2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[stoveliker]

Good idea. Door open or closed during the candle burn? I guess closed, IF that works for me...

I'll try that once the flue has been lifted and secured. I hope next weekend. (The stove pipe situation will be much later, but if I first can get back to how it burned previously, I am already happy.)

So, all, an update on my issue of not being able to even start the fire; newspaper even stopped burning.
Sweep came again. We took off all the stove pipe, lit newspaper in the thimble and in the flue liner. Smoke coming out in the basement, so no draft whatsoever.
But nothing wrong to see in the thimble. Nothing wrong to see down from the top. Screen of cap clean (had checked with binoculars too earlier). The next thing would be to order a chimney camera inspection to see if there would be a leak somewhere killing my draft (or leaving me with an effective "3 ft chimney" only

Sweep even threw in a small snowball (white), and saw it go down all the way, seeing it laying from the roof.
One thing is that the bottom of the liner seems to be a bit low, or there is no flue bottom (in the masonry external chimney).

As a last resort we shone a light up from the thimble, but - as you might have guessed, no light visible at the top. @bholler was right: the dropped flue liner (negative slope of the horizontal section) is not good, but could not cause the problem we had.
There was a blockage about 1.5 ft above the thimble.
How did we conclusively prove this? By using a laser distance meter ($40 at HD) outside and inside. Difference inside vs outside = blockage.

It appears the seed of this blockage had been there ever since I moved in this home. Likely the (yearly) sweep never got to the thimble sweeping from the top down, but bumped on this blockage, which initially had a hole that allowed me to burn. As it was very close to the thimble, he did not figure out that the length being swept was a bit too short.
Somehow it closed up. But when we pushed through from the bottom (through the thimble), half a 5 gallon bucket of dry crud came down. The flue (measured inside) is 27 ft tall.

Put everything back together (still the 90 degree and 2 ft horizontal run), the stove lit up like (what I understood to be) the "gates of hell". Man do I have a draft. Stove burns quicker (had secondaries going in 4 minutes top down, cat still below the inactive section of BK's probe). Even the window burned somewhat clean.
3 more minutes and the cat was active, closed the bypass. A total of 10 minutes in all was charred (Sassafras and one cherry), and I dialed down a bit. 37 F outside, almost no wind.

So, I will have the two 45's go in, go all double wall inside and decrease the horizontal run mid January - b/c it's better. Maybe I have to put in a damper, we'll see how it behaves in the time from now to then.

All in all, that blockage made sense from the observations. It's solved. Based on the way the stove took off just now, I firmly believe this was there already from the start (at least the start of the BK burning), although not closed off - it behaved like an old lady versus the racing heat machine it is now.
So I'll have to recalibrate my Tstat settings - but that's a play thing I gladly do over the Christmas break

Thank you all for your help, your thinking, for indulging my blindness in not recognizing the issue when it should have been obvious. This forum is invaluable.

I'm going to celebrate a warm Christmas.

 

[John Galt]

Nice to hear of someone going beyond the easy answer and really finding out the problem. Hang on to that sweep, tell the story and recommend them everywhere you can.

 

[Diabel]

Stove ready for the holidays!

 

[stoveliker]

Nice to hear of someone going beyond the easy answer and really finding out the problem. Hang on to that sweep, tell the story and recommend them everywhere you can.

The laser measurement was my idea
But indeed, he was married to the conundrum - could not give up. And I'm glad with that. In fact, I donated my distance meter to him. I'll buy another one (in fact the next model up was now $3 less than replacing the same one I gave away at HD, so there was something in it for me too) - but apart from paying him, I gave him a Christmas present that conveyed my thanks for squeezing me in his busy schedule (these months), and helping me out, a present that is useful to him in precisely the job he helped me out with.

Gotta keep those who can help you happy!

 

[stoveliker]

I do have another question as the situation has changed: I am scheduled to replace the 90 degree elbow with two 45's, and to shorten the horizontal run in January.
Given that draft is not at all the issue anymore with this (initially partial) blockage gone, IF I need a key damper, it's best to put that in right when I change the stove pipe set up.

What are the signals I would need one? There is some colder weather coming up (Sat. night 25 F, so not too crazy, but still) and I'd like to know what to look for.

I guess that as long as I can run without flame (i.e. set the Tstat low enough to quash any active flame), that I should not need a damper, right?

Any insight from you helpful people would be quite appreciated - as always. Thank you!

 

[Highbeam]

At 27’, I would put one in. I had a damper installed on my 12’ chimney with the BK for years. I never used it but it doesn’t hurt a thing when left open. In my case, I had installed a damper equipped appliance adapter. That first 6” chunk on top of the stove. I have since replaced it with a non damper equipped appliance adapter. This allows me to easily sweep my chimney with a sooteater.

There is a lot of output range between flame out and cat stall. So just being able to snuff the flame isn’t good enough if you want to use everything this stove has to offer. Plus, I suspect efficiency is lost with excessive draft even if you can burn slowly.

 

[Highbeam]

Mid 20s tonight, still have snow on the ground, time to load her up. This is Doug fir with a couple of maple chunks too. There was one leftover chunk that I slid to the side. Stove is warm but not hot. I got all of it in except for one. Bottom up kindling fire to be started with the torch in an hour or so after it gets dark. View attachment 270130View attachment 270131

So that load lasted a full 24 hours keeping the 1963 built house at 73-76 when outside temperatures were in the 20s and 30s. This is just low btu wood species from the pnw. Well seasoned in a shed, split pretty big, and at 13% mc.

I think I did better for tonight’s load. No kindling needed. Pulled the coals together and off she went.

 

[Indianawood]

I do have another question as the situation has changed: I am scheduled to replace the 90 degree elbow with two 45's, and to shorten the horizontal run in January.
Given that draft is not at all the issue anymore with this (initially partial) blockage gone, IF I need a key damper, it's best to put that in right when I change the stove pipe set up.

What are the signals I would need one? There is some colder weather coming up (Sat. night 25 F, so not too crazy, but still) and I'd like to know what to look for.

I guess that as long as I can run without flame (i.e. set the Tstat low enough to quash any active flame), that I should not need a damper, right?

Any insight from you helpful people would be quite appreciated - as always. Thank you!

If you now have acceptable draft why make the other changes? Its just added expense and potentially introduces another problem, too much draft.

 

[stoveliker]

If you now have acceptable draft why make the other changes? Its just added expense and potentially introduces another problem, too much draft.

good point. I do need to change things though; decrease the horizontal single wall run (2.5 ft including thimble), not because of the draft per se, but because my (thick) double wall liner is not insulated. It is in a masonry chimney outside, but not insulated. So I need to keep what little heat goes up from getting lost before it reaches the top (for potential residual creosote issues). So double wall it should be.
Also the double wall 90 deg elbow I have now is damaged, it turns out (when the blockage was there, smoke came seeping out the seams in the elbow), and the connection from double wall elbow to single wall horizontal is a bit leaky - which again can cool down the flue gases by sucking in (now nicely warm, but still relatively cold) basement air.
It does not leak anymore (see good draft, though I'm not sure about the end of a burn, cooling own...? - hence an abundance of smoke and CO detectors).

So I rather have things installed "right" in this respect - not anymore for draft (though I still have to do a reload to see if some smoke comes out the door - I am 99.9% sure it won't, but the experiment will rule the day), but for flue temp reasons.
I also have the impression that what @Highbeam says is not wrong: a lot of draft means a heat going out there. And there is room between no flame and cat stall. To make use of that room, I'd better have proper draft than too much.

So I could go for a 90 deg instead of two 45's, and leave the horizontal run as is in length but making it double wall, i.e. keep the geometry the same, or I could do as BK says, and put n 45's. If the draft would be too much, a damper is what they advise. Given creosote, I am leaning to doing all that (45's, etc). I might get a stimulus check or 2 (4, but the other two go to the kids college fund) to pay for it...

I'm not dead set though, and the burning between now and then will provide data for evolving opinions - as will your opinions voiced here. I'm open to listening and learning.

 

[stoveliker]

Just reloaded. Not a whiff of smoke into the basement.

Raked the (still quite big) coals (leftover pieces of sassafras) to the front, put
Sassafras, one half round of old (4" dia 5 yr old) white oak, and a dogwood ugly on for overnight.
Took off like a racecar. Charred in 4 mins thru the cat Tstat on high.

Amazing... Dialling down in steps now.
Mostly softwood and only 36 F tonight, so a low setting and tomorrow I'll let it die because it'll be 58 F here.

Loving it.

 

[MacinJosh]

Well I don’t know about y’all, but my King is working OT tonight here in Kentucky. It’s a balmy 16 degrees outside.

Nice and toasty in the house though. Love this thing.

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Bill in the U.P.]

Well I don’t know about y’all, but my King is working OT tonight here in Kentucky. It’s a balmy 16 degrees outside.

Nice and toasty in the house though. Love this thing.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas to you as well.

 

[Nealm66]

Yes, merry Xmas and thank you all !

 

[BKVP]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Rocking the King...74 inside, 23 outside!

 

[AndrewU]

Enjoying my Christmas present! Merry Christmas everyone!

edit to add the photo.

 

[huauqui]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

AndrewU - that install is amazing!

 

[Indianawood]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Rocking the King...74 inside, 23 outside!

Love the king with the fan kit without the shroud

 

[AndrewU]

Wish I had a before photo. Before that was kind of wasted space. There used to be French doors just off shot to the right. We replaced it with a slider as the hearth would block one side anyway. Built the hearth and because the depth we really liked was a little under the required 16” in front of the door, we cut out the hardwood floor all the way to the far end of door frame and added granite tile. Since we were changing so much wiring anyway we took off all the drywall and then replaced it with hardiboard so it could also take the weight of the ledger stone.

We added the 4 lights specifically for the hearth. There’s also 2 outlets above the mantles so we can put up seasonal strip lights. Put in a plug in the floor of hearth that is switched so I can turn the stove fan on/off from the wall.

 

[Nealm66]

Wish I had a before photo. Before that was kind of wasted space. There used to be French doors just off shot to the right. We replaced it with a slider as the hearth would block one side anyway. Built the hearth and because the depth we really liked was a little under the required 16” in front of the door, we cut out the hardwood floor all the way to the far end of door frame and added granite tile. Since we were changing so much wiring anyway we took off all the drywall and then replaced it with hardiboard so it could also take the weight of the ledger stone.

We added the 4 lights specifically for the hearth. There’s also 2 outlets above the mantles so we can put up seasonal strip lights. Put in a plug in the floor of hearth that is switched so I can turn the stove fan on/off from the wall.

It looks really good! I really like that stone behind it. Was that a tile stone?

 

[BKVP]

Wish I had a before photo. Before that was kind of wasted space. There used to be French doors just off shot to the right. We replaced it with a slider as the hearth would block one side anyway. Built the hearth and because the depth we really liked was a little under the required 16” in front of the door, we cut out the hardwood floor all the way to the far end of door frame and added granite tile. Since we were changing so much wiring anyway we took off all the drywall and then replaced it with hardiboard so it could also take the weight of the ledger stone.

We added the 4 lights specifically for the hearth. There’s also 2 outlets above the mantles so we can put up seasonal strip lights. Put in a plug in the floor of hearth that is switched so I can turn the stove fan on/off from the wall.

Beautiful! Glad I didn't have to lift that beauty onto the hearth!

 

[Nealm66]

My drying rack

 

[AndrewU]

It looks really good! I really like that stone behind it. Was that a tile stone?

Yes. It’s a natural stone ledge stone tile.

 

[AndrewU]

Beautiful! Glad I didn't have to lift that beauty onto the hearth!

My elk hunting buddy rented a material lift to get his new range (same as the one we got, 48” Bluestar) up to his deck. We used that to lift the Ashford to the hearth height. Still not easy, but at least it was doable.

 

[JKanor]

Well I bit the bullet and ordered a metal cat from midwest this morning for my 2015 princess. They are still out of the ceramics. Hopefully I have a good experience with the metal one. I will def grab a ceramic and have it here for back up when they become available again. Never thought they'd go almost 3 months out of stock on them.

 

[MacinJosh]

Ok, so I went an looked on the site and they appear to be in stock. What am I missing? *Edit* I see only the Princess is out.

Catalytic Combustor Blaze King Classic, Parlor, Ultra (5

Midwest Hearth MH-64C and MH-64M replacement combustors are a high-quality choice for your catalytic wood burning stove.Replacing your old combustor will help you improve your stove's efficiency, saving you money and producing less pollution. split Catalytic Combustor FAQ Catalytic Combustor...

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Also, I have a King KE40 and it doesn’t say this is specifically compatible. Thoughts?