2022-2023 BK everything thread

[begreen]

I am the opposite. I have a hard time bringing myself to have a full raging fire for 6h to get max heat. Its been cat glow only for 4 yrs.

It depends on outside temps, the heat loss of the house, and the desired room temp. Our house is lossy, but our climate is relatively benign. If temps drop below 20º F I'd likely be in that 6-8hr range for that time.

 

[DonTee]

It’s still difficult for me to push the stove to black box mode. All my previous experience says I'm putting the fire out. It does really help having the Auber, since I can see the flue temp rise almost right away after I engage the cat. And watching it maintain temp even in black box mode.

 

[ratsrepus]

Im assuming when you say black box mode is no visible fire? Better get used to that with a cat stove. Or a Blaze King anyway.

 

[Ashful]

It's been mentioned before that they are far from precision instrument's so my results could be off a little from other results. I mainly compared the two because that needle going so far past the active zone was giving me a uneasy feeling but like many of you told me it was nothing to worry about. Now that I have a general idea what the temperature is I actually prefer the factory probe as it's easier to read.

That might explain the correlation you observed between "Active" and 400F, as that is not the temperature classically published as active, by most cat manufacturers.

But then if the Auber is off 100F at a reading of just 400F, it would imply being off by 500F at a reading of 1600F.

 

[stoveliker]

But then if the Auber is off 100F at a reading of just 400F, it would imply being off by 500F at a reading of 1600F.

It could imply. It does not necessarily mean it will. This depends on why it's 100 off at 400.

 

[Ashful]

It could imply. It does not necessarily mean it will. This depends on why it's 100 off at 400.

True. I had assumed it was at least "zero'd" at 70F... per SOP.

 

[Larch]

My condor prob and blaze king prob read pretty much the same at 500 thru to 1600 when set at approximately 70, I like the condar one better for the numbers. I've noticed with mine on high burn when it's pegged most of the time my cat doesn't look very hot even though the prob indicates that it is, but when I dial it back and the prob settles back that's when it really starts to glow and look hot, I'm guessing that's why some people say don't worry about it pegged the cat isn't necessarily to hot, do any of you people notice the same on high burn that the cat doesn't look as hot? So my next question is even though the cat prob is pegged if it isn't glowing bright would that mean the cat itself isn't so hot damage will occur?

 

[stoveliker]

True. I had assumed it was at least "zero'd" at 70F... per SOP.

Then (zerod at 70) it'd be 463 off at 1600.
My point is you assume a.scale that is still linear. Apart from simple zeroing mistakes, my experience is that the second most fault mode of many sensors is lack of linearity.

Anyway, doesn't matter much. I'm contemplating getting a numbered probe too because I didn't get my thermocouple to seal properly in the cat probe hole.

 

[Crummy]

That might explain the correlation you observed between "Active" and 400F, as that is not the temperature classically published as active, by most cat manufacturers.

Could the cat be 500 but the area where the probe is be 400?

My cat will go active with a piece of kindling and will stay well in the active zone long after there are not enough coals left to start another fire. Now that I've basically got my 12 hour reloads dialed in the cat is rarely below 800° so the 500° is a mute point anyway. I open the bypass, reload and then immediately close the bypass as soon as the loading door is closed. Doing it like this the cat doesn't hardly drop 100° so after a quick high temp scorching of the wood I can dial it back and get on with my life. Less than ten minutes morning and night.

 

[Diabel]

Last week i cleaned the chimney. Went via bypass and had to vacuum around the bypass all the stuff that came down. I thought I did a good job, checked/felt the gasket, all good. Bypass seemed to close normal. Maybe the “clink” lock was not as distinct as before. Yesterday I went to light a fire. Start went all good un eventful. Went to close the bypass and the “clink” was definitely less pronounced. After 15min of air full open went to cet air at 2:30 as always, cat meter sitting at 1:00pm. Looked at the chimney and there was continuous small amount of lightish smoke (not steam) trailing (good 15/20’). Did not see the cat glow once in the first 4h of the burn and the cat meter only went between 11:00 and 1:00pm.

I am letting the stove cool this morning. Will either take the cat out or remove bottom part of the pipe ti examine maybe vacuum some more.

 

[BKVP]

Last week i cleaned the chimney. Went via bypass and had to vacuum around the bypass all the stuff that came down. I thought I did a good job, checked/felt the gasket, all good. Bypass seemed to close normal. Maybe the “clink” lock was not as distinct as before. Yesterday I went to light a fire. Start went all good un eventful. Went to close the bypass and the “clink” was definitely less pronounced. After 15min of air full open went to cet air at 2:30 as always, cat meter sitting at 1:00pm. Looked at the chimney and there was continuous small amount of lightish smoke (not steam) trailing (good 15/20’). Did not see the cat glow once in the first 4h of the burn and the cat meter only went between 11:00 and 1:00pm.

I am letting the stove cool this morning. Will either take the cat out or remove bottom part of the pipe ti examine maybe vacuum some more.

More than likely you are burning creosote on top of the dome, behind the combustor. It will burn off, but depending upon amount, could take a while.

 

[BKVP]

Could the cat be 500 but the area where the probe is be 400?

My cat will go active with a piece of kindling and will stay well in the active zone long after there are not enough coals left to start another fire. Now that I've basically got my 12 hour reloads dialed in the cat is rarely below 800° so the 500° is a mute point anyway. I open the bypass, reload and then immediately close the bypass as soon as the loading door is closed. Doing it like this the cat doesn't hardly drop 100° so after a quick high temp scorching of the wood I can dial it back and get on with my life. Less than ten minutes morning and night.

As the air is cut back, by turning down the thermostat, you increase residence time. That is why the combustor tends to glow more brightly.

As for the thermometers, they are not all that accurate. The little nut on the bottom will allow for some adjustment. You could adjust the needle reference point at ambient to point at a point that when other devices read 500F, you could set that reference point on the OEM thermometer.

The 3rd party test labs guys will have a dozen thermocouples all over the stove. They are always trying to draw conclusions "if this then that".

Personally, some folks over think the entire subject rather than just burn wood!

 

[ratsrepus]

I pull my pipe and cat in the fall for a good cleaning. also a good application of anti seize on the by pass linkage.

 

[ratsrepus]

Personally, some folks over think the entire subject rather than just burn wood!

I see a lot of over thinking here

 

[ratsrepus]

maybe some day ILL learn how to insert a quote the right way

 

[Todd]

Could the cat be 500 but the area where the probe is be 400?

My cat will go active with a piece of kindling and will stay well in the active zone long after there are not enough coals left to start another fire. Now that I've basically got my 12 hour reloads dialed in the cat is rarely below 800° so the 500° is a mute point anyway. I open the bypass, reload and then immediately close the bypass as soon as the loading door is closed. Doing it like this the cat doesn't hardly drop 100° so after a quick high temp scorching of the wood I can dial it back and get on with my life. Less than ten minutes morning and night.

Doesn’t closing the bypass right away risk the chance of thermo shock?

 

[Crummy]

Personally, some folks over think the entire subject rather than just burn wood!

Yep that's me 😁 but as time goes on and I get more familiar with the stove it's getting to be a set it and forget it situation. I am still amazed at how well the little stove heats with a armload of wood and no flames. Way different than when I heated with wood in the late 80's / early 90's.

 

[Crummy]

Doesn’t closing the bypass right away risk the chance of thermo shock?

Reloading procedure from the manual

Once loaded, latch the loading door shut and (if opened) close the bypass door immediately. Let the fire
burn on the HIGH thermostat setting for 20 to 30 minutes OR until the fire is very well established. At
that point, turn the thermostat down to the desired setting. Keep in mind you may not see a large amount
of flame activity in the lower thermostat setting. The thermometer needle will remain in the active zone
indicating that the burn cycle is continuing

 

[Todd]

Reloading procedure from the manual

Once loaded, latch the loading door shut and (if opened) close the bypass door immediately. Let the fire
burn on the HIGH thermostat setting for 20 to 30 minutes OR until the fire is very well established. At
that point, turn the thermostat down to the desired setting. Keep in mind you may not see a large amount
of flame activity in the lower thermostat setting. The thermometer needle will remain in the active zone
indicating that the burn cycle is continuing

That’s interesting, I always thought you were suppose to burn with bypass open for a bit after reloads to burn off any excess moisture so it doesn’t run through a hot cat.

 

[Diabel]

I pull my pipe and cat in the fall for a good cleaning. also a good application of anti seize on the by pass linkage.

Any recommendations on the anti seize? I might actually wait with the pipe removal and pick up some anti seize in town.

 

[ratsrepus]

Any recommendations on the anti seize? I might actually wait with the pipe removal and pick up some anti seize in town.

the grey messy stuff that get all over everything no matter how careful you are. Auto Parts store

 

[ratsrepus]

That’s interesting, I always thought you were suppose to burn with bypass open for a bit after reloads to burn off any excess moisture so it doesn’t run through a hot cat.

I do

 

[Crummy]

That’s interesting, I always thought you were suppose to burn with bypass open for a bit after reloads to burn off any excess moisture so it doesn’t run through a hot cat.

I burn very dry well seasoned wood.

 

[DonTee]

I’ve been following the reloading procedure per the manual, and it works for me. As long as the cat is still in the active zone, I close the bypass right away after reloading.

So you guys use the nickel anti seize and not the copper stuff for the bypass?

 

[Ashful]

That’s interesting, I always thought you were suppose to burn with bypass open for a bit after reloads to burn off any excess moisture so it doesn’t run through a hot cat.

With a ceramic cat, you are supposed to wait a few minutes after loading, for the new load to catch and dry before closing the bypass. I suspect the advice to close the bypass immediately on a cold load was based upon the fact that the stove for which that process was developed shipped only with steelcats.

If the same advice was printed in the manual of any stove containing a ceramic cat, then it would be flying in the face of advice posted by combustor manufacturers.