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

[Diabel]

My probe is the same as yours,,, I had a buddy make me a 2” wide X 1 1/2” H, aluminum puck, with a 3/8” hole in the center, that way I could set the probe at 2”, held in place with hi temp silicone between the puck and the probe..
Then I have a piece of 1/8” hi temp gasket material with a hole in the center between the puck and stovetop..
Works great..
Clear as mud ??

100% clear.
I will be able to tinker some more with it right after Christmas since I will spending a week at the lake playing with the Princess. Will post results. i bet that I will see several 1600f instances.

 

[showrguy]

100% clear.
I will be able to tinker some more with it right after Christmas since I will spending a week at the lake playing with the Princess. Will post results. i bet that I will see several 1600f instances.

That’s why I was asking about temps, I just put a new probe in mine, but the best I’m seeing are right around 1000* F...
Might be time for a new CAT ??

 

[Diabel]

That’s why I was asking about temps, I just put a new probe in mine, but the best I’m seeing are right around 1000* F...
Might be time for a new CAT ??

Yeah, 1000f is around 12:30 on a oem meter. Does it go any higher at any point in the burn?
If not, then either old cat, wet wood load.

 

[showrguy]

Yeah, 1000f is around 12:30 on a oem meter. Does it go any higher at any point in the burn?
If not, then either old cat, wet wood load.

Wood is 20% and under, CAT is 2 yrs. old.. Firecat/ceramic..
I’m burning 24/7 and heating alot of space, see sig. below..

Weird thing is, I put a new Condar probe in it a few days ago to try, and that thing measures 100 - 200 deg. Difference....Higher..
/????

 

[Highbeam]

Wood is 20% and under, CAT is 2 yrs. old.. Firecat/ceramic..
I’m burning 24/7 and heating alot of space, see sig. below..

Weird thing is, I put a new Condar probe in it a few days ago to try, and that thing measures 100 - 200 deg. Difference....Higher..
/????

I’ve never gotten 3 years out of a cat. When you burn full time you will wear them out. You should still be able to get the cat hot at higher thermostat settings though.

 

[showrguy]

I’ve never gotten 3 years out of a cat. When you burn full time you will wear them out. You should still be able to get the cat hot at higher thermostat settings though.

Yea, I figured I’d get through this season with it (2 1/2 yrs)..
Could likely get it hotter by cranking it up, but my max setting has NEVER been much past the 4 oclock position..
Last nightI set it around 4;30 and load was pretty much gone 12 hrs. Later..
The few nights before we were in the mid. low teens and I had a half stove full of coals in the morning, with normal settings..
I’m not used to that..

 

[Diabel]

2 1/2 yrs out of a cat (24/7 burning) isn’t this still on a short side?

 

[SpaceBus]

2 1/2 yrs out of a cat (24/7 burning) isn’t this still on a short side?

Time is a bad way to look at consumables. Think about a ten year old car that is driven lightly every day vs one that is raced every weekend. The race car has way more wear and tear despite being the same age and having less miles.

 

[showrguy]

2 1/2 yrs out of a cat (24/7 burning) isn’t this still on a short side?

Not if you go by mfgrs. 10,000-12,000 hrs, they begin to loose their mojo !!

 

[Highbeam]

Yea, I figured I’d get through this season with it (2 1/2 yrs)..
Could likely get it hotter by cranking it up, but my max setting has NEVER been much past the 4 oclock position..
Last nightI set it around 4;30 and load was pretty much gone 12 hrs. Later..
The few nights before we were in the mid. low teens and I had a half stove full of coals in the morning, with normal settings..
I’m not used to that..

Thats how I start noticing the dying cat. Then you’ll notice more fuzz accumulation on the cat face. Then smoke and cat stall if you try to burn it at lower settings. They’re easy to replace and pretty cheap. The new one will be super great.

 

[Diabel]

Not if you go by mfgrs. 10,000-12,000 hrs, they begin to loose their mojo !!

I can’t see even hard core users burning more than 6 months per season on the east coast. West coast maybe.

 

[SpaceBus]

I can’t see even hard core users burning more than 6 months per season on the east coast. West coast maybe.

The east coast is pretty long. We started in September and won't stop burning for heat until probably may. I think we had a June fire last year. Admittedly this is not the norm, but most folks don't burn wood for primary heat.

 

[Diabel]

The east coast is pretty long. We started in September and won't stop burning for heat until probably may. I think we had a June fire last year. Admittedly this is not the norm, but most folks don't burn wood for primary heat.

I am on the east coast, I start burning 24/7 at the end of Oct. skip few weeks here and there during the winter due to travel, then have a night fires starting mid Apr to mid May due to solar gain. And from what I read here that is kind of a norm. West coast BK users have different low and slow burning practices. I don’t mind spending 300.00 on a new cat every three years if need to, but for some this could be a huge purchase obstacle. Hence, the massive warranty offered. I suppose.

 

[jetsam]

I can’t see even hard core users burning more than 6 months per season on the east coast. West coast maybe.

I live in an abnormally mild region of the east coast (island weather is a lot warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than just a couple miles inland). I burn from whenever temps go below 60 to whenever they stop doing that- around 9 months a year.

I guess someone who lived next door to me and used wood for supplemental heat wouldn't do that.

I will probably stop next year too, come to think of it. I already have the solar, adding the heat pump before long.

 

[Indiana wood]

Which one should i go by? Id like to turn it down a bit more.

 

[Indiana wood]

 

[Diabel]

Indiana
Your wood is wet, me says.

 

[lsucet]

View attachment 253992

Those pictures are useless if we don't know how much wood left, how many hours into the burn, outside temp etc. Depending those details it can be normal.

 

[lsucet]

This is what I have on a load over 24 hrs at this time with low temp thru the night of 16 df and 41 thru the day. The other sotove about the same, just a little lower on temp. Both have around 27 hrs on low.

 

[Diabel]

@Isucet, is this coal bed 24h into the burn? If that is the case that is great. I suppose my my location limits me to 17h burns. I am supper happy with it.

 

[Indiana wood]

This is what I have on a load over 24 hrs at this time with low temp thru the night of 16 df and 41 thru the day. The other sotove about the same, just a little lower on temp. Both have around 27 hrs on low.

Let me clarify. Should i be worried about the flue temp gauge being in the “too cool” zone

 

[lsucet]

@Isucet, is this coal bed 24h into the burn? If that is the case that is great. I suppose my my location limits me to 17h burns. I am supper happy with it.

Yes it is, I moved them around to take the picture but normally I don't touch it till is time for reload. I am just planning to toss a few splits just in one stove tonight to make it thru the night cause the house is too hot due to the wife making cookies.

 

[lsucet]

Let me clarify. Should i be worried about the flue temp gauge being in the “too cool” zone

Like I said, how much wood left? How many hours into the burn? Mines are around the same but no worries at this stage of the burn. Is just coals in there and the cat still active.

 

[Indiana wood]

Like I said, how much wood left? How many hours into the burn? Mines are around the same but no worries at this stage of the burn. Is just coals in there and the cat still active.

Mainly coals left. 8to 10 hrs into burn

 

[Highbeam]

Let me clarify. Should i be worried about the flue temp gauge being in the “too cool” zone

yep. I don’t want to see my probe meter in the too cool zone because it’s....too cool. Same with the too hot area because it’s ... too hot.

Obviously, when the fuel runs out the flue temps will fall lower. Until then, when flue temps are in the zone my cat meter is way up near the top of the active range.