2021-2022 BK everything thread

[kennyp2339]

I recently had a BK Sirocco insert installed. I have a question regarding the thermostat which seems to have a lot of unnecessary play. Is it supposed to go from 6 o’clock position (wide open) almost all the way around back to 6 o’clock? I do believe I hear the thermostat shut around the 1 o’clock position (where the smaller side of the swoosh is)

Thats about were my princess free standing stove closes, between noon and 1 o'clock, my sweet spot for burning is around 3 o'clock.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

I was told earlier in this thread by BKVP that the additional play between the 1:00 position, counterclockwise to the 5:00 position does not effect the actual damper. The actual damper movement is from the 1:00 position on low, clockwise to the 6:00 position on high. This was for a free-standing Chinook, but I believe all of the stoves in this series have the same damper mechanism. Good luck with the stove, they are an awesome addition to the home heating line up.

Don

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[elmo_4_vt]

First time cleaning the stove and chimney myself and wanted to give an update for people.

Used a Sooteater knockoff off from Amazon, a painters blanket and some magnetic tool holders from Harbor Freight.

I cut 3' off of the painters blanket and used that to block the main stove front opening. Held up the blanket on 4 sides with the tool magnet bars, and the just crimped up at the bottom to fit the brush sticks in. Had my shop vac with a Hepa filter shoved into the bottom corner and just started working from the bottom up with the extensions, then spinning with the drill on the way back down. This is the same thing that the professional sweep did for me in December when I first got everything installed and wanted professional inspection. Everything went pretty quick. I had about half a gallon of soot on the bottom of the stove, and I was able to stick my hand up into the top of the stove and pull out another 1/4 gallon of debris off the top deck. I follow up with the shop-vac and a few smaller flexible attachments to get everything cleaned up top and around the sides of the stove. At the end, I used a mirror and light to take a look at things and it seemed pretty clean.

I restarted the fire and am taking advantage of the mid 30's day here to burn things a little hot for the first load and get anything left over.

Thanks for the help and suggestions on the last page. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Don

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[ratsrepus]

First time cleaning the stove and chimney myself and wanted to give an update for people.

Used a Sooteater knockoff off from Amazon, a painters blanket and some magnetic tool holders from Harbor Freight.

I cut 3' off of the painters blanket and used that to block the main stove front opening. Held up the blanket on 4 sides with the tool magnet bars, and the just crimped up at the bottom to fit the brush sticks in. Had my shop vac with a Hepa filter shoved into the bottom corner and just worked from the top down. This is the same thing that the professional sweep did for me in December when I first got everything installed and wanted professional inspection. Everything went pretty quick. I had about half a gallon of soot on the bottom of the stove, and I was able to stick my hand up into the top of the stove and pull out another 1/4 gallon of debris off the top deck. I follow up with the shop-vac and a few smaller flexible attachments to get everything cleaned up top and around the sides of the stove. At the end, I used a mirror and light to take a look at things and it seemed pretty clean.

I restarted the fire and am taking advantage of the mid 30's day here to burn things a little hot for the first load and get anything left over.

Thanks for the help and suggestions on the last page.

Don

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did it really need it? I doubt it. I go once a year and I have maybe a half of coffee can out of my chimney 22 ft

 

[elmo_4_vt]

did it really need it? I doubt it. I go once a year and I have maybe a half of coffee can out of my chimney 22 ft

Yeah, I had a bunch of soot fall last week and I could feel it on top of the box when I was trying to close the bypass. I didn't want to go long without cleaning that off. So that was main driver. The pipe was just to try and get as much as I could while I was playing with the shop vac and Hepa filter.

My main issue is that I have a lot of wood that isn't as dry as it should be. The Oak I'm burning now is at 23%-25%, but it's all I have left. I can definitely tell a difference over the maple/birch I was using through January that was sub 20%.

Other than that, it's really just being extra cautious. It's my first stand-alone stove that I've installed.

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[Highbeam]

Yeah, I had a bunch of soot fall last week and I could feel it on top of the box when I was trying to close the bypass. I didn't want to go long without cleaning that off. So that was main driver. The pipe was just to try and get as much as I could while I was playing with the shop vac and Hepa filter.

My main issue is that I have a lot of wood that isn't as dry as it should be. The Oak I'm burning now is at 23%-25%, but it's all I have left. I can definitely tell a difference over the maple/birch I was using through January that was sub 20%.

Other than that, it's really just being extra cautious. It's my first stand-alone stove that I've installed.

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You should be able to shove that sooteater up from the bottom to avoid getting on the roof. On my freestander the draft is enough to keep all debris in the stove with no vacuum running or other antics.

It is possible to suck all the debris out of the cat chamber from below but is easier to pop the pipe off to get it all. Also, this is an opportunity to lube and adjust the bypass mechanism.

One final thought is that I wipe the bypass gasket every time I load if it’s cold enough. I don’t want that debris fouling the gasket or the seal. Sometimes I get a lot of chunks that have fallen from above.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

You should be able to shove that sooteater up from the bottom to avoid getting on the roof. On my freestander the draft is enough to keep all debris in the stove with no vacuum running or other antics.

It is possible to suck all the debris out of the cat chamber from below but is easier to pop the pipe off to get it all. Also, this is an opportunity to lube and adjust the bypass mechanism.

One final thought is that I wipe the bypass gasket every time I load if it’s cold enough. I don’t want that debris fouling the gasket or the seal. Sometimes I get a lot of chunks that have fallen from above.

Yup - Did everything from the bottom. Big plus since my chimney is about 8.5' above the shingles.

With respect to the lube - What do you use? I didn't pull the pipe off because I was able to get everything with my hands and vaccum, but I'd like to do that next time. What points do you lube? The sliding area of the bar, or the hinge assembly, or both?

Thanks

Don

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[Highbeam]

Yup - Did everything from the bottom. Big plus since my chimney is about 8.5' above the shingles.

With respect to the lube - What do you use? I didn't pull the pipe off because I was able to get everything with my hands and vaccum, but I'd like to do that next time. What points do you lube? The sliding area of the bar, or the hinge assembly, or both?

Thanks

Don

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I thought you wrote that you swept top down. When I’m sooteating my flues, I spin it clockwise going up to the cap and counterclockwise coming down.

Use high temp antiseize lubricant from the autoparts store. Mine is the copper stuff. It’s after the cat so no fears of poisoning the cat. I lube the rub point of the mechanism right in the middle. There’s a little ramp there. It really smooths out the action and quiets it down.

If you are flexible and have appropriate tubes you can do a really good job of cleaning sweepings from below. It is important to clean that cat chamber.

 

[TheElementalCashew]

The Ashford 30 spec's .06" WC maximum, and .05" WC ideal. I've seen similar numbers for other cat stoves, so while I can't speak with authority about the Princess, I'd be surprised if it's much different. Start aiming for .05" WC, until you hear otherwise.

Thanks for the input. I hooked up the manometer this weekend, the lowest I saw was .09” WC, the highest was .11” WC while running hot, so I guess that confirms my suspicions that my draft is excessive. These were on kind of average winter days here, mid 20s during the day and single digits at night, no wind. I’ll continue to monitor for the rest of the winter, my plan this summer was to replace my single wall interior pipe with double wall, so this will be a good time to add a damper.

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks for the input. I hooked up the manometer this weekend, the lowest I saw was .09” WC, the highest was .11” WC while running hot, so I guess that confirms my suspicions that my draft is excessive. These were on kind of average winter days here, mid 20s during the day and single digits at night, no wind. I’ll continue to monitor for the rest of the winter, my plan this summer was to replace my single wall interior pipe with double wall, so this will be a good time to add a damper.

View attachment 292123

So when you use a key damper to target a specific draft strength do you need to keep futzing with it? Or is it pretty much wide open to start the fire and then set it and forget it for the load?

 

[showrguy]

So when you use a key damper to target a specific draft strength do you need to keep futzing with it? Or is it pretty much wide open to start the fire and then set it and forget it for the load?

Yepper !!
And once you go to load the stove on a hot reload and forget to open up the damper, it only takes about a millisecond to realize what you did’nt do…. Lol

 

[TheElementalCashew]

So when you use a key damper to target a specific draft strength do you need to keep futzing with it? Or is it pretty much wide open to start the fire and then set it and forget it for the load?

From what I understand, you can set it and forget it once the fire gets going. I'm not sure how that works if its windy or something else is affecting draft.

 

[kennyp2339]

From what I understand, you can set it and forget it once the fire gets going. I'm not sure how that works if its windy or something else is affecting draft.

That is exactly what I do, I just added a step in my reload or lighting process, 1st open damper, then open by-pass, turn t-stat knob all the way, load wood, close by-pass then set damper, turn t-stat down to desired setting, come back 10-24hrs later to repeat depending on the weather

 

[mwhitnee]

Hi there,

I have had a BK King for about 6 years now. I burn around 4 cords a year.

Sometimes when I get not so great wood I get a restriction issue in the chimney- I am aware of this and know what to do- I essentially sweep the chimney and clean the stove pipe/stove and off we go again. My venting setup is not so great but I cannot change it.

Anyway, my wood isn't great this year and I get the not so great burns and a little smoke rolling out of the door. I know what to do- I go to sweep the chimney and there definitely was a restriction down low near where the horizontal pipe in the hearth goes into the chimney. I took care of that- I swept the chimney and cleaned the stove pipe. The stove pipe and horizontal pipe going into the chimney were fine.

Note: It did not take long for me to have to sweep the chimney this time- around 6 weeks of constant burning. So that points to the wood not being so dry, which I know.

Anyway, while I had the stove pipe off I looked at the cat from the back side-it is barely 1 year old. Plugged cat. Carefully vacuumed it out while in place, front and back. Shined my flashlight through- good. It's a Midwest Hearth metal cat- this is the first one I've ever used.

Now I go to start the stove and it takes a bit- it's cold wood that has some snow on it etc. But it did take me a LONG time to get it going. Kept trying to close the door and it didn't like it, wanting to die. I engage the cat- it's just not burning that great. Right now it appears to be maintaining temperature but it's not that hot.

Something I almost forgot, my stove has been coaling(fine) but the coals are not really burning well, which has never happened before. Also, one night I forgot to engage the cat and the stove burned a load without the cat being engaged.

I'm puzzled because I have been burning this top-covered and stacked wood all year. Same wood- it's not even the last row in the stack that may have gotten a little weather. Lots of questions:

1) Why was my cat plugged? Does accidentally not engaging the cat do that? Does wet wood do that?

2) Is there an air intake on the stove that may be restricted?

3) Do you think it's just bad wood? Why would it have worked so nicely earlier in the season though?

4) Do I have a faulty cat?

Any advice would be appreciated. Is there anything else I can check with my setup? I'm really missing the warmth of the fire.

Thanks

 

[begreen]

It sounds like the wood. Try some 2x4 construction cutoffs and see if that helps. Icy or snowy wood shouldn't be put in a hot firebox. It can shock the cat.

 

[Ashful]

So when you use a key damper to target a specific draft strength do you need to keep futzing with it? Or is it pretty much wide open to start the fire and then set it and forget it for the load?

No. In fact, after the first few loads, combination of a little soot in the pipe and the wear that has developed, seems to cause a sort of natural detent in the rotation. I leave it wide open on a cold start, then check it around 10 minutes after match light, usually adjusting it then to about 45 degrees to keep the draft inline. As things come up to temperature, usually just before closing the bypass, I adjust it to near its final location. At the end of the 20 minutes on high, I might fiddle it one more time before turning down for the long burn, but even that is superfluous.

On a warm reload, skip the wide open part, and go right to 45 degrees or near-final setting right after closing the door, depending on how warm the pipe was.

Remember, the manual states .05" WC on a high setting. There is no readjustment when you turn down. The draft will naturally pull high as you restrict the inlet, by turning down. The high draft really only causes issue on high, you could probably put a shop vac on the exhaust with little ill-effect, once turned down.

 

[Highbeam]

Hi there,

I have had a BK King for about 6 years now. I burn around 4 cords a year.

Sometimes when I get not so great wood I get a restriction issue in the chimney- I am aware of this and know what to do- I essentially sweep the chimney and clean the stove pipe/stove and off we go again. My venting setup is not so great but I cannot change it.

Anyway, my wood isn't great this year and I get the not so great burns and a little smoke rolling out of the door. I know what to do- I go to sweep the chimney and there definitely was a restriction down low near where the horizontal pipe in the hearth goes into the chimney. I took care of that- I swept the chimney and cleaned the stove pipe. The stove pipe and horizontal pipe going into the chimney were fine.

Note: It did not take long for me to have to sweep the chimney this time- around 6 weeks of constant burning. So that points to the wood not being so dry, which I know.

Anyway, while I had the stove pipe off I looked at the cat from the back side-it is barely 1 year old. Plugged cat. Carefully vacuumed it out while in place, front and back. Shined my flashlight through- good. It's a Midwest Hearth metal cat- this is the first one I've ever used.

Now I go to start the stove and it takes a bit- it's cold wood that has some snow on it etc. But it did take me a LONG time to get it going. Kept trying to close the door and it didn't like it, wanting to die. I engage the cat- it's just not burning that great. Right now it appears to be maintaining temperature but it's not that hot.

Something I almost forgot, my stove has been coaling(fine) but the coals are not really burning well, which has never happened before. Also, one night I forgot to engage the cat and the stove burned a load without the cat being engaged.

I'm puzzled because I have been burning this top-covered and stacked wood all year. Same wood- it's not even the last row in the stack that may have gotten a little weather. Lots of questions:

1) Why was my cat plugged? Does accidentally not engaging the cat do that? Does wet wood do that?

2) Is there an air intake on the stove that may be restricted?

3) Do you think it's just bad wood? Why would it have worked so nicely earlier in the season though?

4) Do I have a faulty cat?

Any advice would be appreciated. Is there anything else I can check with my setup? I'm really missing the warmth of the fire.

Thanks

1) That metal cat is more prone to clogging. The holes are much smaller and with wet wood the intake flapper is way farther open trying to get more heat out of the wood which means more air flow through the stove stirring up more ash to clog that fine filter.

2) Only if you have an outside air connection on your stove and the pipe is smashed or maybe the end plugged with snow or a chicken or something. Nothing internal to the stove is likely to clog.

3) Yes. Test the theory by buying manufactured firewood or lumber as Begreen suggests. Maybe even a neighbor has some good firewood to test. Wet wood when burned down often leaves black partially burnt logs since the logs burn apart and aren't good enough to support combustion alone.

4) Probably not. It takes 10-12k hours to wear it out. You could have poisoned it by burning garbage but the worst thing about your cat is that it is steel. Clear the clog, clean the stack, and test with better wood.

 

[mwhitnee]

1) That metal cat is more prone to clogging. The holes are much smaller and with wet wood the intake flapper is way farther open trying to get more heat out of the wood which means more air flow through the stove stirring up more ash to clog that fine filter.

2) Only if you have an outside air connection on your stove and the pipe is smashed or maybe the end plugged with snow or a chicken or something. Nothing internal to the stove is likely to clog.

3) Yes. Test the theory by buying manufactured firewood or lumber as Begreen suggests. Maybe even a neighbor has some good firewood to test. Wet wood when burned down often leaves black partially burnt logs since the logs burn apart and aren't good enough to support combustion alone.

4) Probably not. It takes 10-12k hours to wear it out. You could have poisoned it by burning garbage but the worst thing about your cat is that it is steel. Clear the clog, clean the stack, and test with better wood.

Thank you. It definitely points to the wood. I did not know about the characteristics of the combustor. It's going now, definitely acting like wet wood. I find it strange that initially the wood was burning well but everything seems to point to it. I will probably try to stir the pot a little more due to the coal thing. No chicken plugs or garbage burning lol

 

[Ashful]

Is this going to be a new standard question, everytime everyone has an apparent airflow issue?

"Is there a chicken in the pipe?"

If you don't have a good back-story for this one, Highbeam, I'd say you owe us the favor of at least making one up.

 

[mwhitnee]

While we're on the subject of wet wood, I got 2 cords of ash and 2 cords of oak this year Do you think it would be better to get all ash/maple etc than any hardwood like oak? The only reason why I wouldn't do this at this point is because I'm fearing I won't get an overnight burn and my stove will be cold in the morning.

 

[stoveliker]

I'd also get oak. And enough stacking space to let it dry long enough. And a moisture meter so that you can bring a few splits in, let them get up to room temperature in a day or so, resplit them, and measure their moisture content on the freshly split surface. That way you'll know rather than guess that your wood is dry enough.

My two year oak is borderline. But it was a wet year, even more so where you are. My three year oak is fine.

 

[Ashful]

While we're on the subject of wet wood, I got 2 cords of ash and 2 cords of oak this year Do you think it would be better to get all ash/maple etc than any hardwood like oak? The only reason why I wouldn't do this at this point is because I'm fearing I won't get an overnight burn and my stove will be cold in the morning.

I'd continue as you have done, as mixing ash and maple with oak in each load can really help with getting the stove up to temperature, and thru the first hour of the burn.

Most of my burning since two years after Sandy (i.e. 2014/15 season) has been loads of 100% oak, all flavors (red, std. white, swamp), as that storm and other events since have put miles and miles of oak all over the ground. I've found that, even after 2.5 years of drying in open stacks, and top covered in August of the year it will be burned, it can still sizzle and light slow. Better sheds (now built and filled, but not yet pulling from them), or a third full year on future stock will likely resolve some of that, but I still believe it could be better yet with a few interspersed splits of something much dryer and easier to light in each load.

I'm about to become an expert in ash, now. I've been cutting ash like a madman, the last 2 - 3 years. Unfortunately, they've been dying all over our neighborhood. I'm also unfortunately losing some walnuts, which is real sad and terrifying, my yard is peppered with about 60 mature trees, 90% of which are ash or walnut. :-(

 

[mwhitnee]

That's a big yard! Unfortunately for me I have room for about 4 cords in my yard(without it being a lumber yard). I might be able to expand it though this year and get 2 more cords of oak to sit for 2 seasons.

So in hindsight, maybe a cat stove wasn't the best idea for me as I get the wood early spring and stack it and pray. It's burned the same year. I love my stove though.

Last year I got some 22 inch pieces and some 18. I think I'll stick with 18 and make sure they split it on the smaller side.

I was thinking I could put double wall on my little tiny vent pipe(see my profile pic) it might help a little.

 

[stoveliker]

I suggest looking into solar kilns if you need to burn in one year. There are threads on here with quite some data that get down to <20% in a year in a kiln.

 

[begreen]

Thank you. It definitely points to the wood. I did not know about the characteristics of the combustor. It's going now, definitely acting like wet wood. I find it strange that initially the wood was burning well but everything seems to point to it. I will probably try to stir the pot a little more due to the coal thing. No chicken plugs or garbage burning lol

I had a stack of 2 yr dried maple that acted like this. What happened was depressions and valleys in the tarp collected rainwater that seeped down into the stacks in some areas. Those pieces of wood were still damp. Burning this wood was a struggle and it clogged the cap screen in a month. Or it could be that there are different species of wood in the stack or that the dry wood was the outer sapwood and not as dense as the heartwood.