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

[moresnow]

I found that dry wood from a shed is much drier than three year old wood stored top covered on pallets. You just can’t stop the sides from getting wet and the top covers dribble into the stacks. Wood sheds are awesome!

Drier wood smokes less and burns cleaner in the cat stove. The noncat doesn’t really care.

This year I’m having more problems with dry grit falling down the vertical chimney and piling up on the bypass plate. Then fouling the gasket when I open the bypass. It’s like coffee grounds. I’ve gotten some odd burns on the top of my hand when trying to sweep the bypass gasket clean. Anybody else do this?

Dry grit/residue accumulates around my bypass gasket as well. I slide up my telescoping pipe to vac. it when running the Sooteater. I don't try cleaning it from inside the stove. I have noticed that since changing my connector pipe to double wall I am getting less residue around the plate.

 

[lsucet]

I found that dry wood from a shed is much drier than three year old wood stored top covered on pallets. You just can’t stop the sides from getting wet and the top covers dribble into the stacks. Wood sheds are awesome!

Yeah, still getting wet just top cover. I am finishing enclosing one of the sheds today.

 

[jetsam]

Ok, this thread has become somewhat quiet recently. Are we now in what is called the "shoulder season"? I realize the Wisconsin and northern tier folks are still in winter, but March is here and things are starting to melt.

If you are, tell us about how your burning habits have changed. Wood species, size of splits, load size, burn times, ash cleanouts, flue top build up this late in season, etc.

Helpful to new burners, and to those looking to purchase or install a BK.

The forum always putters out in spring. People are still burning, but they're ready for a break from it. New guys pretty much stop showing up until fall. Then we do it all again!

Honestly, I should write a script to answer most of the threads.... it would only need about 20 responses to cover 90% of all questions.

 

[maple1]

The forum always putters out in spring. People are still burning, but they're ready for a break from it. New guys pretty much stop showing up until fall. Then we do it all again!

Honestly, I should write a script to answer most of the threads.... it would only need about 20 responses to cover 90% of all questions.

And likely 90% of the time its wet wood.

 

[jetsam]

And likely 90% of the time its wet wood.

I'm the last guy to say 'wet wood', but I grew up burning green stuff freshly dragged in from the woods and split, so I'm well used to wet wood.

On the other hand, dry wood is a marvelous upgrade... takes my BK from 8 hour burns to 24 hour burns!

 

[MTASH]

We finally got back above 0F this week and starting to see low 30s during the day. Still been doing 12 hour loads but am going to try 24 hours when temps get consistent in the 30s and 40s. Today I have the stove turned down as low as I've ever run it

 

[Cyclone Ranger]

Anyone else out there have cat temp vs time graphs for their Princess? I'd be interested in comparing.

 

[jetsam]

Welp, I am going to go ahead and say that despite it being 15 degrees a couple nights ago, it is now shoulder season.

Loaded about 3/4 of a load this morning, had a few hours left after 13 hours.



Low of 30 tonight and 25 tomorrow night, but if daytime temps go up another 10 degrees outside and I'll be on 24 hour burns!

 

[zvholk]

You guys that are getting 24 hours, is that with the fan off?

 

[showrguy]

You guys that are getting 24 hours, is that with the fan off?

Both,
Princess- fans on low..
King- fans removed a few weeks ago..

 

[Ashful]

You guys that are getting 24 hours, is that with the fan off?

My fans are always on. I can stretch the Ashford a little beyond 30 hours of active cat, with the fans on.

 

[zvholk]

I’ll have to do some playing around with the thermostat. I’m afraid it’ll snuff itself out. This morning when I left for work I turned it to 1 with the fan on low

 

[moresnow]

I’ll have to do some playing around with the thermostat. I’m afraid it’ll snuff itself out. This morning when I left for work I turned it to 1 with the fan on low

Is this a normal set point? I cant set that low with my setup.

 

[zvholk]

No, normally I have it at 2 or 3 o’clock and get 11 hour burn times

 

[jetsam]

Fairly full load this AM before work. 10 hours in:



This stove amazes me every year when the weather starts warming up.

 

[lsucet]

Fairly full load this AM before work. 10 hours in:

View attachment 242289

This stove amazes me every year when the weather starts warming up.

Yeah, isn't it? Going to 27 hrs with some pieces of cottonwood and two NIELs, about half of a load, maybe a little more than half. Raining all day here and still, possibly some snow overnight.

 

[lsucet]

Temperatures touched 60 during the day, now is 40 and still dropping, wind is high 20s mph now and gust can get up to 50 for what the weather says

 

[AlbergSteve]

Fairly full load this AM before work. 10 hours in:

View attachment 242289

This stove amazes me every year when the weather starts warming up.

That's what mine looked like when I got home today - 3/4 load, stat to 2:30, eight hours later half of it was still there and the house still at 20C!

 

[zvholk]

Last night I took the heat shield off to look at the cat, and half of it is covered with fly ash. I’m doing a shut down today to clean it off.
How often should a guy do this, and what is the best method?
Last night was the first time I’ve taken the cover off since my December install running it 27-7

 

[moresnow]

And likely 90% of the time its wet wood.

There should be a sticky explaining the importance of dry fuel and how to properly measure M.C. with a simple inexpensive tester. Should be mandatory that it gets read before proceeding into the forums Soooo hard for lots of people to understand. And so important.

 

[MissMac]

That's what mine looked like when I got home today - 3/4 load, stat to 2:30, eight hours later half of it was still there and the house still at 20C!

You get your door latch all dialed in then? Did you get a part from BK or jimmy-rig something up?

 

[Highbeam]

Last night I took the heat shield off to look at the cat, and half of it is covered with fly ash. I’m doing a shut down today to clean it off.
How often should a guy do this, and what is the best method?
Last night was the first time I’ve taken the cover off since my December install running it 27-7

You shouldn't have to do it that often but your installation and operational methods apparently dictate that you do! Any cloggage means you waited too long. You not only need to sweep the surface of the cat but also verify that each cell is open all the way through the 2" depth. I prefer a very flexible and soft shopvac hose pressed gently to the face of the cat to suck out the cells. Fortunately, I've never had cloggage but as a cat dies it tends to get a lot more accumulation of stuff on it.

 

[black smoke signals]

Midwest Blizzard Today 70mph gusts all day long Blazeking Insert is drafting good!

 

[begreen]

Midwest Blizzard Today 70mph gusts all day long Blazeking Insert is drafting good!

Heard about that. A friend's flight thru Denver got cancelled and was rerouted to Newark.

 

[lsucet]

Here gust are 55 and it is nasty. I have the setting real low.lol