Your stove does not have a catalytic combustor. It uses secondary tubes instead.
2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)
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Catalytic stove stack gasses smell like burning coal. When my wife and I are outside she has remarked "our stove is smoking". I keep telling her, no that is our neighbors. She still can't tell the difference between stove smoke smells but it is plain as day to me.
If a stove remains unfired for a period of time it accumulates dust and moisture. At firing, the moisture evaporates accentuating the dust odor. The "smell" dissipates quickly. I call it "the hot iron smell". Furnaces and toasters produce the odor too.
If a stove remains unfired for a period of time it accumulates dust and moisture. At firing, the moisture evaporates accentuating the dust odor. The "smell" dissipates quickly. I call it "the hot iron smell". Furnaces and toasters produce the odor too.
Hi everyone!
I have enjoyed my Blaze King Sirocco 30 for about six years. This year I noticed I had to keep my thermostat on much higher to keep my combustor in the active zone. So I think it's about time for a new one. So I order a new metal one and received it today. It came tapped in bubble wrap with no gasket on it. Do new ones come in a OEM box? If it was new, shouldn't it have a gasket on it? I guess I have to contact them about that. This is my first time ordering a new combustor. I have no idea what a new one looks like. I'm just worried it might have been pulled from a used stove since supply's are so low. I wont be able to test it until fall. Is there anything to look for to make sure its new? Color, texture, etc? It has almost a yellow bronze rusty look to it. Here's some pictures of the new one. There's also a few bent metal cells. Not really happy about that, but will that affect the performance? Thanks a bunch for all your help! It's really appreciated!
![[Hearth.com] 2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/279/279061-b8298b666e9d1b496975f01a87dbc7dc.jpg?hash=qQj6njcwbR "[Hearth.com] 2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)")
![[Hearth.com] 2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/279/279064-eca8076bc7470170121c15bba6e93bbc.jpg?hash=0gQInEsw3P "[Hearth.com] 2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)")
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I have enjoyed my Blaze King Sirocco 30 for about six years. This year I noticed I had to keep my thermostat on much higher to keep my combustor in the active zone. So I think it's about time for a new one. So I order a new metal one and received it today. It came tapped in bubble wrap with no gasket on it. Do new ones come in a OEM box? If it was new, shouldn't it have a gasket on it? I guess I have to contact them about that. This is my first time ordering a new combustor. I have no idea what a new one looks like. I'm just worried it might have been pulled from a used stove since supply's are so low. I wont be able to test it until fall. Is there anything to look for to make sure its new? Color, texture, etc? It has almost a yellow bronze rusty look to it. Here's some pictures of the new one. There's also a few bent metal cells. Not really happy about that, but will that affect the performance? Thanks a bunch for all your help! It's really appreciated!
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Your description of the color sounds right. Kind of yellow brown, when burned will get more grey. Smell it for smoke if you think it’s used. You ordered this from BK or from an Amazon vendor like Midwest? My last few have been ceramic and came gasketed.
You need a gasket no matter what you’re told.
You need a gasket no matter what you’re told.
The color is due to the wash coating - its thickness makes it this color.
The cells look good to me. Like the cat that came with my new stove.
The cells look good to me. Like the cat that came with my new stove.
Keeping loose tabs on how many hours the cat is used, I replace mine after 3 years. It could go a 4th year but I like the cat to be very active, not sluggish and occasionally smoking for long times. I run about 4,000 hours a year. After about 12,000 hours a new cat makes sense, at least for me. From previous posts, the vinegar wash does not seem to prolong the lifespan very much. For me, the replacement cost is worth it.
I did run mine for a short while without a gasket with no ill effects.
I did run mine for a short while without a gasket with no ill effects.
Thanks for the reply's everyone. I was gonna order a steel one from Midwest but all they had was the ceramic ones. Can the Sirocco use the ceramic one as well? Wasn't sure so I ended up ordering a metal one from Hechler's. Hopefully they are ok to order from. The new one looks like my original which is good. There's no smoke smell from it either. I contacted them about the missing gasket and they sent me one, which is great!
Is there any threads with pictures on how to install the gasket? I remember there was masking tape on the one that came with my stove. Is there any glue or does it just get taped on? Also do you over lap the two ends of the gasket or butt the two ends together? Thanks again for everyone's help!
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
But the two ends of gasket together. Tape all around the edge of the gasket conbustor interface on the back side of the combustor, plus a couple wraps all the way aeounf, about a third of the way in from each end.
The combustor with the gasket taped on just slides into its hole. Not sure about stamped metal ears, my Ashford 30 has them and I think we have identical internals. I have to go now, I will check about about those dad-gone ears when I am free again. Once you have done it once it really isn't hard. It just slides in, and then the tape burns off when you light the stove again.
The combustor with the gasket taped on just slides into its hole. Not sure about stamped metal ears, my Ashford 30 has them and I think we have identical internals. I have to go now, I will check about about those dad-gone ears when I am free again. Once you have done it once it really isn't hard. It just slides in, and then the tape burns off when you light the stove again.
Overlap the gasket and then cut through both layers with a utility knife for a nice clean splice.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
With the combustor out there is a stamped sheet metal ear on both the left and right sides of the hole. They fall out easily. One of their functions is to serve as part of the hinge mechanism for the bypass door, so the bypass won't work right if they are malpositioned.
If the combustor slides in like putting a coffee mug into a kitchen cupboard, the ears are either not in, or in wrong.
When the ears are in correctly there is a fair bit of friction to slide the combustor home. You are supposed to be able to do this blind while kneeling on tip toes, so "a fair bit" of friction is a relative thing.
If the combustor slides in like putting a coffee mug into a kitchen cupboard, the ears are either not in, or in wrong.
When the ears are in correctly there is a fair bit of friction to slide the combustor home. You are supposed to be able to do this blind while kneeling on tip toes, so "a fair bit" of friction is a relative thing.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
An update. EPA approved our request for renewal on our inserts this past Monday.
Also, as I mentioned previously, the list of EPA approved units grew by 1 new certification. I will suggest the list is still a living document. Congrats to the manufacturer!
Also, as I mentioned previously, the list of EPA approved units grew by 1 new certification. I will suggest the list is still a living document. Congrats to the manufacturer!
Nealm66
Minister of Fire
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Nealm66
Minister of Fire
Ha! We stopped burning for the season right around the solstice.
I went for a drive past the BK factory and bkvp’s house on my way to Colorado for Memorial Day weekend and the daughters at home had to run electric wall heat! They wanted to start a fire but I hadn’t trained either of them
Just yesterday I finished stacking 5.5 cords of stove chow. Found something buried in the freezer to celebrate.
![[Hearth.com] 2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/279/279856-92080e599ae2a5ff3c7afdf6f43dda89.jpg?hash=qvuI_qBtSW "[Hearth.com] 2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)")
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Stacking wood until noon or so and then come inside to hide from the heat. No air conditioning or basement in this old 1963 house. Ceiling fans only.
We were in Chelan over Father’s Day weekend. Any air temp feels great when part of your body is in that ice cold lake.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
You drove by my house and didn't even stop to help me stack wood!! Shame on you! I think I'll go home and rummage through my freezer and see what I can find. Nice wood sheds!
Nealm66
Minister of Fire
Well we didn't go deep into the WA cities but I could sense the BK clan was near. I couldn't remember if your home was in Pendleton or back in WA but either way we were close. Cruise control at 80 mph for the quick drive to Boise. Coming home from Colorado was all 1200 miles in one day. These little cars with the Continuously Variable Transmissions are excellent. High mpg due to low rpm at those high speeds.
We're just past 107 now outside and I'm thinking of starting up the AC in the RV trailer for a cooling shack. Like a reverse sauna.
I stopped by at the office the last time I was in Walla Walla, but was told the boss was out. That was a few years ago. Maybe time to head over there again. Some friends have a place in town.
Thinking? I would have had that thing cooling down at 9am.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Well the boss usually is on the road! I've got 6 weeks in a row, MN, NC, AK, CA, OR, WA. Then I can look at OH, MO, IL, MI, IN.
Always good to see how retail is doing, how we can help and educate then plan future products.
You guys are nuts, I really don't know how you do it. It was 39C (102F) here today, and is supposed to be 42C (108F) here tomorrow, both of which break our previous all time high of 35.6C (96F). The stores are completely sold out of AC units and the city has opened a bunch of public buildings with AC to the public as "cool down shelters". Thankfully we had a central AC unit installed 2 weeks ago, I think it's paid for itself already. We're just not used to the heat, we spend as little time outside as possible right now. I'd take -40 over this anyday.
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