2019-20 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

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Just putting it out there
[Hearth.com] 2019-20 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)
 
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could overdraft become more of an issue as it gets colder out?
How tall is your stack, stove top to cap? And what about its configuration...elbows installed anywhere?
 
Approx. 29' straight up from the stove top. All inside until it exits the roof. 5' of double wall and 24' of class A.
Yep, that draft might get a bit strengthy when it's cold out. You may need a pipe damper..or two.
 
Has anyone pulled their ashford 25 and removed the flue collar? I understand there is a gasket that may need replaced. I am pulling my insert Monday to have a insulated block off plate installed. I had ordered the extra gasket from my dealer mid August and i didn’t get it yet. They dropped the ball...

Anyway...just looking for some experiences from you guys or tips / recommendations to ensure everything goes smoothly.
 
Think I'm going to pick one up and put it in just in case. Don't want to be messing around to much once the temps drop.
Install it a bit higher in the pipe, leaving room below it in case you need a second one.
 
Was nice to visit our state fair yesterday and find another major retailer has picked up blaze king. Got to lay my hands and eyes on a burning ashford in brown enamel. It sure felt like a bigger stove than my princess.

The wife was amused by the little morso squirrel stoves. So tiny. She asked what you’re supposed to burn in them, charcoal briquettes?

No PE stoves. Would have liked to show her a t5. No Woodstock’s either of course.
 
Was nice to visit our state fair yesterday and find another major retailer has picked up blaze king. Got to lay my hands and eyes on a burning ashford in brown enamel. It sure felt like a bigger stove than my princess.

The wife was amused by the little morso squirrel stoves. So tiny. She asked what you’re supposed to burn in them, charcoal briquettes?

No PE stoves. Would have liked to show her a t5. No Woodstock’s either of course.

Tell her I did actually use the bio bricks last winter, but mixed with wood. I keep my splits under 6" across.

I'm actually surprised you saw any Morso stoves. Maybe they are more popular out west?
 
Tell her I did actually use the bio bricks last winter, but mixed with wood. I keep my splits under 6" across.

I'm actually surprised you saw any Morso stoves. Maybe they are more popular out west?

I was trying to be a funny guy, said you could barely fit a danish through the front door!

The long skinny model was great. I could barely fit my fist through the door. Super “cute”.
 
I was trying to be a funny guy, said you could barely fit a danish through the front door!

The long skinny model was great. I could barely fit my fist through the door. Super “cute”.

I have the tall long skinny model. Our house is also tall, long, and skinny, so it works perfect! Last winter would probably have been easier with NIELs vs the bio bricks, but those in need of dry fuel cannot be picky. With several cords of long (kind of) skinny firewood this winter should be much more comfortable. The cook stove takes normal people sized firewood (as does the Morso despite the tiny door) which I do have plenty of as well. I'm a little salty the cooker only holds a 17" max stick when the Morso will hold a 20" since I cut five cords to a nominal 18" length. I guess I'm going to have to be really accurate at making 17" cuts or cut two different lengths....
 
Question on the T stat. Just got a Sirocco 30 and having my second smallish fire. I read other posts of some t stat coils being wound backwards and verified mine is opperating correct in that regard. My dial is the swoosh one, no numbers or nothing And when the damler is closed off, at room temp, no fire, the dial is at 3 o clock there abouts. The dial stops at 6 for full open. Just wondering if this is normal? Its like only have 1/4 dial for useful setting. Anything lower than 3:00 and the damper is already closed.
 
Question on the T stat. Just got a Sirocco 30 and having my second smallish fire. I read other posts of some t stat coils being wound backwards and verified mine is opperating correct in that regard. My dial is the swoosh one, no numbers or nothing And when the damler is closed off, at room temp, no fire, the dial is at 3 o clock there abouts. The dial stops at 6 for full open. Just wondering if this is normal? Its like only have 1/4 dial for useful setting. Anything lower than 3:00 and the damper is already closed.

With a stone cold stove you can turn the knob from full high and hear the flapper clap closed at about the one o’clock position. That’s all you get. Less than half of the actual range of the knob is useful. That’s why it’s so important to mark your chosen settings somehow. Since just a tiny adjustment makes a pretty big difference.

I don’t think the 30 box stoves ever had actual numbers on the stat dial. Just a swoosh! Fear not, marks can be added.
 
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And all models are unique in their actual settings. A Princess thermostat is not the same as a Sirocco for example.
 
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Has anyone pulled their ashford 25 and removed the flue collar? I understand there is a gasket that may need replaced. I am pulling my insert Monday to have a insulated block off plate installed. I had ordered the extra gasket from my dealer mid August and i didn’t get it yet. They dropped the ball...

Anyway...just looking for some experiences from you guys or tips / recommendations to ensure everything goes smoothly.

They really dropped the ball. I ordered that gasket and it took a week. But they had it in a couple days I just couldn’t get there till a week later.

When I pulled mine the gasket disintegrated once I separated the collar adapter. You will need a new one for sure.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25
 
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I don’t think the 30 box stoves ever had actual numbers on the stat dial. Just a swoosh! Fear not, marks can be added.
The original 30’s had numbers, they were dropped in the transition to 30.1.

I may have one of the world’s few (or only?) Ashford 30.1’s with a numbers dial, it was made right around the transition date from 30.0 to 30.1 design. My other one, likely made just days later, has a swoosh.
 
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Ya mine is a 30.1, got it last years pricing, $400 less than a 30.2 of this years. The specs even show the 30.1 being a tad more efficient. Stone cold stove this moring, 69-70* in house approx and and flapper closes at the 2:00 on mine. So I guess thats kinda normal. I can see not having numbers, but when you have 180 of dial sweep, but only 95* or so of actual usuable sweep. The resolution of the stove control could be so much more. This is the EE in me talking.

My previous stoves were a Englander NC13 in shop and a Regency F2400 in house. In winter, couldnt get more than 4-5hrs burn on the Regency without needing a relight with kindling. The Englander, well it just totally sucked to light and was either cold, or hair straight back. Got the Sirocco in the house, and put the Regency in shop and shop is so much better now. The BK in house I need to figure out. Totally different animal with the cat. I build a small fire, 1 split of Cedar for kindling, then 3 3.5" splits of Fir, get going good for 20 min or so, into the active then turn down and the flames go out but holly heck that cat puts out some heat!!!. Me and the wife both had a little nap on couches during second fire. Dial was down at 3:15. And we were woke by the smoke alarm. The Combustor temp thermometer was way up close to top sweep. It was just the cat putting out the heat and smoke was the paint curing.
I also have the back fan kit, which I thought was a temp controlled, ie when stove gets hot it comes on, but no its a pure manual dial.
 
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