2021-2022 BK everything thread

[MTASH]

I can't burn above about 45-50 degrees outside temperature without roasting the house.

 

[Tron]

Plus, I pull more dead standing trees out of our woods than I can burn in a given year, and that's only the stuff that's like less than 100ft off our trail, so no reason not to use it.

 

[Dieselhead]

Hey everyone - my thermo knob started spinning past the point it is supposed to (in hindsight, I should have realized it was getting loose when turning the knob to the high setting was taking it past 6 oclock to 8 oclock). I've got it lined up again but was curious as to how tight I should tighten the set screw. I screw it in fairly tight and it's back working the way it should. Should I crank it down a bit more? How often are folks noticing the set screw coming loose?

Thanks!

Snug is good. You will know. No more jiggle on the shaft. Back the set screw all the way out and apply a drop of blue thread locker may help prevent the issue in the future. I have 7 seasons on my stove and have not had the screw come loose so it seems the luck of the draw.

 

[Highbeam]

It's nuts to be burning when it's 55-60º outside.

Spoken like a true heat pump owner and part time wood burner. For those of us using wood heat for primary heat, it doesn't really matter what the outside temperatures are. If it's cold enough inside then we burn.

 

[begreen]

Spoken like a true heat pump owner and part time wood burner. For those of us using wood heat for primary heat, it doesn't really matter what the outside temperatures are. If it's cold enough inside then we burn.

We know you've been lusting after a simpler and cheaper alternative. When one has affordable resistance heat or better yet a heat pump, then it makes a lot more sense to burn electrons. It's cheaper and cleaner. We burn full-time when the weather warrants it. Each year this seems to be getting later. 60º on Nov 14th and 15th was close to record warmth.

 

[TheTodd]

Thanks! I know this is not an exact science, but I’d love to hear some real world experiences of Ashford 25 owners.

Better late than never, but in my 3 seasons of burning, I have averaged about 10 hours on my Ashford insert on low. Thankfully that setting is enough to keep my 2500sqft house warm almost the entire winter with a circulation fan placed in the foyer(stove fan off), so I rarely have to turn it up any higher and shorten burn times further, but on high it might be just 3-4 hours. FWIW I have a block off plate and insulated firebox, and a pretty high stack that probably pulls my draft out of spec which affects burn times too. I shoot for just a hair above where the flapper clicks to avoid stalling the cat and still have either fire or glowing coals most of the time. Interestingly, I also seem to get better burn times loading E-W rather than N-S. The majority of the conversation here about burn times, black boxes, etc relates to freestanding stove models, so we insert owners need to be aware of that. Good information and conversation, just less applicable to us.

Here's some more focused insert talk if you're interested: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/bk-ashford-25-and-sirocco-25.163405/

 

[Tron]

When one has affordable resistance heat or better yet a heat pump, then it makes a lot more sense to burn electrons. It's cheaper and cleaner.

From a greater perspective, not always. For every kWh (let's stick with that as the unit for energy for now) your resistance heater puts into your home, even a high-efficient gas power plant has to burn about 2.5 kWh of gas. Add in transmission loss, you're looking at about 3 kWh. So here it makes much more sense to burn the gas in your home directly.
For a heat pump, which has an efficiency of about 4 (kWh electric to kWh heat pumped, depending on the delta-T between heating circuit temperature and outside temperature), it actually makes sense to use that electricity. If your electricity comes from an old coal plant, that may be different.

But wood is a purely renewable resource, and every gram of CO2 released by burning it (assuming one has a cat stove and not a non-cat pumping out CO) would also be released into the atmosphere if the wood were left to decompose naturally. So that uses up only the fossil energy you need to run your chainsaw/splitter/truck.

 

[Highbeam]

From a greater perspective, not always. For every kWh (let's stick with that as the unit for energy for now) your resistance heater puts into your home, even a high-efficient gas power plant has to burn about 2.5 kWh of gas. Add in transmission loss, you're looking at about 3 kWh. So here it makes much more sense to burn the gas in your home directly.
For a heat pump, which has an efficiency of about 4 (kWh electric to kWh heat pumped, depending on the delta-T between heating circuit temperature and outside temperature), it actually makes sense to use that electricity. If your electricity comes from an old coal plant, that may be different.

But wood is a purely renewable resource, and every gram of CO2 released by burning it (assuming one has a cat stove and not a non-cat pumping out CO) would also be released into the atmosphere if the wood were left to decompose naturally. So that uses up only the fossil energy you need to run your chainsaw/splitter/truck.

Couple of thoughts.

Our PNW power is significantly from hydro power from dams. Arguably renewable no?

Second, some care about emissions of CO2 and some only care about retail cost when considering when something makes "sense". I tend to fall into the second group on this decision.

If I had efficient (low cost) heat available from a non firewood fuel source then I admit that it may be ridiculous to burn firewood when it's 55-60 out. @begreen is not nuts. There would be a calculatable cutoff point where it's cheaper to burn firewood which would take into account the site specific costs of each fuel source.

 

[Diabel]

How many folks here burn wood here to save $$$ and how many just cause the love the wood burning concept?

 

[bikedennis]

Both

 

[Highbeam]

How many folks here burn wood here to save $$$ and how many just cause the love the wood burning concept?

You can have both. Maybe the question you’re looking for is how much extra you would pay to burn wood instead of using the furnace? Usually it’s cheaper to burn.

 

[Diabel]

I am one of the people that loose $$ anytime I look at my stoves……
It distracts me from actual work! But I love fussing with wood burning concept.

 

[Nealm66]

Well one things for sure, if you a rookie blaze kinger and you don’t pay attention to the weather forecast ( like I should) your in for some window opening events. The stove does exactly what it always does, just chugs along pumping out a long steady heat and 24 hours later I tap out and don’t refuel

 

[Diabel]

Well one things for sure, if you a rookie blaze kinger and you don’t pay attention to the weather forecast ( like I should) your in for some window opening events. The stove does exactly what it always does, just chugs along pumping out a long steady heat and 24 hours later I tap out and don’t refuel

As you said the other day, the weather on the west coast has been up and down. And what the heck is going on in BC with the rains…

It cooled down in the north east. My city VC is on a 24/7 duty since Sunday. Btw my furnace is fixed.

 

[Nealm66]

Ya, I really need to start looking at next day forecast before I start stuffing. Definitely got our share of rain and wind here as well. Got my generator all ready and that kept the power from going out, yes, this is a proven fact!! ( could be my imagination)

 

[Dustin]

Ahhhhhhh

 

[kennyp2339]

How many folks here burn wood here to save $$$ and how many just cause the love the wood burning concept?

I fit both, Depending on winter this year (before burning I would fill my 250gal oil tank on average 3 times to keep the house 65 -68 deg f) Average oil price here is 3.62 a gal this week so $905 per fill up, if the price stays stable I'm avoiding spending close to 3k this year, thats great savings, my stove cost me $2,900 back in 2014. So the stove has paid for itself every other year on average and maybe again in one season this year. That in itself makes me giddy lol.
Then factor in the lifestyle of burning, it isnt just about throwing splits in a stove, there is always some type of busy work involved, cutting, splitting, stacking, building woodsheds or nice racks, talking chainsaws and log splitters, getting fresh air, exercise, working up free scores, the concept is awesome and a lot of fun, I get that it isnt for everyone, but for me, its almost a perfect life.

 

[stoveliker]

First fire of the season. But man does the new double wall pipe stink. Much more than I had expected.

Pine and oak (and a layer of 2*4 cut offs on the bottom - no ash yet, so I thought this would help a bit). Cat lit off nicely.

But the stink ruined my bourbon...

 

[kennyp2339]

Last nights low was 26, princess on low with small candle like flames loaded at 8pm, turned the blower on at the lowest setting it would go, 12hrs later 1/2box of semi log coals, house still 72 deg f... always amazes me.

 

[stoveliker]

I had the same this morning; my box was not really full (splits slightly too long, so NS but tilted backwards). Ran the stove at 2 o'clock overnight (from 10.30 or so). Wake up, home at 69, 1/3 of the load remaining, no flames. Dial up to 3 and walk away until reloading time, I think around noon.

It's good to wake up and see success

 

[dafattkidd]

Better late than never, but in my 3 seasons of burning, I have averaged about 10 hours on my Ashford insert on low. Thankfully that setting is enough to keep my 2500sqft house warm almost the entire winter with a circulation fan placed in the foyer(stove fan off), so I rarely have to turn it up any higher and shorten burn times further, but on high it might be just 3-4 hours. FWIW I have a block off plate and insulated firebox, and a pretty high stack that probably pulls my draft out of spec which affects burn times too. I shoot for just a hair above where the flapper clicks to avoid stalling the cat and still have either fire or glowing coals most of the time. Interestingly, I also seem to get better burn times loading E-W rather than N-S. The majority of the conversation here about burn times, black boxes, etc relates to freestanding stove models, so we insert owners need to be aware of that. Good information and conversation, just less applicable to us.

Here's some more focused insert talk if you're interested: https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/bk-ashford-25-and-sirocco-25.163405/

Thank you!

 

[clancey]

Interesting conversations here and to me all the different ways have some unique problems free standing and inserts and wood burning and pellets and cat's or not--this is quite a learning experience and I should have started this 50 years ago lol lol good reading thanks..old clancey

 

[Larch]

I've only had the sirocco for about 2 months now but I'm still can't believe how much control I have over this stove, the house for the first time in 14 years is a steady temperature wherever I want it, and its amazing how little heat it takes to keep my house warm with steady heat. Once I sort out the condensation in my exterior chimney it's going to be down right boring. I wish I new about these blaze kings years ago.

 

[Nealm66]

I've only had the sirocco for about 2 months now but I'm still can't believe how much control I have over this stove, the house for the first time in 14 years is a steady temperature wherever I want it, and its amazing how little heat it takes to keep my house warm with steady heat. Once I sort out the condensation in my exterior chimney it's going to be down right boring. I wish I new about these blaze kings years ago.

It’s still really cool the second season

 

[bikedennis]

I like the fact that I get incredible burn times from pine. Folks around here pass on the easily available pine so I now gladly burn it. Easy pickings.