2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[Marshy]

BeachBumm as previously mentioned, you can make an anchor plate at the top of your existing masonry chimney and then extent it with class A insulated pipe. That might be the easiest way to extend it. It would also allow you to unlock the pipe and take it down for easy cleaning rather than climbing a ladder on a roof and brushing the whole chimney.

Let me ask you, do you know the size of the existing chimney flue? It's strongly recommended you use an insulated liner in your masonry chimney. Size of your existing chimney flue will dictate the size of adding an insulated liner.

 

[Highbeam]

Or just do what I did and tear down the silly masonry chimney/fireplace. Replace with a superior performing class A system in the same place or somewhere else. It's really cheap and easy to remove a masonry system. You'll be glad you did the next time we have a little earthquake or the salt air degrades the mortar or all the silly flashing details of the masonry allow leakage.

 

[begreen]

Yes, I tore ours out in 2006 and haven't missed it.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Bi-Pass door question
For the last 2 seasons I have tightened the contact point of the bi-pass door . I turn the bolt about 1-1/2 turns last fall and this, is this normal to have to adjust the door a little each year?

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Bi-Pass door question
For the last 2 seasons I have tightened the contact point of the bi-pass door . I turn the bolt about 1-1/2 turns last fall and this, is this normal to have to adjust the door a little each year?

Normal. That's what the adjustment bolt is for!

 

[Highbeam]

Bi-Pass door question
For the last 2 seasons I have tightened the contact point of the bi-pass door . I turn the bolt about 1-1/2 turns last fall and this, is this normal to have to adjust the door a little each year?

1.5 turns is a LOT!

Obviously it is not normal to do this every year or you would run out of threads on the bolt. The gasket can only compress so far and then become more of solid seal. Most folks don't replace that gasket for many many years if at all.

Be sure that you're not expecting it to be too tight. It doesn't need much tension.

 

[kennyp2339]

Bi-Pass door question
For the last 2 seasons I have tightened the contact point of the bi-pass door . I turn the bolt about 1-1/2 turns last fall and this, is this normal to have to adjust the door a little each year?

Close the bypass with a dollar bill in between it, pull the dollar out, there should be tension on it as your pulling

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

1.5 turns is a LOT!

Obviously it is not normal to do this every year or you would run out of threads on the bolt. The gasket can only compress so far and then become more of solid seal. Most folks don't replace that gasket for many many years if at all..

The bypass seal on my new Chinook is surprisingly thick and puffy. It looks to be made out of the same material used in the door seal. I can imagine that under the heat of firing it will flatten quite a bit. It also looks to be exposed to very high heat.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Well I didn't mean to interrupt a conversation.
I just had a question is all thank you to those who answered me. I do the dollar bill test pull and it pulled out quite easily I thought, I checked on the far away corners of the door. It may not have been a full 1 to 1.5 turns you can only get a 1/4 turn maybe at a time. I probably got maybe 3 partial turns probably closer to 3/4 than 1.5 maybe very hard to remember the exact amount of partial turns I made it was 2 weeks ago might as well have been 8 years ago with my memory.

 

[Blazing]

I was browsing firecat's website this evening and noticed that the freestanding steel cat is the same size as my princess insert. Anyone see a reason I couldn't switch?

 

[jetsam]

I was browsing firecat's website this evening and noticed that the freestanding steel cat is the same size as my princess insert. Anyone see a reason I couldn't switch?

BKVP has said that they ship ceramic because their testing shows it's better at the tail end of the burn.

That said, I'm an onery cuss... I'll let you know how it works out!

(That's not rusty, it's palladium-y.)

 

[BKVP]

BKVP has said that they ship ceramic because their testing shows it's better at the tail end of the burn.

That said, I'm an onery cuss... I'll let you know how it works out!

(That's not rusty, it's palladium-y.)

View attachment 199722

By the way, as of May 16, 2015, manufacturers of catalytic wood heater can only sell/provide the same catalytic combustors used in certification. After market resellers are not bound to this restriction by EPA's NSPS.

 

[Ashful]

I'll be honest with you, after experiencing at least 4 clogged cats last year, I'm about fed up with Steelcats. What's the use of their theoretical advantage, when in reality you're almost never achieving them, due to constant ash clogging?

My wood is dry, and the cats are always run in the active region, the clogging is dry fly ash. It happens any time I run one of my Ashfords above mid-range burn.

 

[BeachBumm]

I've been preparing to insulate a 6" SS liner and drop that down my existing CMU chimney. Is there an advantage in using Class A (entirely) instead? The cost is much different, but would the results, long term, be worth it?

 

[BeachBumm]

Let me ask you, do you know the size of the existing chimney flue? It's strongly recommended you use an insulated liner in your masonry chimney. Size of your existing chimney flue will dictate the size of adding an insulated liner.

The terra cotta liner id is 13.5" x 10". My SS Liner will be 6".

 

[jetsam]

I'll be honest with you, after experiencing at least 4 clogged cats last year, I'm about fed up with Steelcats. What's the use of their theoretical advantage, when in reality you're almost never achieving them, due to constant ash clogging?

My wood is dry, and the cats are always run in the active region, the clogging is dry fly ash. It happens any time I run one of my Ashfords above mid-range burn.

I guess I won't find out this year... I boiled the old ceramic cat and put it back to work.

Did yours clog on the face or inside? (I need a new vaccum attachment either way, I can't reach the top of my cat currently.)

 

[Ashful]

I honestly can't say, jetsam. I think it was mostly on or near the face, but I never pulled the cats to inspect closely. Hitting them with the ash vac seemed to clear things up well enough, but it was a hassle to shut down and do it during a cold spell, which is precisely when they'd clog.

When these cats are toast, possibly after this season, I'll be looking into ceramic replacements.

From what I've read on this forum, it's tough to say if this is an issue unique to Ashfords or steelcats. Several Ashford owners have had the same issue, but I think they were all running steelcats.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

When these cats are toast, possibly after this season, I'll be looking into ceramic replacements.

From what I've read on this forum, it's tough to say if this is an issue unique to Ashfords or steelcats. Several Ashford owners have had the same issue, but I think they were all running steelcats.

Do the Ashfords come with ceramic cats?

 

[jetsam]

I honestly can't say, jetsam. I think it was mostly on or near the face, but I never pulled the cats to inspect closely. Hitting them with the ash vac seemed to clear things up well enough, but it was a hassle to shut down and do it during a cold spell, which is precisely when they'd clog.

When these cats are toast, possibly after this season, I'll be looking into ceramic replacements.

From what I've read on this forum, it's tough to say if this is an issue unique to Ashfords or steelcats. Several Ashford owners have had the same issue, but I think they were all running steelcats.

I got a steel cat so I could try it for myself, but I expect I'll be back to ceramic in 4 years (I have hopefully 1 last year on my original ceramic one, then 3 on my steelcat).

Ceramic held up a lot better than I'd been led to expect over the first 2 seasons, and it even suffered some abuse.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I got a steel cat so I could try it for myself, but I expect I'll be back to ceramic in 4 years (I have hopefully 1 last year on my original ceramic one, then 3 on my steelcat).

Ceramic held up a lot better than I'd been led to expect over the first 2 seasons, and it even suffered some abuse.

My Chinook came with a steel cat. Can I assume it's a Condar? Or are there other makers of steel cats?

 

[BKVP]

My Chinook came with a steel cat. Can I assume it's a Condar? Or are there other makers of steel cats?

Condar does not make combustors. They can and resell. They buy from Applied Ceramics (aka firecatcombustors.com)

Your stainless combustor came from Clariant, very well regarded provider.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

Condar does not make combustors. They can and resell. They buy from Applied Ceramics (aka firecatcombustors.com)

Your stainless combustor came from Clariant, very well regarded provider.

Well, which is better?

 

[Ashful]

Do the Ashfords come with ceramic cats?

Mine both came with Steelcats. I thought all Ashfords come with steel now, but that was just my own assumption.

I've run ceramic and steel cats in my Jotuls, and steel in the Ashfords. Steel definitely has the advantage on fast and easy light-off, but I believe they're unsuitable for the Ashford stove. Any time I run a load or two on a higher thermostat setting in the Ashford, I seem to clog the cat with fly ash. This wasn't a problem when I ran Steelcats in my downdraft Jotuls... but those stoves had other problems.

 

[BKVP]

Durafoil stainless combustors get to temp quicker, in half the time it takes for ceramic.

Ceramic, having greater mass, hold temp longer.

As I posted earlier, manufacturers must use in production the combustor that is used in certification testing.

Prior to May 16, 2015, there was an EPA rule, referred to as applicable determination, AD138. This AD sunset with expiration of old NSPS. It permitted a combustor manufacturer to test their proposed "new" combustor in a vintage Princess 1002 cat stove, referred to as the reference model.

If the "new" combustor achieved the same or better results as the original Corning combustor that the 1002 was tested with, your "new" combustor was deemed qualified.

That entitled the "new" combustor manufacturer to sell it to all cat stove manufacturers.

On behalf of all manufacturers, I worked with EPA to get an updated rule.

At the time of certification of a catalytic wood stove, you may now test a second combustor. The requirements are EXTREMELY difficult to pass and get qualified status, but we will test and pass!

 

[Highbeam]

I never saw cat cloggage with ceramic or steel in my princess until the cat neared failure. It seems a healthy cat is more able to self clean. In my experience the only functional difference between steel and ceramic is earlier glowing and no cracking with the steel. That's why I will save a lot of money by buying ceramic next time.

Princess models have been delivered from bk with steel but usually ceramic. I believe that all ashfords are delivered with steel cats. Seems to be a trend with both bk and Woodstock to only use steel on new models.