2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

[Highbeam]

The way BKVP explains it, running on high for 30 minutes after closing the bypass is required to drive initial moisture out of the wood load, and get it in a state ready for burning low. This would imply it should be done on every load, as stated in the manual.

The old manuals recommended 15 or maybe 20-30 minutes on high after cat engagement for each load before turn down. Did they change the new manuals to "require" 30 minutes? After 15 minutes my flue temperatures are close to the redline and the cat meter is up past 1500 so I drop the stat at 15 minutes almost always.

I've done the 1 hour on high thing to melt the goo and even though the meters all stay below the redlines (stat actually closes some) I am wasting tons of fuel, making tons of heat, and not really cleaning the firebox much anyway.

I don't really get that clear exhaust plume until the stat closes down either by the stove getting really hot or by me selecting a normal cruise temperature which also closes the stat. Nonburners seem to like zero visible emissions more than the blue smoke of full throttle that occurs before the stat closes some.

 

[Alpine1]

Has anybody living in the boreal done any experimenting to figure out the burn time difference running a load of jack pine vs a load of white birch, under similar weather conditions and on the same dial setting? I think i'm gonna take a crack at it and see what i can come up with. I'd be curious to know if anyone has any similar results to share? First good blizzard here today - could be 10-25cm on the ground by the time it's done!

Did it last year MissM... ok it wasn’t jack pine vs birch but Norway spruce vs beech. At the same t-stat setting, I got 30 hrs burn instead of 24. Awesome, but useless for my reloading schedule. I load once a day in shoulder season, and every 12 hrs in full winter. 30 or 15/16 hrs simply don’t work. I occasionally throw in a split or two of whatever hardwood I have in my stack, and find a few more hot coals at reload, that’s all.

 

[Highbeam]

Did it last year MissM... ok it wasn’t jack pine vs birch but Norway spruce vs beech. At the same t-stat setting, I got 30 hrs burn instead of 24. Awesome, but useless for my reloading schedule. I load once a day in shoulder season, and every 12 hrs in full winter. 30 or 15/16 hrs simply don’t work. I occasionally throw in a split or two of whatever hardwood I have in my stack, and find a few more hot coals at reload, that’s all.

I have a heck of a time adding more wood in the middle of a burn cycle without smoke dumping into the room. So when it’s really cold and I drop to 12 hour reloads I also reduce the load to be sure that the fuel is almost gone at 12 hours.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

not trying to be arguemenitive but As far a creosote in the firebox who cares? it is flammable and will burn off when you have a hot fire which I know I have plenty of. Or am I missing something ? To me It sounds like looking for something to worry about where there is none. When I reload and the cat becomes active I close the bypass lever and I run it wide open for at least 15-20 minutes ( I have a timer by my chair so I don't forget the stove) But that is just me ymmv.

 

[Ashful]

The weather is messed up. 35*C with humidity here yesterday, 32 today and calling for flurries on Sat!!

Damn, I’ll be sailing this weekend. Hoping it’s still bathing suit weather, as we’re likely to swim (novice crew).

 

[Alpine1]

If I had more hardwood available, I’d try your method Highbeam, but my stacks are 90% pine and spruce. I did that test to see if it was worth to buy a truckload of hardwood, but found it was unnecessary. As a side note, I get even longer burn times this year, since I got bigger splits (and better knowledge of my stove)

 

[AlbergSteve]

The way BKVP explains it, running on high for 30 minutes after closing the bypass is required to drive initial moisture out of the wood load, and get it in a state ready for burning low. This would imply it should be done on every load, as stated in the manual.

Can confirm. I put a small load of fir in last night and turned it down before charring and got up this morning to half a load of unburned wood!

 

[jetsam]

I am 100% confident if we clone bholler we can all sleep better at night!!

He's going to need a clone when we wait for him to get used to the Princess, then dredge up all the bholler posts from past BK threads to torment him with. ;P

 

[Alpine1]

Can confirm. I put a small load of fir in last night and turned it down before charring and got up this morning to half a load of unburned wood!

Unburned wood and inactive cat?

 

[bholler]

He's going to need a clone when we wait for him to get used to the Princess, then dredge up all the bholler posts from past BK threads to torment him with. ;P

Again i have never been anti bk in any way other than the looks of the king and princess. And no matter how well it works the stove is still ugly. I am very grateful showerguy has given me the oportunity to try out a bk. But there will not be a princess in my house long term.

 

[bholler]

My problem has never been with the stoves. It is with the fan boys that act like no other stove can heat a house without massive amounts of work constantly loading and fiddling with not cats. That simply is not the case

 

[showrguy]

My problem has never been with the stoves. It is with the fan boys that act like no other stove can heat a house without massive ammounts of work constantly loading and fiddling with not cats. That simply is not the case

You missed post # 422..

 

[Alpine1]

My problem has never been with the stoves. It is with the fan boys that act like no other stove can heat a house without massive ammounts of work constantly loading and fiddling with not cats. That simply is not the case

I agree with both posts above: the king and princess might be heating beasts, but appearance still counts for me.
And saying that non cat stoves are useless, or less efficient or easier (???) to operate is simply nonsense. In fact I own both!

 

[bholler]

You missed post # 422..

Yes i did miss it. I will be swapping it out this weekend. Let me know what you need for your cabin chimney when you have a list. If you need input i could run out to take a look as well.

 

[showrguy]

Yes i did miss it. I will be swapping it out this weekend. Let me know what you need for your cabin chimney when you have a list. If you need input i could run out to take a look as well.

Thanks, but you got my camp stove, this other one is going in my garage here at home, I pretty sure I know what I'm gonna need..
You around the shop/house tomorrow mid day ??

 

[bholler]

Thanks, but you got my camp stove, this other one is going in my garage here at home, I pretty sure I know what I'm gonna need..
You around the shop/house tomorrow mid day ??

Ok well either way let me know what u need. And i doubt i will be around but let me know when you are going through.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Has anybody living in the boreal done any experimenting to figure out the burn time difference running a load of jack pine vs a load of white birch, under similar weather conditions and on the same dial setting? I think i'm gonna take a crack at it and see what i can come up with. I'd be curious to know if anyone has any similar results to share? First good blizzard here today - could be 10-25cm on the ground by the time it's done!

Oi!!

 

[AlbergSteve]

Damn, I’ll be sailing this weekend. Hoping it’s still bathing suit weather, as we’re likely to swim (novice crew).

You said you were going to buy a wetsuit...for the crew as well?

 

[lsucet]

Oh boy is hard not to share this. Loaded 25 hrs ago about 3/4 of the firebox with big pieces and tight. Get home saw the ecofan turning slow, cat probe at 10 o'clock. I said well let me turn the air up and went to take care the horses. For my surprise this is what I found after almost an hour outside with the horses. A good piece on left side of the firebox. Amazing.

 

[tarzan]

My problem has never been with the stoves. It is with the fan boys that act like no other stove can heat a house without massive amounts of work constantly loading and fiddling with not cats. That simply is not the case

Funny! We perceive you to be anti-BK and you perceive us to “act like no other stove can heat a house without massive amounts of work constantly loading and fiddling with non-cats.”

Maybe the truth is somewhere closer to the middle but ALL wood stoves are massive amounts of work comparatively speaking. But I won’t hesitate to say the BK is so far the best stove I have ever ran!

 

[bholler]

Funny! We perceive you to be anti-BK and you perceive us to “act like no other stove can heat a house without massive amounts of work constantly loading and fiddling with non-cats.”

Maybe the truth is somewhere closer to the middle but ALL wood stoves are massive amounts of work comparatively speaking. But I won’t hesitate to say the BK is so far the best stove I have ever ran!

Best for you in your situation from your perspective. And thats great i am glad you found a stove that works that well for you. But that doesnt mean it will be the best stove for everyone in every situation.

If saying that makes me anti bk so be it.

 

[Ashful]

He's going to need a clone when we wait for him to get used to the Princess, then dredge up all the bholler posts from past BK threads to torment him with. ;P

He’s a mod now, he can change history. But yes... I was planning to have some of the same fun with him, when the time comes.

Of course, now he’s not going to give us the satisfaction. [emoji12]

 

[BKVP]

I think bholler is justified in his opinion(s). Many of us have owned other wood heaters and liked them. They did the job. I hope that he finds our products to his liking and decides the technology is "right for him". If not, no one should be offended, I won't be. Remember, bholler has provided super tech advise and support to many members of this group and certainly thousands more that read these posts and have a better experience from these forums.

Let's not dwell on this.

Now back to the most important issue, where did all the big bucks go?

 

[bholler]

He’s a mod now, he can change history. But yes... I was planning to have some of the same fun with him, when the time comes.

Of course, now he’s not going to give us the satisfaction.

I am curious what posts you guts are going to bring up of mine that are so anti bk. You guys do know that simply not joining the cult doesnt meant someone doesnt like the stoves.

 

[Ashful]

I am curious what posts you guts are going to bring up of mine that are so anti bk. You guys do know that simply not joining the cult doesnt meant someone doesnt like the stoves.

Oh, c’mon bholler! We are just having some fun with you. No one believes you’re actually anti-BK.