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

[Indiana wood]

Heating a 3200sqft house from the basement with the stove on low
in -17c weather is impressive indeed, house has to be super insulated,
add a bit more insulation and you should be able to heat with a couple
of candles
If I tried to heat this place from the basement, I would have to add that
square footage as heated floor space, so total of around 4350sqft,
I would have to run 2 king's and a princess.

BK King is my primary heat source down to about 20°F after that I have to supplement with my geothermal heat since I’m a basement install I’m heating about 5300 ft.² spray foam walls with 2 x 6 side walls r19 on top of that
Thermostat set on about the 5 o’clock position

 

[BKVP]

Wholly crap! Came home from airport last night and found furnace running I can't believe she let's a little thing like knee replacement a few weeks ago get in the way of walking down the stairs, through ice and snow and to the wood pile....filled with huge pieces of locust and walnut.

The great news is that I had loaded it at 3:30 am Tuesday and arrived home yesterday at 4:00 p.m. There were still enough coals to fire it off.

Got to get a better fuel delivery system. Mine is 58 years old and I've had it for 37 years! Actually, pretty damn reliable! I'll stick with it for at least another 37 years.

 

[Diabel]

Wholly crap! Came home from airport last night and found furnace running I can't believe she let's a little thing like knee replacement a few weeks ago get in the way of walking down the stairs, through ice and snow and to the wood pile....filled with huge pieces of locust and walnut.

The great news is that I had loaded it at 3:30 am Tuesday and arrived home yesterday at 4:00 p.m. There were still enough coals to fire it off.

Got to get a better fuel delivery system. Mine is 58 years old and I've had it for 37 years! Actually, pretty damn reliable! I'll stick with it for at least another 37 years.

They do have new and improved models you know....

 

[showrguy]

BK King is my primary heat source down to about 20°F after that I have to supplement with my geothermal heat since I’m a basement install I’m heating about 5300 ft.² spray foam walls with 2 x 6 side walls r19 on top of that
Thermostat set on about the 5 o’clock position

Have you tried running @ the 4oclock position, or even a hair under ??
You might be surprised if not..

 

[Indiana wood]

Have you tried running @ the 4oclock position, or even a hair under ??
You might be surprised if not..

Not really. Tell me more

 

[Indiana wood]

Wholly crap! Came home from airport last night and found furnace running I can't believe she let's a little thing like knee replacement a few weeks ago get in the way of walking down the stairs, through ice and snow and to the wood pile....filled with huge pieces of locust and walnut.

The great news is that I had loaded it at 3:30 am Tuesday and arrived home yesterday at 4:00 p.m. There were still enough coals to fire it off.

Got to get a better fuel delivery system. Mine is 58 years old and I've had it for 37 years! Actually, pretty damn reliable! I'll stick with it for at least another 37 years.

My fuel loader is 45 and I’ve had it for 32 years. She’s getting a little age on her but still going strong. I haven’t taught her the bk method yet, but I will. Im gonna keep her for many more decades.
New models are VERY expensive.

 

[showrguy]

Not really. Tell me more

Just try it, I think you’ll like it..
I’m betting about the same heat, less fuel !!

 

[jetsam]

Wholly crap! Came home from airport last night and found furnace running I can't believe she let's a little thing like knee replacement a few weeks ago get in the way of walking down the stairs, through ice and snow and to the wood pile....filled with huge pieces of locust and walnut.

The great news is that I had loaded it at 3:30 am Tuesday and arrived home yesterday at 4:00 p.m. There were still enough coals to fire it off.

Got to get a better fuel delivery system. Mine is 58 years old and I've had it for 37 years! Actually, pretty damn reliable! I'll stick with it for at least another 37 years.

They'd need to do head replacement surgery on me to keep me out of a big pile of dry locust....

 

[MissMac]

Just try it, I think you’ll like it..
I’m betting about the same heat, less fuel !!

especially if you have the stove fan, and turn it on - even to the lowest setting. huge difference in pushing heat out into the home. i've found it enough to make up for a lower t-stat setting, and then some.

 

[Gooseduck]

Is the stove fan something i can put on the princess an install myself?

 

[showrguy]

Is the stove fan something i can put on the princess an install myself?

Yes, it’s actually a pair of fans wired together, 2 screws each, 5 minute install..

 

[Indiana wood]

Ok. Ill try it tonight. Question on the fans. Does high provide more heat? When you turn them down do they use less wattage?

 

[Gooseduck]

Yes, it’s actually a pair of fans wired together, 2 screws each, 5 minute install..

That something i get straight from blaze king?

 

[showrguy]

That something i get straight from blaze king?

Dealer, I don’t think Blaze King sells direct to customer, in fact, I know they don’t...
I think the fan kit is in the 300 range + -..

 

[Gooseduck]

Dealer, I don’t think Blaze King sells direct to customer, in fact, I know they don’t...
I think the fan kit is in the 300 range + -..

Ya. American so 600$ Canadian lol

 

[showrguy]

Ya. American so 600$ Canadian lol

Ya, but you guys get top of the line “free healthcare” right ?? Lol..

 

[Gooseduck]

Ya, but you guys get top of the line “free healthcare” right ?? Lol..

This is true... lol

 

[Diabel]

Ya. American so 600$ Canadian lol

No, I believe my kit was around 320cad

 

[showrguy]

Ok. Ill try it tonight. Question on the fans. Does high provide more heat? When you turn them down do they use less wattage?

The fans simply move the heat off of the stove quicker..
I actually just put mine on the stove 2 days ago, were expecting/having some really cold weather and wind...
With your setup being in the basement, a box fan would probably get you the same results..
There are 2 metal plates on the back of your stove, if you remove them it’d flow the heat/air better..

 

[Gooseduck]

No, I believe my kit was around 320cad

That aint too bad at all

 

[SpaceBus]

Nope. At high burns you're little better off than if you had a good tube/baffle stove.

At low burns you are way more efficient.

For year-round heating with wood, you just can't beat it.

For the guy who only burns it on high in the dead of the winter to supplement his oil burner- he has the wrong stove.

I know this is the BK thread, but I heat year round without a cat stove. I start more fires, but this is fine, starting fires is fun.

 

[blueyceman]

Hi Everyone,
First winter burning with a new Ashford, LOVE IT. We've stopped using any furnace heat at all, unless we're gone for several days.
Since late October, the stove has been used 24/7. I'm thinking during an upcoming warmish spell of lightly cleaning fly ash off the cat. I know you can use a vacuum brush, or a can of compressed air. If I were to go the compressed air route and would rather use an air compressor I have at home, what psi would be suitable so as to not damage the cat? A really low setting, like 10 pounds maybe? Maybe its just a better idea to vacuum it instead, but a little worried if I don't let the cat cool down 100% I could create a fire in the vacuum disposal system (it's not an ash vacuum, just a normal shop vac). Thanks for any advice!

 

[jetsam]

I know this is the BK thread, but I heat year round without a cat stove. I start more fires, but this is fine, starting fires is fun.

I've done that before too.

Wouldn't go back unless I had to!

 

[MissMac]

Hi Everyone,
First winter burning with a new Ashford, LOVE IT. We've stopped using any furnace heat at all, unless we're gone for several days.
Since late October, the stove has been used 24/7. I'm thinking during an upcoming warmish spell of lightly cleaning fly ash off the cat. I know you can use a vacuum brush, or a can of compressed air. If I were to go the compressed air route and would rather use an air compressor I have at home, what psi would be suitable so as to not damage the cat? A really low setting, like 10 pounds maybe? Maybe its just a better idea to vacuum it instead, but a little worried if I don't let the cat cool down 100% I could create a fire in the vacuum disposal system (it's not an ash vacuum, just a normal shop vac). Thanks for any advice!

i'd wait until the stove is cold before you vacuum the face of the cat. I have to vacuum mine several times per heating season - it's a super easy job, and i just use a little brush attachment on the regular vacuum cleaner or the shop vac. However, this year I noticed that when i really inspected the cat, the vacuuming wasn't removing the fly ash from deeper in the cells. The face looked clean, but that was the only clean bit. So, unless you're going to remove the cat to clean the fly ash (and then have to replace the cat gasket), you're better off to just give it a bit of a light vacuum, and then if that doesn't completely remove the ash, get a can of compressed air. Search this thread - you'll find a few comments from BKVP re: using canned air.

 

[Ashful]

Over the last 2 winters, I’ve take up some great advice on this forum, and now run my stove like @Ashful

You mean, two or three at a time?

They do have new and improved models you know....

New, yes... but I might argue with the "improved" claim.

No, I believe my kit was around 320cad

I think mine were $250 US per set in 2014.