you cannot overfire a BK in proper working order. Trust me, I will run mine at full wide-open throttle on occasional cold weekends, when I’m not shooting for extended burn times. My house has a near-infinite ability to soak up heat, at least on the scale one can produce from wood stoves.

The t’stat works at all settings, and will always keep the stove from over-firing, provided you maintain your gaskets in good order.

 

[kf6hap]

I too have run mine floored. No runaway.

 

[Poindexter]

If you couldnt run it at the top of the swoosh, they would have made the swoosh smaller.

My A30 has been running at the top of the swoosh 24/7 from thanksgiving to valentines day since back before the swoosh when the labels had meaningless numbers on them.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Guys, Highbeam has it, you cannot overfire a BK in proper working order. Trust me, I will run mine at full wide-open throttle on occasional cold weekends, when I’m not shooting for extended burn times.

That's true, unless you leave the door open accidently. Then you can get over-fire city! So don't become too complacent.

But yeah, with the door closed and everything in good working order, impossible to over-fire it using typical cordwood. In fact, mine shuts down more than necessary. But I don't think it's going to be a problem with the size of my place (about 1200-1300 sq. ft) even on one of those days when the arctic weather pattern has settled over the region and the wind is stiff.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Your stove won’t overfire unless the door gasket is bad or you leave the bypass open.

Even with your bypass left open the thermostat will turn the intake air down to minimum if temperatures approach over-fire. You might burn up your bypass gasket but that's not what "over-firing" is.

 

[kf6hap]

It might also be true that even with the thermostat stuck in full open, overfire might not occur due to the small opening size. Engineered in anti-runaway?

 

[Heftiger]

Does anybody know the serial number range for the ash pan mod for the Ashford? I make a mess every time I try and use it. I’m wondering if it’s just me or if mine needs the mod.


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[WoodyIsGoody]

It might also be true that even with the thermostat stuck in full open, overfire might not occur due to the small opening size. Engineered in anti-runaway?

That intake is large enough to pass quite a lot of air when the thermostat is fully open if you have a strong draft. Over-firing doesn't take a huge amount of intake area due to the fact that a strong draft can increase intake velocity several fold.

 

[jetsam]

It might also be true that even with the thermostat stuck in full open, overfire might not occur due to the small opening size. Engineered in anti-runaway?

If the thermostat was stuck full open, it'd be fine.

If the air flapper that the thermostat controls was stuck full open, it could be a different story. Looking at the way mine is designed, that's not a very likely outcome.

I think if the diameter of the air intake was itself an overfire protection, your maximum burn rate would be unimpressive and you'd need to have the door open to start a load- I don't find either one to be true on my stove.

 

[Sailrmike]

Yep. The thermostat is an active device designed to do safely regulate the temperature. This is not unlike people with regular furnaces going to sleep at night while their furnaces turn on and off.

It's only a bi-metalic coil. And there's a severe delay I found.

 

[Highbeam]

It's only a bi-metalic coil. And there's a severe delay I found.

Both intentional and really good things. Some fancy wood furnaces and boilers do the same thing with exhaust gas temperature sensors, servo motors, control boards, and other electronics. Some can even be controlled with wifi! Thermostatic control is such an obvious stove feature that it's really shameful that only BK does it on stoves.

 

[kf6hap]

The thermostatic response delay helps prevent "hunting or oscillation". This permits a a higher gain thermostatic element to be used to hold the temperature setting to tighter limits. It is a well planned and executed proportional controller.

 

[SuperJ]

Thermostatic control is such an obvious stove feature that it's really shameful that only BK does it on stoves.

I saw Vermont Casting was advertising they had some sort of thermostatic control, but I dismissed them based on historically poor reviews. Based on your signature it looks like you owned an Encore that would've had that feature.

 

[kf6hap]

Mine operated very poorly. The thermostat was basically an anti-rage-out-of-control device. Other people had good luck and liked their stove. The labyrinth leading to the cat took 1/2 hr to heat up so start-up was a lengthy smoky process and is one reason why I appreciate the BK so much.

 

[SuperJ]

Mine operated very poorly. The thermostat was basically an anti-rage-out-of-control device. Other people had good luck and liked their stove. The labyrinth leading to the cat took 1/2 hr to heat up so start-up was a lengthy smoky process and is one reason why I appreciate the BK so much.

Sounds like I dodged a bullet then.

 

[Highbeam]

I saw Vermont Casting was advertising they had some sort of thermostatic control, but I dismissed them based on historically poor reviews. Based on your signature it looks like you owned an Encore that would've had that feature.

You must have read somebody else's signature. I've never owned a VC and consider their offerings to be forever tainted by a long history of mistakes. They sure look good though! I believe the VC's stat only controlled the secondary air but regardless, it is a VC.

 

[SuperJ]

You must have read somebody else's signature. I've never owned a VC and consider their offerings to be forever tainted by a long history of mistakes. They sure look good though! I believe the VC's stat only controlled the secondary air but regardless, it is a VC.

It was kf6hap

 

[Sailrmike]

Both intentional and really good things. Some fancy wood furnaces and boilers do the same thing with exhaust gas temperature sensors, servo motors, control boards, and other electronics. Some can even be controlled with wifi! Thermostatic control is such an obvious stove feature that it's really shameful that only BK does it on stoves.

IMHO simple is better with wood burning. Couldn't the delay in the thermostat allow stove top temp to come up too fast and too high will burning a full load at WOT? Throw in another variable (draft, wood species/size/dryness, weather) and I'm not convinced the t-stat alone can prevent over-firing.

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[jetsam]

IMHO simple is better with wood burning. Couldn't the delay in the thermostat allow stove top temp to come up too fast and too high will burning a full load at WOT? Throw in another variable (draft, wood species/size/dryness, weather) and I'm not convinced the t-stat alone can prevent over-firing.

I didn't believe until I started using it.

I don't know if it works for all installs under all conditions, but it sure works for me even with really dry pine. (I haven't tried it with exotic high BTU woods

If you like simple, like the thermostat. As a system, it is both simpler and vastly more reliable than one or three air controls with a human operator on the other end.

You DO still need to remember to close the door and the bypass, but sitting around waiting to diddle with the air is removed from the procedure.

 

[SuperJ]

Do you guys turn your stat up at the end of a burn cycle to keep the cat in the active zone longer or let it be? It really tempting to turn it up as you see the cat thermometer dropping during the end of a cycle.
I noticed I had some chunks left in my firebox this morning, that might have been consumed if my stat was left a little higher.