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

[Woody Stover]

I was in Paradise.

Every day is paradise, with the scenery you have out there.

 

[BKVP]

The Veep is never home to burn, for gosh sakes! JK, maybe his wife burns the stove when he's gone..
As to your creo, if you try to run super-low, flue temp will go super-low as well and you'll get more condensation. Try as it might, the cat can't burn up everything..
Did that used to be a Bluebird before he got into the stove?
Dust could be in the convective chambers as well..
Like the others said, 'Wow, those splits are huge!' If I split some of the more dense species that big, I might hurt my back loading the stove.

Woody...I load the stove on Monday before leaving for the airport and reload on Friday evening when I return! Actually, my wife much prefers wood heat to the NG Furnace. As long as I load up the wood on the back porch, she will keep it running the entire time I travel..which was more than 200 days this year.

 

[SpaceBus]

Every day is paradise, with the scenery you have out there.

A FedEx driver made the quip "another day in paradise", but I think this really is paradise here.

 

[Dieselhead]

Did that used to be a Bluebird before he got into the stove?

He’s lucky the CAT didn’t get him......

 

[MissMac]

I had a small fire a couple nights ago because it was 40 degrees out. Today it's 75!

Been burning for over a month now...
Wettest September/Oct since i can remember. it has literally rained for the last 6 weeks, with the exception of 4 days

 

[Diabel]

Been burning for over a month now...
Wettest September/Oct since i can remember. it has literally rained for the last 6 weeks, with the exception of 4 days

This will make it a long burning season for you!

 

[Woody Stover]

Been burning for over a month now...
Wettest September/Oct since i can remember. it has literally rained for the last 6 weeks, with the exception of 4 days

We've had virtually no rain in six week, but we got a tenth of an inch a couple of days ago, enough to settle the dust.

 

[Rob711]

I’m in! Enjoying a break in fire in front on my Ashford 25, as installer was packing up I noticed I didn’t hear the thermostat flapper close when I turned the swoosh knob. Then I pulled it and it came out maybe 1/2” but then I’d hear flapper open. He came in took it apart and reinstalled, I think he moved that collar with the spring. Should there be stops? The thermostat knob turns all the way, it stops when the indicator for the swoosh hits the cast iron housing. Seems unless it’s almost full swoosh the flapper is closed. This is like hour 5 so I’m still learning!

 

[BKVP]

I’m in! Enjoying a break in fire in front on my Ashford 25, as installer was packing up I noticed I didn’t hear the thermostat flapper close when I turned the swoosh knob. Then I pulled it and it came out maybe 1/2” but then I’d hear flapper open. He came in took it apart and reinstalled, I think he moved that collar with the spring. Should there be stops? The thermostat knob turns all the way, it stops when the indicator for the swoosh hits the cast iron housing. Seems unless it’s almost full swoosh the flapper is closed. This is like hour 5 so I’m still learning!

There are two collars. The rod is machined 180 degree on rod and 180 degree on stub sticking out of thermostat. He probably didn't tighten it enough, so your pull disassembled the two pieces. He then probably put them back into alignment and tighten the set screw on the collar that holds the two sections together.

As for flapper sound, you cannot always hear it. If you have a flashlight, you can peek inside, turn knob and see if blade moves when you turn the knob....

 

[begreen]

Every day is paradise, with the scenery you have out there.

Out here this is what we call Paradise.

Paradise - Mount Rainier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Woody Stover]

Out here this is what we call Paradise.

That's probably more flowers than you would find in NM most times. You think of it as very arid but I was surprised at how many flowers I saw when I was out there recently.

 

[SpaceBus]

From my bedroom this morning. This was full of goldenrod a few weeks ago. There's a few types of Aster, Orchid, and some other small flowers still kicking around. Our hillside has been full of flowers since spring. The blueberry is starting to turn vibrant red and our handful of maples have begun turning.

Please pardon the random firberglas, it's been windy lately! Going to make that into firewood covers.

 

[DanPesonen]

Smoke spillage. I have a Sirocco 30. New. Prev was a Regency F2400 with them reburn tubes. It is about 32-40f outside temps lately and wondering on smoke spillage when reloading. I flip bypass, and wait a little then open door a crack and have to wait a bunch more. I think its ok, open door fully and still spills a bit out over the top of the door. Prob not waiting long enough but I need to ask lol
How long do you wait before opening the door fully and not get smoke spillage? I am sure its because my chimney, All dbl wall 6" straight up and out the roof, isn't as hot as it was with the Regency. My flue prob is way colder with this stove yet house is so much better
I have approx 18' of chimney length too.

 

[Rob711]

Would it be ok to run my Ashford 25 insert without the cast iron piece that covers the thermostat housing. I’d like to see what my adjustments are doing. I can see it with flashlight. Would like my wife to see what’s going on with small adjustments.

 

[Dieselhead]

I saw what looks to be a updated princess on the BK Facebook page today.

 

[Diabel]

I saw what looks to be a updated princess on the BK Facebook page today.


View attachment 248870

Looks almost identical to my Princess with the exception that BK finally figured out to swing the ash lip shelf upward..:

 

[BKVP]

Would it be ok to run my Ashford 25 insert without the cast iron piece that covers the thermostat housing. I’d like to see what my adjustments are doing. I can see it with flashlight. Would like my wife to see what’s going on with small adjustments.

Yes, temporarily

 

[BKVP]

Looks almost identical to my Princess with the exception that BK finally figured out to swing the ash lip shelf upward..:

And your Princess, if it's a Classic has 4 holes in the front edge of the pedestal. As for the ash lip, during safety testing our fireboxes were so deep, that no coal or ashes rolled out. The old down turn ash lip was a snub because we didn't even need one when tested! Anyway, the tests have changed and while we would still pass, there is no need for the ash lip.

 

[BoilerBob]

Smoke spillage. I have a Sirocco 30. New. Prev was a Regency F2400 with them reburn tubes. It is about 32-40f outside temps lately and wondering on smoke spillage when reloading. I flip bypass, and wait a little then open door a crack and have to wait a bunch more. I think its ok, open door fully and still spills a bit out over the top of the door. Prob not waiting long enough but I need to ask lol
How long do you wait before opening the door fully and not get smoke spillage? I am sure its because my chimney, All dbl wall 6" straight up and out the roof, isn't as hot as it was with the Regency. My flue prob is way colder with this stove yet house is so much better
I have approx 18' of chimney length too.

I also have a Sirocco 30.1
When you flip the bypass , also turn the thermostat knob to high to get a good draft going before cracking the door open.
Should have no smoke spillage.
Also waiting to reload when there is only a bit of charred coals remaining helps.

 

[Diabel]

And your Princess, if it's a Classic has 4 holes in the front edge of the pedestal. As for the ash lip, during safety testing our fireboxes were so deep, that no coal or ashes rolled out. The old down turn ash lip was a snub because we didn't even need one when tested! Anyway, the tests have changed and while we would still pass, there is no need for the ash lip.

You are correct. I have zero ash spillage. I think mine is the Ultra, I believe

 

[Ashful]

Smoke spillage. I have a Sirocco 30. New. Prev was a Regency F2400 with them reburn tubes. It is about 32-40f outside temps lately and wondering on smoke spillage when reloading. I flip bypass, and wait a little then open door a crack and have to wait a bunch more. I think its ok, open door fully and still spills a bit out over the top of the door. Prob not waiting long enough but I need to ask lol
How long do you wait before opening the door fully and not get smoke spillage? I am sure its because my chimney, All dbl wall 6" straight up and out the roof, isn't as hot as it was with the Regency. My flue prob is way colder with this stove yet house is so much better
I have approx 18' of chimney length too.

Opening thermostat wide when you open bypass is key, for heating up the flue before opening the door. But with a little planning and practice, there should never be anything left in your stove to generate smoke, by the time you open that door. Mine is down to just coals, which don’t generate much smoke, when I’m opening the door to reload.

 

[Highbeam]

Also waiting to reload when there is only a bit of charred coals remaining helps.

Mine is down to just coals, which don’t generate much smoke, when I’m opening the door to reload.

Me three. I've had other stoves on this chimney that suck food off of the dishes in the next room. The BK is prone to smoke spillage when opening the door if there is any sort of fuel burning inside. Waiting until late in the burn cycle to reload is the best bet. These stoves prefer batch burns anyway instead of constantly throwing in a split or two.

There are some methods and tricks to try and reduce the spillage but new users especially should be warned that these high efficiency stoves are more prone to spillage than regular stoves.

 

[Rob711]

Looks like my wife figured it out

 

[Holiday]

Been a long time since I've been browsing the forums. After learning a lot here and running a tube stove for 7 years picked up a new Ashford 30.1 Just started burning a couple days ago. I think I'm going to like it.

 

[Ashful]

Been a long time since I've been browsing the forums. After learning a lot here and running a tube stove for 7 years picked up a new Ashford 30.1 Just started burning a couple days ago. I think I'm going to like it.

Welcome to the dark side. Literally.