Ashford 30 -2 months old door hinge smoke smell

[Ashful]

I've never needed to do so, so can't verify but I figure if you could get a light behind the cat without much trouble it would take a lot of the guess work out of cleaning it.

Maybe I can slip one up thru the bypass door. Then again, maybe pulling the pipe is warranted. Just hate to take the time, and create a mess, if not necessary.

 

[lsucet]

Maybe I can slip one up thru the bypass door. Then again, maybe pulling the pipe is warranted. Just hate to take the time, and create a mess, if not necessary.

Hi Ashful. Which setup is giving you the issue, the short or the tall chimney?

 

[Ashful]

Hi Ashful. Which setup is giving you the issue, the short or the tall chimney?

The stove I run on high also happens to be on the tall chimney. One might assume chimney height is a factor in this, and it may be, but I never experienced a plugged cat on this stove when I was running it on lower settings. It plugged after a few days running at higher burn rates, but was it a spontaneous problem, or accumulation from months of running low?

 

[webby3650]

Agreed, although I do suspect I was cited as one of your exceptions.

However, if we're going to talk about running on high, the Ashford has a fatal flaw that may not be shared with the King or Princess: the cats seem to clog with ash when the stove is run on higher settings.

Perhaps I was unable to get the combustor fully vacuumed 100% clean (internally) the first time it clogged, although it certainly looked clean from the surface I could view, or perhaps it was actually clean and has completely clogged a second time in a month. I don't know yet, but I have watched my fire go from raging to almost instantly dead the last two nights, when closing my bypass damper on a well-charred load. That has only happened with a plugged cat, in the past. I let the stove go cold today, so I can investigate (again) tonight.

My second Ashford (yes, I have two) always runs at a lower setting, and has not experienced this problem after two seasons of 24/7 operation. Same stove, same install date, same wood, same house, same operator... so it comes down to differences in burn rate and chimney height, as to why one clogs and the other does not.

It's an issue with the steel cat. It's cells are so small it susceptible to cloggage. Mine only had this issue recently, it looked clean, but the debris was way in the back. Unfortunately I had already pulled the cat, otherwise I would have blown some air through it.

 

[lsucet]

Oh ok. I don't know how manufactures recommend to not exceed 0.06 WC. I found that to be impossible. running a stove on high in a average chimney goes way higher than that. it can be possible a taller chimney draft too much when stove is running on high, pulling to much crap thru the cat?

 

[webby3650]

Oh ok. I don't know how manufactures recommend to not exceed 0.06 WC. I found that to be impossible. running a stove on high in a average chimney goes way higher than that. it can be possible a taller chimney draft too much when stove is running on high, pulling to much crap thru the cat?

I have suspected ash from shoveling is being pulled into the cat on ones with excessive draft, even though the bypass is open.

 

[lsucet]

I have suspected ash from shoveling is being pulled into the cat on ones with excessive draft, even though the bypass is open.

yeah, i can see that

 

[Highbeam]

From seeing and using the two Woodstock straight cats, I would say they fill the bill of burning long and being well-engineered.

Well engineered but not long burning. Sure, longer than most non-cats which is great but nowhere near long enough to compete with a blaze king. The IS is rated by Woodstock for a shorter burntime but some folks have reported some respectable (but no, not BK long) burntimes from it. Burntimes mean a LOT to the OP and a LOT to most folks. Don't inject your personal values into this. The OP actually specified "long burning" as a criteria.

Tip: Insulting somebody and then clicking an emoji at the end is still insulting. It's not funny.

 

[begreen]

Long burn times are relative to the owner and operator's needs and lifestyle. Based on stove sales and reports here, most folks seem to be content with burn times over 8 hrs.. Yes, there are some that need a longer burn time due to working circumstances or lifestyle, but the overwhelming majority of stoves sold are not shooting for a 24hr. burn and they continue to sell very well. Travis, Quad, Jotul, SBI, etc. sales volume is very high in comparison to cat stoves. Cats may be incorporated more widely due to the 2020 EPA rule, but that is assuming we even have an EPA as we know it by then.

 

[Ashful]

Long burn times are relative to the owner and operator's needs and lifestyle. Based on stove sales and reports here, most folks seem to be content with burn times over 8 hrs.. Yes, there are some that need a longer burn time due to working circumstances or lifestyle, but the overwhelming majority of stoves sold are not shooting for a 24hr. burn and they continue to sell very well. Travis, Quad, Jotul, SBI, etc. sales volume is very high in comparison to cat stoves. Cats may be incorporated more widely due to the 2020 EPA rule, but that is assuming we even have an EPA as we know it by then.

I disagree with this, on two levels. First, there are many days when I'm able to burn my BK's, where I'd have never been able to burn my old stoves, thanks to this low burn capability. Whether it be loading full and setting on low for a 36 hour burn time, or even short-loading and running on the same low setting for just a few hours at very low heat (eg. overnight), I have flexibility that non-BK owners lack. Second, it takes a unique user to fully appreciate what they're even missing, until they've had an opportunity to burn a year or two on a stove with 24+ hour burn times. I can't blame you for not understanding: like you, I also think I have decent foresight, but failed to realize just how much this would benefit me until I owned one (or two).

 

[begreen]

Again, this is not a pro-cat or non-cat observation. You've made a great choice for your circumstances and lifestyle. I can contrast this to our house and lifestyle and stove and can say the same thing. We are both able to burn comfortably in mild weather, (44F outside and a nice 73F inside with a fully loaded stove at 7 am). We are both happy with our stoves as are many if not most stove owners. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Highbeam]

Long burn times are relative to the owner and operator's needs and lifestyle. Based on stove sales and reports here, most folks seem to be content with burn times over 8 hrs.. Yes, there are some that need a longer burn time due to working circumstances or lifestyle, but the overwhelming majority of stoves sold are not shooting for a 24hr. burn and they continue to sell very well. Travis, Quad, Jotul, SBI, etc. sales volume is very high in comparison to cat stoves. Cats may be incorporated more widely due to the 2020 EPA rule, but that is assuming we even have an EPA as we know it by then.

You bet. Furnace people and other part time burners may not require such long burn times and might use that flexibility to opt for another brand or technology that has other strong points. The OP was the one that identified long burn times as a criteria and we stove enthusiasts can deliver. If you only need 8-12 hours then there are a couple of options. 4-8 there are many options.

Very few people NEED a 24-36 hour burn time. You also don't NEED to run the BK stove on low settings to get those long burns. Once again, it seems folks forget that the burn rate on a BK is widely adjustable to suit your desires.

BK has a smaller market share than the big boys, for now. Really though your electric car is extremely rare on the roads but that doesn't make the benefits of owning one any less real. Doesn't make the option to burn gas or electrons and more valuable. There are plenty of gas stations, nobody "needs" to burn electrons instead of gas.

If two stoves were equal in all ways except one could be turned down much lower and burn for 24 hours I do believe that most folks would opt for the longer burning stove. Why not? Is it ever a drawback?

 

[begreen]

If two stoves were equal in all ways except one could be turned down much lower and burn for 24 hours I do believe that most folks would opt for the longer burning stove. Why not? Is it ever a drawback?

But they aren't. Cat stoves by design are more complex and have tighter installation and operation rules. Not that this is a show stopper for some, but for others it is. Witness the longest and greatest volume discussions on Hearth.com are on the operation and performance of cat stoves. That's not coincidence.

The electric car analogy is interesting. It's why I'd rather burn electrons with the heat pump once the temps get in the 50s. It's easier, cheaper and much cleaner.

 

[Highbeam]

But they aren't. Cat stoves by design are more complex and have tighter installation and operation rules. Not that this is a show stopper for some, but for others it is. Witness the longest and greatest volume discussions on Hearth.com are on the operation and performance of cat stoves. That's not coincidence.

Come on BG, you just said that this is not a cat/noncat issue. And I agree. If you're willing to accept shorter burn times then non-cat options begin to fall into the potential candidate lists. With the non-cats are some other pleasant benefits such as lower average purchase price.

Again, this is not a pro-cat or non-cat observation.

We have lots of options with plusses and minuses. One of those options is to trade additional complexity for the ability to burn at a wide range of outputs. Just as you spent extra money to have both an electrical and a gasoline drivetrain. Options.

 

[begreen]

We have lots of options with plusses and minuses. One of those options is to trade additional complexity for the ability to burn at a wide range of outputs. Just as you spent extra money to have both an electrical and a gasoline drivetrain. Options.

Exactly right. Options, values, personal needs and choices. The big difference with the car vs stove analogy is that many don't service their cars, but do service their wood stoves. There's an order of complexity difference.

 

[lsucet]

I already made a decision in my life, that my main stove will be always a catalyst stove, unless some other technology come along and give me better performance and safety. I am just base on technologies not in brand. But, to have the advantage of long burn when possibly cause condition are milds and don't have to worry about overheating the place, or just toss two pieces, or, let me wait till midnight to load for the night. etc, I will say that BK is the right stove for me to avoid all that, and yes i looked into other brands at the time i was shopping for a stove. I read for long time different forums etc. went to manufacturer's websites, compare data from them and what call beta testers and users were saying and sincerely, something did not match.

Went with BK and at least i am getting the performance that is advertised. No data from other brand was claiming a performance like some were saying. at least owners of BK was matching so so what the website says, and well, i went with it.

Including the other day when i have a mini chimney fire just at the bottom part of the stove pipe around the flue collar, i closed bypass, shut the air down, done. BLACK BOX INSTANTLY. I feel is more safe. I think a tube stove, base on my experience with my low/entry level tube stoves, the uncontrollable secondaries will continue giving air to the chimney making it worse.

Please just a saying.

 

[begreen]

Let's get back on topic with the OP's issue. I'm hoping a new gasket with a healthy amount of red silicone resolves the problem, but he has already replaced it once.

@aaronk25 what adhesive did you use to attach the new gasket with?

 

[Highbeam]

Let's get back on topic with the OP's issue. I'm hoping a new gasket with a healthy amount of red silicone resolves the problem, but he has already replaced it once.

@aaronk25 what adhesive did you use to attach the new gasket with?

To be fair, he reinstalled the old BK gasket on fresh rtv and when that didn't work replaced with a new non-OEM gasket. We have yet to see results with a new BK gasket but I don't know if he is willing to try at this point.

The described chimney should be strong enough to keep quite a suction on the stove.

I am not impressed with BK telling him to go talk to his dealer. Hoping that that was just a miscommunication. I would have expected some tech support since we know that dealers are often not worth their weight in firewood.

 

[webby3650]

To be fair, he reinstalled the old BK gasket on fresh rtv and when that didn't work replaced with a new non-OEM gasket. We have yet to see results with a new BK gasket but I don't know if he is willing to try at this point.

The described chimney should be strong enough to keep quite a suction on the stove.

I am not impressed with BK telling him to go talk to his dealer. Hoping that that was just a miscommunication. I would have expected some tech support since we know that dealers are often not worth their weight in firewood.

Didn't he speak with BKVP?

 

[BKVP]

I am in contact with the OP and we will resolve this matter. As for the rest of the b.s. in here, that is PRECISELY why other mfg.'s shy away from this site Since this matter relates to fewer than a dozen units, in 3 years, across all of North America, we will get the OP taken care of. If you do not own a BK product and you just dropped in, think about how others perceive your observations and comments. Input is valuable and "fanboys" of the product being discussed should contribute if they have something positive to contribute. If you are a "fanboy" of another company, great but again, contribute only if it specifically addresses the issue.

I need a drink.

 

[aaronk25]

Yep were in talks and I'm willing to participate with anything BK has to offer. I think the next step is installing a new and current BK gasket in the stove. It appears BK is stepping up and helping me. I hope the end result is it's a simple fix and life is good for all and if all this leads to a fix that would be a great thing and we can all have cocktails and talk about how great our stoves are.

And to the previous poster asking about what type of sealant I used it was red high temp silicone rtv sealant rated up to 650f. It seems to survive behind the rope seal but any extra that ended up near the fire box didn't last the first hot fire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[webby3650]

Yep were in talks and I'm willing to participate with anything BK has to offer. I think the next step is installing a new and current BK gasket in the stove. It appears BK is stepping up and helping me. I hope the end result is it's a simple fix and life is good for all and if all this leads to a fix that would be a great thing and we can all have cocktails and talk about how great our stoves are.

And to the previous poster asking about what type of sealant I used it was red high temp silicone rtv sealant rated up to 650f. It seems to survive behind the rope seal but any extra that ended up near the fire box didn't last the first hot fire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Their customer service is unparalleled, they'll get ya fixed up. We work with most major brands, no one steps up like BK when there's an issue.

 

[Ashful]

Relax, BKVP! I've seen you garner more sales from this site, than perhaps any other brand. The folks on this site, though we're nit-picky as hell, have likely been your best endorsement. I'd have never even looked at BK, if not for webby3650, Highbeam, and others here, extolling their virtues.

 

[Highbeam]

Didn't he speak with BKVP?

He called BK a few times. I went back and couldn't find the quote where BK referred him to his dealer for assistance. Might have been another thread or person. First I had heard of that being done. Either way, glad BKVP is available to help him move forward as Aaron seems to really appreciate the long burn times.

 

[BKVP]

Their customer service is unparalleled, they'll get ya fixed up. We work with most major brands, no one steps up like BK when there's an issue.

Thank you Ashful. Plenty relaxed, appreciate the support but we just need threads to stay on track. I know you agree.