2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 2 (Everything BK)

[kennyp2339]

Also remember there is a lag time when using the probe, it’s about 15min behind actual temps when coming into active zone.
A bunch of us figured that out a few years back, I think @Highbeam took the lead on that one

 

[Tegbert]

I 'll pull the temp probe out carefully and gently brush it occasionally, sometimes build up accumulates on it.

I may need to do that as well

Pulling the probe out of the ashford/sirocco 25’s is not easy. You have to pull the inserts and take the top jacket off to get to it. Plus when it goes back together you will need a new flue adapter gasket.

Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[Richard Pryor]

How do you guys start your stoves? I’m seeing pictures of stoves that are jam packed and no fire going on. Or are these pictures just showing how you will eventually fill the stove once you get a fire going?

On my Regency, I use 6 pine cones (3 on each side) and put 3 pieces of kindling on top of them. Then newspaper on fire and everything starts going. Once the 3 pieces of kindling are on fire, I put a few more kindling pieces (or small sized splits) and once that catches I start putting the bigger pieces in.

Is it different with a BK?

 

[Highbeam]

How do you guys start your stoves? I’m seeing pictures of stoves that are jam packed and no fire going on. Or are these pictures just showing how you will eventually fill the stove once you get a fire going?

On my Regency, I use 6 pine cones (3 on each side) and put 3 pieces of kindling on top of them. Then newspaper on fire and everything starts going. Once the 3 pieces of kindling are on fire, I put a few more kindling pieces (or small sized splits) and once that catches I start putting the bigger pieces in.

Is it different with a BK?

It’s not just bk, all stoves can be started with a full load. I always stack wood to the roof before starting it.

 

[Alpine1]

And most of us BK owners start from a cold stove around October, from there on it’s always reloading on hot coals, usually every 12 hours or so... that’s why you see stoves filled to the top with big splits. With warmer weather, same thing but on a 24 hrs schedule.

 

[jetsam]

I start a few fires a year. I shut down for cleaning at the end of fall (because I've been burning the stove very low for months) then one day in early spring. One more cleaning sometime in the summer after the burning season is done.

Come to think of it, that middle cleaning is kind of a waste because there's no crud to sweep after a winter of hot burning. I should do middle of fall, start of winter, middle of spring, summer... that way I'm always sweeping after a period of low burning.

It's overkill maybe, but it's free and doesn't take long.

I've also found that if I do oak for the last load and add some ash from my ash bucket, the flue cools off nicely and I can still reload on hot coals after I scoop some ash and give the coal some air.

So maybe I'm technically down to starting 1 fire a year... though maybe I'm on a short list of people whose sweeping routine includes "examine brush for melted bristles"...

 

[chemie]

I start a few fires a year. I shut down for cleaning at the end of fall (because I've been burning the stove very low for months) then one day in early spring. One more cleaning sometime in the summer after the burning season is done.

Come to think of it, that middle cleaning is kind of a waste because there's no crud to sweep after a winter of hot burning. I should do middle of fall, start of winter, middle of spring, summer... that way I'm always sweeping after a period of low burning.

It's overkill maybe, but it's free and doesn't take long.

I've also found that if I do oak for the last load and add some ash from my ash bucket, the flue cools off nicely and I can still reload on hot coals after I scoop some ash and give the coal some air.

So maybe I'm technically down to starting 1 fire a year... though maybe I'm on a short list of people whose sweeping routine includes "examine brush for melted bristles"...

Does everyone with BK sweep multiple times a year. My installer told me once a year is fine. I have about 25 feet stack and don’t intend to go up to clean it. I plan to have it sweeped when the season is done.
I remember BKVP said you could clean it from bottom to to top. What kind of tools you need to do bottom to top cleaning?

 

[Ashful]

Does everyone with BK sweep multiple times a year. My installer told me once a year is fine. I have about 25 feet stack and don’t intend to go up to clean it. I plan to have it sweeped when the season is done.
I remember BKVP said you could clean it from bottom to to top. What kind of tools you need to do bottom to top cleaning?

I never did before, but a clogged combust or forced me to shut down and pull the cat last week, so I went ahead and swept while it was out. I use a Soot Eater, bottom up, thru the bypass door. All crap falls in the stove, I just reburn it. I did it with live coals still in the stove, about 24 hours into a burn, probably not the recommended method.

 

[Highbeam]

Does everyone with BK sweep multiple times a year. My installer told me once a year is fine. I have about 25 feet stack and don’t intend to go up to clean it. I plan to have it sweeped when the season is done.
I remember BKVP said you could clean it from bottom to to top. What kind of tools you need to do bottom to top cleaning?

Once per year is plenty for me. I burn for 9 months each season, mostly evergreens, and mostly on low.

 

[chemie]

I never did before, but a clogged combust or forced me to shut down and pull the cat last week, so I went ahead and swept while it was out. I use a Soot Eater, bottom up, thru the bypass door. All crap falls in the stove, I just reburn it. I did it with live coals still in the stove, about 24 hours into a burn, probably not the recommended method.

So you normally dont do mid season cleaning then. I will have it sweeped when the burning season is done. I will also ask the sweeped if he can also clean my chimney cap which turn into blackish color.
I found this on amazon:
Gardus RCH205-B SootEater Rotary Chimney Cleaning System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010H5JXA/?tag=hearthamazon-20

 

[jetsam]

Does everyone with BK sweep multiple times a year. My installer told me once a year is fine. I have about 25 feet stack and don’t intend to go up to clean it. I plan to have it sweeped when the season is done.
I remember BKVP said you could clean it from bottom to to top. What kind of tools you need to do bottom to top cleaning?

Not everyone does. Regular inspection (which you can also do yourself) will tell you if you need to or not.

Soot eaters are popular for bottom up cleaning. Consumer grade wifi endoscopes are cheap on amazon and can be used to inspect the entire flue from the bottom up.

I have an easy roof and a short, easy flue, so I find a ladder and a brush is plenty easy for me.

 

[jetsam]

So you normally dont do mid season cleaning then. I will have it sweeped when the burning season is done. I will also ask the sweeped if he can also clean my chimney cap which turn into blackish color.
I found this on amazon:
Gardus RCH205-B SootEater Rotary Chimney Cleaning System https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010H5JXA/?tag=hearthamazon-20

There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

If you didn't need a mid year sweep this year, you might need one next year if the weather is warmer or your wood is wetter!

Regular inspection will tell you what's what.

Peace of mind on this matter costs $40 on amazon if you already have a smartphone.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073ZFC59R/?tag=hearthamazon-20

You can also just hop up to the top and look for free. The top should be the coldest, and therefore crustiest, part of the flue.

(Now I am wondering about that. @bholler, is it always true that the top of the flue is the dirtiest bit? It makes sense.)

 

[Richard Pryor]

Any videos on how to start a stove when it is jam packed? I have no idea how you could do this.

Future owner of a Princess.

 

[jetsam]

Any videos on how to start a stove when it is jam packed? I have no idea how you could do this.

Future owner of a Princess.

Here's the Princess Technique: Throw the wood in, the wood ignites because that stove has a 24+ hour burn time and you only need to light it when you let it go out on purpose.

You could use your blowtorch if you want to get all fancy.

The one time a year that I actually start that stove from cold is in the fall, and I traditionally start it with a few stoveloads of sticks and twigs policed up out of the yard to warm her up. (No salty nut shells, though. Heathens! )

 

[Diabel]

This is a cold start. You can see there I placed a piece of cedar plank and underneath I have a piece of fire starter. It works great if your wood is seasoned.

 

[edyit]

Any videos on how to start a stove when it is jam packed? I have no idea how you could do this.

search "top down" fires

 

[rdust]

search "top down" fires

Not a fan!

On a cold start I load it full and either place a chunk of super cedar in the center or one chunk on the right and one on the left. I split my super cedars into 1/8ths.

 

[Highbeam]

Any videos on how to start a stove when it is jam packed? I have no idea how you could do this.

Future owner of a Princess.

Unlike your noncat, the princess has a 6” belly below the door opening. The photos of a full box can’t show that bottom 6” which is where most of us stack a little crib of kindling in the middle before filling up with full sized splits. Then ignite the kindling with a supercedar or a torch (my choice) and the rest of the load will catch.

You’ll need dry wood for several reasons including the ability to rapidly start a fire without coals.

 

[rdust]

Once per year is plenty for me. I burn for 9 months each season, mostly evergreens, and mostly on low.

I usually sweep twice(for piece of mind) as the seasons change. Once when the fall shoulder season turns cold and once when the cold turns to the spring shoulder season.

 

[Highbeam]

Not a fan!

On a cold start I load it full and either place a chunk of super cedar in the center or one chunk on the right and one on the left. I split my super cedars into 1/8ths.

I’m also not a fan of top down fires. Not in any stove. Lots of people seem to like them though.

 

[Highbeam]

I usually sweep twice(for piece of mind) as the seasons change. Once when the fall shoulder season turns cold and once when the cold turns to the spring shoulder season.

It doesn’t hurt a dang thing to sweep too often.

 

[rdust]

Unlike your noncat, the princess has a 6” belly below the door opening. The photos of a full box can’t show that bottom 6” which is where most of us stack a little crib of kindling in the middle before filling up with full sized splits. Then ignite the kindling with a supercedar or a torch (my choice) and the rest of the load will catch.

You’ll need dry wood for several reasons including the ability to rapidly start a fire without coals.

I never use kindling anymore,(lazy) regular splits with a super cedar chunk or two.

 

[rdust]

I’m also not a fan of top down fires. Not in any stove. Lots of people seem to like them though.

Flames go up not down.

 

[lsucet]

Not a fan!

On a cold start I load it full and either place a chunk of super cedar in the center or one chunk on the right and one on the left. I split my super cedars into 1/8ths.

I do one center right on top with son small/skinny pieces and two pieces, one on each side about halfway in the load. I like it cause the cat gets to Temp real quick.

 

[Diabel]

Unlike your noncat, the princess has a 6” belly below the door opening. The photos of a full box can’t show that bottom 6” which is where most of us stack a little crib of kindling in the middle before filling up with full sized splits. Then ignite the kindling with a supercedar or a torch (my choice) and the rest of the load will catch.

You’ll need dry wood for several reasons including the ability to rapidly start a fire without coals.

7 good size splits fill my Princess