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

[Ashful]

Jacub said on a "low burn," but we don't know how low that is compared to your burns, how much draft he's got etc. Granted, you must be running the 24-hr stove pretty low..unless you are milking the coal bed a long time and the actual load burn has a decent amount of air being pulled through.

At 24 hour settings the results can vary day to day, as small factors leverage into big changes over that time scale, but I usually have enough left in the stove that I burn it on high a half hour when I get home and before loading, to burn down what’s left. Then occasionally I come home to nothing but ash and a warm stove, and wonder what happened, possibly a wood fiber in the gasket, a slightly less dense batch of wood, or my knob setting was off 1 degree. Note that the difference between my 12 hour and 24 hour settings is maybe less than one hour on the o’clock face.

 

[Indiana wood]

Thanks for the tips guys! Burning down the coals with a piece of pine, thermostat on high.

 

[showrguy]

Thanks for the tips guys! Burning down the coals with a piece of pine, thermostat on high.

Ohh yea, that’s alot of coals, might take more than 1 session/day to get em under control..

 

[spudman99]

I can answer the draft question based on the magnehlic on my Princess Insert. Been shut down now for 3 days as its not worth it to burn when the day temps are 55 and nights in the low 40's.

With my stove shut down for several days, thermostat on low and door closed, I still pull 0.04 wc on the gauge. When the unit is wide open with a full box of flames, I pin the gauge at 0.25wc (water column). I noticed that the draft would jump up a bit when the wind blows, thereby creating a pressure differential at the top of the chimney. I would not worry about loss from the stove, probably less than you have from daily opening and closing of the entry doors.

 

[Tron]

I still pull 0.04 wc on the gauge. When the unit is wide open with a full box of flames, I pin the gauge at 0.25wc (water column).

So that would be 0.04 inches water column? Translating to SI that gives barely 0.1 Pa. I suppose a breeze on the side of the house will lead to a higher pressure difference than that...

 

[BKVP]

RDU? Taking a little vacation? I can't imagine many BK owners in NC aside from the Mountains.

HQ for EPA! No vacation.

 

[Ashful]

HQ for EPA! No vacation.

That’s an understatement, I suspect.

 

[ratsrepus]

some one made mention of the fact that a certain company's cats weren't very good and i cant remember which brand it was, was it condor?

 

[Highbeam]

some one made mention of the fact that a certain company's cats weren't very good and i cant remember which brand it was, was it condor?

there seems to be disagreement on whether condar makes or just resells cats. For sure, they are full of bs if they try to tell you that no gasket is required! My new ceramic cat from Midwest hearth that is made by applied ceramics is in the mail. 209$.

 

[ratsrepus]

it appears ive had two ceramic cats go south in the princess. I have a spare steel cat that I was saving for the ashford next year, but I think im going to put it in the princess. I cant remember, do you use a gasket on the steel cats?

 

[Ashful]

it appears ive had two ceramic cats go south in the princess. I have a spare steel cat that I was saving for the ashford next year, but I think im going to put it in the princess. I cant remember, do you use a gasket on the steel cats?

You do in the Ashford. I suspect you must in the Princess, as well.

 

[Ashful]

some one made mention of the fact that a certain company's cats weren't very good and i cant remember which brand it was, was it condor?

Condar used to (ca.2012/13) sell Diesel Foil cats under their SteelCat name. These were junk, and maybe it is what you are recalling. But I seem to recall hearing more recently that they’ve switched to the better Durafoil.

I can’t confirm this change, so do your homework on that, but I did toast a few of their old diesel foil cats myself.

 

[kennyp2339]

some one made mention of the fact that a certain company's cats weren't very good and i cant remember which brand it was, was it condor?

If I remember correctly is was diesel foil cats that were not be used with bk's, also if memory serves me correctly there are (2) manufactures that make cats in the US, applied ceramics and one other. I ordered directly from firecatcombuster and hechlers, both shipped fast, had the cats wrapped safely and had pre-gasketed them.

 

[snojetter]

Wondering if anyone else has had this problem. The pivot on my Princess Ultra door handle is almost seized . This happened suddenly, literally overnight a couple weeks ago. The handle was pivoting freely, but the next morning it was extremely stiff - I can still open and close the latch handle (and thus the door), but it's very tight! Is there a bushing in there that suddenly went south? There wasn't any abnormal burn that accompanied this change that I am aware of.

I can see the pivot loosening over time due to wear, but not tightening up. I haven't tried any type of lube since I am still burning 24-7, but is there a lube that will handle the heat (perhaps a dry lube)?

Thoughts?

 

[webby3650]

At one point a brass bushing was used that didn’t have enough tolerance. How old is the stove?
I’ve changed a few under warranty.

 

[snojetter]

At one point a brass bushing was used that didn’t have enough tolerance. How old is the stove?
I’ve changed a few under warranty.

It was new in the fall of 2013

 

[webby3650]

It was new in the fall of 2013

That’s the timeframe when this was happening. Ask your dealer if they will get you a replacement. Maybe @BKVP can lean on them if they won’t help you.

 

[Alex36472]

Hi guys! I Just bought a blaze king sirocco last week and I had a few questions for you guys. Im new to burning, so any advice/tricks would really be appreciated. So I dont have any problems starting the stove this machine is pretty awesome, but everytime I try to reload the stove it shows it's in the active zone ( most of the time at noon or 1..) and theres nothing else to burn! It takes a good hour or two to get to 10(which is when they say we can reload the stove) how do you guys do it? The people on the phone told me I would mess the cycle up if I reload when its far into the active zone.. But nothings burning. Also I burn at medium most.of the time, i cant really go lower than that and usually get a 6hour burn(maybe 8 if im lucky) I guess ill try burning bigger logs. Any help on how you guys do it would be awesome! And if you really only reload when its at 10. Because if you reload everytime and theres nothing left in the stove you have to start over everytime, and doesn't that create more creosote by doing so? Thanks guys!

 

[webby3650]

The cat will be very active for a while, it will settle down. I pay no attention to my cat probe, I reload whenever I need to. I only use the probe as an indication as to when to shut the bypass.

 

[BKVP]

Condar used to (ca.2012/13) sell Diesel Foil cats under their SteelCat name. These were junk, and maybe it is what you are recalling. But I seem to recall hearing more recently that they’ve switched to the better Durafoil.

I can’t confirm this change, so do your homework on that, but I did toast a few of their old diesel foil cats myself.

There is a single manufacturer of ceramic substrates in the USA. (Applied) There are at least 2 manufacturers of metal substrates in the USA.

Factually, these suppliers sell combustors to everyone else. One stove company does buy combustors from a supplier in Asia.

All others are resellers.

 

[BKVP]

That’s the timeframe when this was happening. Ask your dealer if they will get you a replacement. Maybe @BKVP can lean on them if they won’t help you.

Thank you Webby. There is a small drift (roll) pin in the wedge on the door. Knock it out, but put something under door to catch it.

Use scotchbrite, aluminum oxide sandpaper, and where the door handle goes thru the nose block ( attached to door) pull handle rod out.

Catch the spring washers.

Clean up rod and nose block with sand paper, lubricate with anti seize, insert rod back into nose block, check smoothness, if smooth, reassemble.

I've done this insitu several times...about 15 minute process.

 

[snojetter]

Thank you Webby. There is a small drift (roll) pin in the wedge on the door. Knock it out, but put something under door to catch it.

Use scotchbrite, aluminum oxide sandpaper, and where the door handle goes thru the nose block ( attached to door) pull handle rod out.

Catch the spring washers.

Clean up rod and nose block with sand paper, lubricate with anti seize, insert rod back into nose block, check smoothness, if smooth, reassemble.

I've done this insitu several times...about 15 minute process.

Thank you, Webby & BKVP - sounds like a pretty simple fix. Will do that as soon as my stove cools down.

 

[ratsrepus]

You do in the Ashford. I suspect you must in the Princess, as well.

the reason I ask about the gasket on the steel cat is all the ceramic one have come with the gasket, the steel fire cat didnt. It does have what appears to be a black thin some type of material wrapped around it. ILL see how it fits, and let you know

 

[Alex36472]

The cat will be very active for a while, it will settle down. I pay no attention to my cat probe, I reload whenever I need to. I only use the probe as an indication as to when to shut the bypass.

ahh ok thanks, but it will not damage the cat by reloading further inside the active zone? Why would the company insist on that?

 

[Ashful]

ahh ok thanks, but it will not damage the cat by reloading further inside the active zone? Why would the company insist on that?

Opening the door on a very hot cat is subjecting it to thermal shock. Ceramic substrate cats can start to fracture and crumble after repeated thermal shocks. This is less an issue with steel cats. But I suspect there’s something else happening in your case.

Pull the thermometer out and let it cool a half hour or more. What does it read when cold?