2022-2023 BK everything thread

[Todd]

Check out the 30.2. My house is 1200 sq. ft single story in NorCal and not as cold as you. It's not overkill due to the ability to turn it down. Longer burns. I'm glad I decided on the 30.2. Check the dimensions. 30.2 not much bigger than 20.2 if my memory serves me.

Yep your right there’s only a couple inches depth and width but the 30.2 would be a couple inches too long for his hearth and would need an extension. The 20.2 barely fits and will probably look a little big for the space as it is. He may have to burn a little hotter when it’s below zero with the 20.2 but according to the manual it’s suppose to go 8 hours on high with 30,000+ btu so we’re hoping that will be enough?

 

[Highbeam]

Yep your right there’s only a couple inches depth and width but the 30.2 would be a couple inches too long for his hearth and would need an extension. The 20.2 barely fits and will probably look a little big for the space as it is. He may have to burn a little hotter when it’s below zero with the 20.2 but according to the manual it’s suppose to go 8 hours on high with 30,000+ btu so we’re hoping that will be enough?

“Hoping that will be enough” is not something I want to hear when living off grid in below zero temperatures.

 

[Todd]

My Neighbors ended up purchasing a PE Super 27. They didn’t like the long lead time on the BK. The salesman couldn’t guaranted it would get here before next year. The PE lead time is 6-10 weeks. He was really pushing the PE line. Everything on the floor was sold, they looked real busy.

 

[begreen]

Yes, it is going to be nuts at stove shops next month.

 

[ridemgis]

I’ve been burning a Hearthstone Heritage since 2012 and am now thinking of switching to a cat stove for longer burns and lower heat output. I really like the soft heat of the soapstone so I’ve been leaning toward a hearthstone green mountain. On the other hand, the Ashford has a solid track record. I have about 23 feet of double-wall and insulated flue running straight up through the house. Should I be concerned about excessive draft with the Ashford? Or the GM? I do have a key damper but not sure if it’ll be enough to reduce draft for the Ashford.

 

[begreen]

I’ve been burning a Hearthstone Heritage since 2012 and am now thinking of switching to a cat stove for longer burns and lower heat output. I really like the soft heat of the soapstone so I’ve been leaning toward a hearthstone green mountain. On the other hand, the Ashford has a solid track record. I have about 23 feet of double-wall and insulated flue running straight up through the house. Should I be concerned about excessive draft with the Ashford? Or the GM. I do have a key damper but not sure if it’ll be enough to reduce draft for the Ashford.

It should be ok. This sounds like it should work good for almost any stove.

 

[stoveliker]

Stoves with a convective jacket also give softer heat. So I think your "choice palette" may be a bit larger than you are thinking now.

 

[Highbeam]

I’ve been burning a Hearthstone Heritage since 2012 and am now thinking of switching to a cat stove for longer burns and lower heat output. I really like the soft heat of the soapstone so I’ve been leaning toward a hearthstone green mountain. On the other hand, the Ashford has a solid track record. I have about 23 feet of double-wall and insulated flue running straight up through the house. Should I be concerned about excessive draft with the Ashford? Or the GM. I do have a key damper but not sure if it’ll be enough to reduce draft for the Ashford.

As a fellow heritage burner for 30 cords, the move to a 3cf bk cat stove was a solid upgrade. What you get with stone’s “heat life” is more than replaced by a burn technology that uses the actual burn to make that soft low heat output for even longer. Big wood savings too. Like 20% for me.

The GM series looks nice and the specs sound good but we’re just not seeing the performance from actual users.

 

[Ashful]

Despite almost certainly being a little above the allowable maximum draft with 23 feet of double wall, you will have no control issues. I ran one of my Ashford 30's for more than a year on 30 feet of insulated pipe, at a whopping 0.21"WC of draft (more than 3x allowable maximum of 0.06"WC, per the manual), and it ran just fine, in terms of safety and control.

However, the addition of a key damper will improve efficiency and help to minimize the amount of ash pulled into the catalytic combustor, when you run the stove on a high setting. My draft was so strong that it would literally suck ash into the combustor over the course of a year, when frequently running the stove on a high setting. This was completely resolved with a simple key damper in the pipe above the stove, to get the draft in-check.

Ditto what @stoveliker said about the double wall providing a soft heat. I can literally lay my hand on the Ashford 30 at most burn settings, not indefinitely, but for a heck of a lot longer than my prior cast iron stoves. I'm also losing a lot less heat due to radiation into the stone you see surrounding the stove in my avatar, as the Ashford does more of its work through convection (excepting the large front glass).

 

[phiester]

Is it possible/practical to install an outside air / fresh air kit on a Blaze King Sirocco 25 insert? The insert has been working well, just looking for the additional efficiency associated with fresh combustion air.

My fireplace has an ash cleanout shoot that I thought may be ideal to leverage for the intake.

Thanks!!
Paul

 

[Tar12]

Princess combustor. Anyone bought one recently...price?

 

[phiester]

I found that it's unlikely that there is a kit for this insert. But I'm curious to understand where the intake is located?

Thanks!
Paul

 

[BKVP]

I found that it's unlikely that there is a kit for this insert. But I'm curious to understand where the intake is located?

Thanks!
Paul

There is no way to introduce fresh air into the thermostat, given the location. The thermostat is in front of the firebox area. It would require a large 3" diameter pipe to come into the front of the fireplace and routed to the front of the insert.

 

[Ashful]

Can you fit a free-stander in the fireplace? I know the BK 30's have an OAK provision.

 

[Highbeam]

Is it possible/practical to install an outside air / fresh air kit on a Blaze King Sirocco 25 insert? The insert has been working well, just looking for the additional efficiency associated with fresh combustion air.

My fireplace has an ash cleanout shoot that I thought may be ideal to leverage for the intake.

Thanks!!
Paul

I like OAKs and my princess has one. However, I don't believe that much (if any) efficiency is gained unless your house is so tight that the fire is starved for air which is unlikely. Do it for air quality, comfort, and to help with backdrafting when running a big range hood, plus maybe some more reasons.

All to say, please don't worry about taking extreme measures for an OAK on your insert.

 

[reaperman1]

I picked my new (floor demo) Boxer today. I had to drive 150 miles one-way to pick it up, the price was worth the drive vs buying locally. I have to say, the stove looks bigger sitting in the corner than it did in the showroom. Now that its sitting in the general area of its final resting place. I see there is a rafter directly above the chimney, so an offset is a must.

Oh yea, I got it off my truck and onto my porch with my bobcat. From there I was able to get it into the house and to the corner by myself. The manual says it weighs 440lbs, that feels about right

 

[stoveliker]

Big and good looking 🙂

 

[sprawlnstall]

Getting ready for the new season, replaced my cat and door casket. I noticed today my bypass lever is not clicking when I close it. The Manual says to adjust the tension. How exactly do I do this?

 

[moresnow]

Getting ready for the new season, replaced my cat and door casket. I noticed today my bypass lever is not clicking when I close it. The Manual says to adjust the tension. How exactly do I do this?

https://www.blazeking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/180-PE32.pdf

Page 41. Item 11 should walk you through it I believe. Very simple bolt with a jam nut that is used for adjusting correct tension. Pull your pipe and have a look.

 

[sprawlnstall]

After taking my top stove pipe off I see the problem the metal plate behind the cat sits in two grooves. The metal plate is out of one of the grooves. I can manually put it back in place however it comes out of the groove when the bypass is opened and closed. I can attempt to take a picture if it would help.

 

[kennyp2339]

After taking my top stove pipe off I see the problem the metal plate behind the cat sits in two grooves. The metal plate is out of one of the grooves. I can manually put it back in place however it comes out of the groove when the bypass is opened and closed. I can attempt to take a picture if it would help.

Loosen up the cam shaft bolt that adjusts the by-pass, it might be to tight, make sure there is no debris between the by-pass plate and the flat gasket, then actuate the opening and closing of the by-pass until you have the right tension - snug dollar bill between the bottom of the plate and gasket, it doesnt need to be tight, just a little snug.

 

[sprawlnstall]

Is this the cam shaft bolt?

 

[kennyp2339]

Is this the cam shaft bolt?

View attachment 298502

yes, the idea behind it is the more tension on the metal Z peice the more it flexes making it tighter which then increases the downward pressure on the by-pass plate

 

[sprawlnstall]

I may have solved the problem the bypass rod was catching I used a small amount of lock fluid and it doesn’t catch anymore and the plate stays in track

 

[Ashful]

Also keep in mind that chimney sweepings tend to sit on the bypass door gasket, and mess up your damper tension, until vacuumed or swept clean.