2021-2022 BK everything thread

[jdonna]

Merry Christmas everyone.

Wondering what everyone’s internal stack temp is while cruising?

400 internal, on medium or #2

 

[Larch]

Merry Christmas everyone.

Wondering what everyone’s internal stack temp is while cruising?

400 internal, on medium or #2

400 internal, on medium also
Merry Christmas

 

[Highbeam]

Merry Christmas everyone.

Wondering what everyone’s internal stack temp is while cruising?

400 internal, on medium or #2

400 internal with softwoods on low burn.

 

[Tron]

For me, more like 200-250 on low. Double-walled pipe all the way. Cat is active, though. Not in the middle of the band, but well above the inactive zone.

 

[begreen]

For me, more like 200-250 on low. Double-walled pipe all the way. Cat is active, though. Not in the middle of the band, but well above the inactive zone.

If that is surface temp on a single-wall stovepipe, then it's good. If that is a probe reading on double-wall stovepipe, then it is a bit too cool. Creosote will start to condense up above in the cooler parts of the flue with flue gas temps in that range.

 

[jdonna]

If that is surface temp on a single-wall stovepipe, then it's good. If that is a probe reading on double-wall stovepipe, then it is a bit too cool. Creosote will start to condense up above in the cooler parts of the flue with flue gas temps in that range.

Yea that is why I posed the question. I’ve seen specs on flue temps at 150-300 from some
Older BK literature.

Consensus so far is showing 400 on a medium burn.

 

[Larch]

First cold night with sirocco 30.2, loaded it last night at 730 and still pumping out heat at 5am, I'll get another hour for sure before it's time to reload. I think it was a 50/50 mix of Douglas fir and jack pine, It's-19°c(-2°f) out. I'm going with straight tamarack next year so hopefully I can get longer burns for long work days, 12 hour days with usually 1.5 hour drives one way. If not I'm going king.
That's still amazing compared to my t5 alderlea, I'd of been up in the middle of the night, but my kids were young so wife was home for the day shift. I'm positive I'm going through 1/3 less firewood now to

 

[Highbeam]

First cold night with sirocco 30.2, loaded it last night at 730 and still pumping out heat at 5am, I'll get another hour for sure before it's time to reload. I think it was a 50/50 mix of Douglas fir and jack pine, It's-19°c(-2°f) out. I'm going with straight tamarack next year so hopefully I can get longer burns for long work days, 12 hour days with usually 1.5 hour drives one way. If not I'm going king.
That's still amazing compared to my t5 alderlea, I'd of been up in the middle of the night, but my kids were young so wife was home for the day shift. I'm positive I'm going through 1/3 less firewood now to

Nice. Was that 12 hour burn at the lowest burn rate? When you go back to long work days your house may cool some but I’d rather lower the burn rate to keep the fire going for your entire work day and then crank it up when you get home.

 

[Larch]

Nice. Was that 12 hour burn at the lowest burn rate? When you go back to long work days your house may cool some but I’d rather lower the burn rate to keep the fire going for your entire work day and then crank it up when you get home.

That was about meduim to meduim low, I can definitely drop it down to whatever I want your right about that, I'm thinking at -30°c(-22°f) I'll have a hard time catching up, I'll find out the next couple of days it's supposed to drop to that.

 

[Tumpin' Wood]

I've been convinced I should have a spare cat on hand due to supply chain issues. A few times each year we come to our unheated cabin and it may be -10 F to 32 F inside. I am wondering whether a ceramic cat would crack when a fire is lit. Would burning a small amount of kindling before adding splits prevent this? Am I better off to stick with steel cats?

 

[kennyp2339]

I've been convinced I should have a spare cat on hand due to supply chain issues. A few times each year we come to our unheated cabin and it may be -10 F to 32 F inside. I am wondering whether a ceramic cat would crack when a fire is lit. Would burning a small amount of kindling before adding splits prevent this? Am I better off to stick with steel cats?

Your by-pass is open and allows the firebox to gain heat at a relatively equal rate, I think you would be fine.

 

[Tumpin' Wood]

Thanks Kenny. I had not thought of that.

 

[Tron]

If that is surface temp on a single-wall stovepipe, then it's good. If that is a probe reading on double-wall stovepipe, then it is a bit too cool. Creosote will start to condense up above in the cooler parts of the flue with flue gas temps in that range.

The latter, probe in double-wall stovepipe. I know it's a bit too cool, but I can't go higher, the stove would bake me out of the house otherwise.
We didn't have too much creosote when we cleaned in fall, maybe one or two cups total.

 

[Tron]

-10 F to 32 F inside. I am wondering whether a ceramic cat would crack when a fire is lit.

Just think about it: you're talking about a difference of maybe 70-80 deg. F to an already heated house, and the operating temperature of the cat is somewhere in the 2000+ deg. F range. So no, doesn't matter at all.

 

[BKVP]

And this is why I have a King! Big old house, expected single digits, but piece size matters!

 

[Larch]

And this is why I have a King! Big old house, expected single digits, but piece size matters!View attachment 288541

I wish I had the king, the sirocco 30.2 is doing the job but I'd love the longer burn time I had in the -10°c weather or warmer. I didn't know what I was missing until I had it. Lol

 

[Dustin]

I Heart my King

 

[Diabel]

I decided to try 12h reloads with the Princess, or to be precise…morning and night loads. I actually like this system a lot. It almost feels more natural. Maybe since I have been doing morning and night reloads with the VC for many years now (throw in a afternoon load as well). This way i just toss 4/5 splits in, relights are easier/faster since there are more hot coals, char the wood, set the air (considerably more open than on a 19/23h burn) and repeat 12h later. Granted, I am at my cottage with no set work or other commitments. Schedule is no issue.

 

[Tron]

I Heart my King

Come on, that was three years ago ;-)

 

[BKVP]

Come on, that was three years ago ;-)

There's a little bit of "King" in all of us!

 

[Nealm66]

I decided to try 12h reloads with the Princess, or to be precise…morning and night loads. I actually like this system a lot. It almost feels more natural. Maybe since I have been doing morning and night reloads with the VC for many years now (throw in a afternoon load as well). This way i just toss 4/5 splits in, relights are easier/faster since there are more hot coals, char the wood, set the air (considerably more open than on a 19/23h burn) and repeat 12h later. Granted, I am at my cottage with no set work or other commitments. Schedule is no issue.

That’s what works the best for me as well if the weather permits. Way quicker for the reload but not sure if it’s good for the cat. Doesn’t work in the shoulder season at all - no

 

[Highbeam]

I decided to try 12h reloads with the Princess, or to be precise…morning and night loads. I actually like this system a lot. It almost feels more natural. Maybe since I have been doing morning and night reloads with the VC for many years now (throw in a afternoon load as well). This way i just toss 4/5 splits in, relights are easier/faster since there are more hot coals, char the wood, set the air (considerably more open than on a 19/23h burn) and repeat 12h later. Granted, I am at my cottage with no set work or other commitments. Schedule is no issue.

Aren’t you afraid it will runaway when loading a hot stove?….LOL, SMH.

I do the same thing when it’s really cold like now in the teens. Works great with way less time to get the fresh load going.

 

[stoveliker]

For me it's an evening full load followed by a noon-2-ish baby load. The trick is to size the baby load well enough so that it is ready for a full load in the evening again. (Also, I'm running from my basement and I think the additional heat losses from having the basement at 78 or so make me consume more wood.)

 

[BKVP]

I load in the very early a.m., around 4:00 before I leave for the office. Then, I load again before retiring at 9:00 p.m. My early loads are usually 75% of FBV. When burning hardwoods with huge coal beds, 60% is more likely. With softwoods, I can get more into the FB due to far smaller coal bed.

After cleaning out all the ash/coals on Saturday (about 8" deep) I was able to load the really large half rounds. Woke up this morning and the FB was still plenty full! I love Tamarack half rounds!!

 

[MTASH]

I don't think it got above 0F yesterday and we had -12F overnight. I'm back to 12 hour reloads for the time being.