2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 2 (Everything BK)

[shoot-straight]

To rule out wood- simply go to hardware or grocery and buy a few bundles of the kiln dried stuff and give it a try.

 

[Highbeam]

A lopi fully closed is like a bk at over half throttle.

 

[Ashful]

how would changing the type of wood im burning help if we are talking about the bypass potentially not closing fully?

Sure, let me sit around and season new wood for 1-2 years and then try it in my new stove.

My oak is consistently under 15%....is that not dry enough for a BK?

If it is really 15%, that’s plenty dry. But how exactly are you measuring it? It must be near room temperature and tested on a freshly split face to have an anywhere near accurate reading. 25% wood can easily measure below 15% at cold temperatures, or on the outside of an old split face.

But you missed my point. I didn’t suggest you wait 2 years to test it, although you might have to wait that long to really use it as intended, if that’s your situation. Use framing lumber or grocery store kiln-dried packs at $5/ea. to test the stove, and be sure that’s not your issue.

I was keying on your indication that the cat drops out of active and the wood seems to smolder at any dial setting below 3. This will happen with wet wood, bypass fully-sealed or not.

 

[webby3650]

If it is really 15%, that’s plenty dry. But how exactly are you measuring it? It must be near room temperature and tested on a freshly split face to have an anywhere near accurate reading. 25% wood can easily measure below 15% at cold temperatures, or on the outside of an old split face.

But you missed my point. I didn’t suggest you wait 2 years to test it, although you might have to wait that long to really use it as intended, if that’s your situation. Use framing lumber or grocery store kiln-dried packs at $5/ea. to test the stove, and be sure that’s not your issue.

I was keying on your indication that the cat drops out of active and the wood seems to smolder at any dial setting below 3. This will happen with wet wood, bypass fully-sealed or not.

Yup. If the wood was any good the cat wouldn’t fall out of the active zone because the bypass is cracked open. All too often people think their wood couldn’t possibly be the problem because it’s oak or hickory... ignoring the fact it’s full of water.

 

[kf6hap]

Unit to unit, the dial setting will be different for the same temperature. That is why the numbers were removed. Some thought because the stove they had used different settings when compared to other stoves a problem existed when one didn't. I can't dial mine below 3:00 or it slowly dies out. I do run it at 3:30 and have a just warm stove (you can touch the corners without getting burned!) with the cat still active. I don't know of any other stove that can be run this low, this is a fantastic technological achievement. The BK low low low burn. Dry wood is key here.

I cant burn below 3. seems to smolder and drop out of active...I mentioned this in another forum, I also notice a smoke smell when I try to burn below 3. My wood is well seasoned oak...I have been hoping it is due to shoulder season temps but we have been in low 40s and now low 30s.

 

[Blazing]

Can't have a part 2 without the t-stat debate!

 

[BKVP]

I haven’t ruled out my wood yet but my moisture meter crapped out so I have to pick another one up today. Along with some compressed logs from north Idaho or home fire to see if it still does it.

The bypass not sealing well at least on mine is part of the problem I believe but I don’t think it is all of my problems.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

We'll get this sorted out so you're pleased. The cam flip down bypass in frestanding models has some adjustment. Inserts sliding design seems to improve as stove is used. There is some slight vertical adjustment but let's give it week or two. Ill be in my office next week and will look inro this with engineering.

 

[BKVP]

Can't have a part 2 without the t-stat debate!

The swoosh is here to stay! Not a single complaint since Highbeam started printing decals with numbers. Purchase at:

(broken link removed)

 

[Tegbert]

We'll get this sorted out so you're pleased. The cam flip down bypass in frestanding models has some adjustment. Inserts sliding design seems to improve as stove is used. There is some slight vertical adjustment but let's give it week or two. Ill be in my office next week and will look inro this with engineering.

Don’t get me wrong I am pleased with the unit I just wanted to make sure what I had seen on the bypass was normal or if it needed to be adjusted. Once I got it to go back farther it performed a little better. That is why I am leaning towards my wood. Just need to pick up another meter to see for sure.

This insert heated my whole house on medium even the rec room which has been a pain to get warm but the rooms at the end of the house at 68-70 all while not seeming too warm in the fireplace room. So I am happy about that.

In my case it’s most likely my wood or user error for most of it. I was just using my lopi as an example of how well it was working with the wood I have but like I said it doesn’t turn down as much and the wood might barely be dry enough for that. Will test tonight if the wife didn’t use my splits for testing in the stove.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[kf6hap]

This insert heated my whole house on medium even the rec room which has been a pain to get warm but the rooms at the end of the house at 68-70 all while not seeming too warm in the fireplace room. So I am happy about that.

Both myself and my neighbor have noticed the heat from the BKs permeate better into the deeper regions of the house. Formerly cool rooms are now noticeably warmer. I guess it is because these stoves give off more convective heat as opposed to mostly radiated heat. Also, the steadiness of the heat produced allows the stove room to be heated several degrees more than with my other stoves without discomfort.

 

[Highbeam]

The swoosh is here to stay! Not a single complaint since Highbeam started printing decals with numbers. Purchase at:

(broken link removed)

Hey now! There’s no debate, we all know why you did it and in your shoes I’d probably have done the same.

Like when my daughter and I saw a commercial for a car that stops itself before running over a pedestrian. Cool, you can be an idiot driver she said. I then informed her that some of us might choose to drive over a pedestrian and now we can’t.

 

[jdonna]

Oak makes a mighty tough “test wood”, as it is very hard to dry it. I know, as various species of oak make up 90% of what I’ve been burning, the last several years. It takes easily twice as long to dry (think 3+ years) as any other hardwood I burn.

+1 on this.
I just split some oak that is approaching year three in the wood pile ( Top covered and stacked). Some measured 24% on the moisture meter. Pretty disgusting results, I measured some ash that was split and stacked in July, measuring in at 19%.

 

[gunpowda]

I understand the moisture content / burn efficiency correlation. I measured my wood in September. Freshly split and it was at least 70F outside ( I am annoyed I have to answer this ). According to the blaze king af25 Manuel, wood needs to be 20% or below. Mine is well below that and I am not able to utilize the stoves full efficiency capability - perhaps the most important value, market leading benefit - long, slow burns.

It sounds like there is a potential issue with the closing mechanism of the bypass.

It is my understanding that when the bypass is closed, there is more to burn, creating more heat/energy. So wouldn't wood be less prone to smolder if the bypass is completely closed?

I appreciate the help, it's why I come here. But to be told my (from what I thought) well seasoned wood isn't good enough to get the long burns out of this unit....that is something that should be noted in the Manuel/spec. If even 15% wood doesn't allow for the unit to operate correctly or as designed/marketed under 50% throttle. That's a problem. I'm looking forward to hearing other reviews/ experiences from other AF25 owners. I love the unit, like I said before it's freakin awesome(when ran above 50% throttle). I just want to get the most out of it.

 

[rdust]

The swoosh is here to stay! Not a single complaint since Highbeam started printing decals with numbers. Purchase at:

(broken link removed)

I've actually considered printing them!

 

[kf6hap]

It is my understanding that when the bypass is closed, there is more to burn, creating more heat/energy. So wouldn't wood be less prone to smolder if the bypass is completely closed?

You are right. With the bypass closed and the thermostat turned way down the wood can smoke like the Dickens, but the cat burns it and in doing so produces a lot more heat and a squeaky clean exhaust. At low low burn, the long residency time in the stove permits a maximum amount of heat to be transferred into your house. A leaking bypass will tend to spoil this as the smoke will just go straight up the stack decreasing the wood burning efficiency.

 

[Tegbert]

So I picked up a new meter but the wife used the splits I was going to test so that will have to wait till tomorrow but I did pick up some homefire prest logs and lit up the insert.

Turned down to about 2 o’clock for about 30 minuets now cat in active range and is smoking. Going to go turn it up a bit now and see what it does.

It is a bit warm and windy out it’s about 55 degrees. Stack is right at 15’ tall maybe a couple inches short or long.

Next step is to test my wood again to be sure and also massage the gasket for the bypass a little more tomorrow to get a tighter fit.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[SuperJ]

I think the dry wood thing is a bit overblown. My wood isn’t great but it’s not terrible. But, seems to work fine for me. Most of it is around 20% give or take a couple percent, since this is my first year burning and I have no stockpile of dry wood built up. I purchased my wood locally from some farms, apparently it was cut and split last winter.

I load it up all the way and run it hot for the first 20-30minutes (close the bypass when it starts to feel hot which is way before it actually indicates in the active zone). Then turn it down and ride out the next 24 hrs on low (3pm’ish) mostly. If you don’t fully load it, it seems harder to get a good solid burn going.

I think running it on high after a reload drives out most of the residual moisture. If the wood is bad you have to split it a little finer and use more kindling so it comes up to a full hot burn in a reasonable time.

For me there is no point turning it down below 3pm, doesn’t extend the burns any longer and just makes it leave chunks since the stat can’t open as it cools off during coaling if it’s set too low.

 

[Ashful]

I think the dry wood thing is a bit overblown. My wood isn’t great but it’s not terrible. But, seems to work fine for me. Most of it is around 20% give or take a couple percent, since this is my first year burning and I have no stockpile of dry wood built up. I purchased my wood locally from some farms, apparently it was cut and split last winter.

I believe mine is also only around 20%, and it seems to do well enough, to me. Poindexter has also shown that low-teens is no fun, on the other extreme, there's a happy middle ground in that 15% - 20% range.

The issue was the discussion of oak smoldering, and subsequent frustration that one should "let it season 1 - 2 years", as if that was a crazy suggestion. We know oak can be way over 20%, even at 3 years split and stacked, it is just about the worst wood for dry time.

Exhibit A:

I just split some oak that is approaching year three in the wood pile ( Top covered and stacked). Some measured 24% on the moisture meter. Pretty disgusting results...

Lesson: If you want to burn your wood before 2020, you'd better be stacking something other than oak today.

 

[SuperJ]

The issue was the discussion of oak smoldering, and subsequent frustration that one should "let it season 1 - 2 years", as if that was a crazy suggestion. We know oak can be way over 20%, even at 3 years split and stacked, it is just about the worst wood for dry time.

Exhibit A:

I’ll confess I'm a newb to burning wood with no experience with oak other than what is randomly mixed in with my wood stack along with the mostly ash and maple. But I doubt I’m good enough to identify an oak split other than some splits feel heavier amd finer grained than others.

 

[gunpowda]

The issue is The possibility of a mechanical problem with the bypass closing fully in the AF25. Everyone is commenting on wood.

 

[kf6hap]

If your your wood is a little wet, a longer char might be of benefit. ~40 minutes or so (?). Experiment. I cut, split, stack and burn wood in the same year. Somewhat smaller splits and get it done by end of April. Doin' the wood thing in the heat stinks too. 45F and up is T-shirt weather.

 

[webby3650]

I understand the moisture content / burn efficiency correlation. I measured my wood in September. Freshly split and it was at least 70F outside ( I am annoyed I have to answer this ). According to the blaze king af25 Manuel, wood needs to be 20% or below. Mine is well below that and I am not able to utilize the stoves full efficiency capability - perhaps the most important value, market leading benefit - long, slow burns.

It sounds like there is a potential issue with the closing mechanism of the bypass.

It is my understanding that when the bypass is closed, there is more to burn, creating more heat/energy. So wouldn't wood be less prone to smolder if the bypass is completely closed?

I appreciate the help, it's why I come here. But to be told my (from what I thought) well seasoned wood isn't good enough to get the long burns out of this unit....that is something that should be noted in the Manuel/spec. If even 15% wood doesn't allow for the unit to operate correctly or as designed/marketed under 50% throttle. That's a problem. I'm looking forward to hearing other reviews/ experiences from other AF25 owners. I love the unit, like I said before it's freakin awesome(when ran above 50% throttle). I just want to get the most out of it.

Please keep in mind that most of us here see new folks come around several times a year that refuse to accept that their wood could possibly be the culprit. Oak is almost always under seasoned, that’s why most people struggle. Nothing against you personally, it’s just a starting point. If you can verify the wood is dry then great!

 

[kf6hap]

Some might not know this, unsplit wood takes a very long time to dry. Several years and as a result I have almost no rounds in my shed. If you have space and it does not rain in the summer where you live the freshly split wet wood can be laid out one layer thick in the sun and stacked later on when dry.

 

[shoot-straight]

I cant totally tell, but I think he thinks smoldering wood is bad - flames = shorter burn times in the BK. dark lifeless box = efficiency.

 

[shoot-straight]

The issue is The possibility of a mechanical problem with the bypass closing fully in the AF25. Everyone is commenting on wood.

did you do a dollar bill test on the bypass?