What manufacturer is the pipe from? I would be very interested if there is a company making double wall connector pipe that can be cut to length.
Blaze King install puzzle
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In fact the end I crimped is the place where I was told to cut it if the pipe was too long. The company makes all kinds of custom pipes and fittings and would have crimped another one a little more for me, but it would have it cost a lot extra, besides the cost of shipping this one back.
There are endless details. I'm reading in the manual that this stove is not for use in basements.
It's not double wall. Single wall telescoping. Tell me about double-wall. Is that necessary?
Oh that's completely different. Blaze king recommends double wall. Crimping and cutting single wall is perfectly acceptable.
Is double wall needed? If double wall is needed, I'm looking at double-wall pipes and double -wall stove adapters online now, not sure how it would transition into single wall 45 degree angle or single wall rigid stainless protruding through the concrete wall.
Ask bkvp he is the one that would know best what is needed to make their stoves work
The company buys liner, at least, from a well-known manufacturer near Scranton, Pennsylvania, and I'm not sure who makes custom pipes and fittings to order, or if they do it in their own shop or warehouse as seems to be implied by "If you can imagine it...." Custom work might be engineered to meet UL or other regulatory specs? I can try to find out tomorrow, if it makes any difference.
That is Olympia chimney supply. Their single wall isn't ul listed none is because it doesn't need to be. And no custom parts are not ul listed.
Hear a sIgh of relief.
But how much better is double-wall, and what are the drawbacks to single? I'll call Blaze King tomorrow and try to speak to a tech supporter about double-wall. My "knowledge" is still very poor and spotty. I just need to get through these installs before the real cold weather sets in.
I know, but I wasn't going to name names here besides the name of the stove itself. Their pre-insulation premium flex liner that I bought might be the best liner, almost smooth inside, and stainless steel on the outside too. But I like rigid liner better, now that I can compare them side by side. I could have put rigid in both chimneys, both flues were straight enough for rigid.
If custom parts are separately UL listed, maybe there are extra engineering and regulatory expenses behind the much higher cost?
We used Olympia for years. They just became unreliable as they expanded. But that is probably their hybrid preinsulated liner. It's good liner for sure. We typically use heavy wall not mid weight for woodstoves it is the same construction just thicker metal. But hybrid will provide a good lifespan. I pretty much never use rigid. I just don't see a benifit.
Custom parts are not ul listed. They would each need to be tested it would make each one cost several thousand dollars and take up to a year to be delivered.
The double wall (inside) and insulated chimney (outside) is to keep the flue gases warm enough. BKs have rather cool exhaust (if running low) and you want to avoid condensation in th e flue. So you want to stay above 250 F. These pipes help with that.
(And in doing so aid in draft - but you may not need that.)
(And in doing so aid in draft - but you may not need that.)
Yes it is their hybrid preinsulated liner, which I thought was the best of all liners, based on my research. It's much smoother inside but not as smooth as rigid.
What liner, and what source do you use or recommend now, instead of Olympia? As I mentioned in an earlier comment, I might be doing another stove installation, in another building soon.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Olympia's quality it is still very good. They just got harder to deal with as they got bigger so we switched to New England chimney supply. We use their heavy wall flex for most wood stoves and their midweight (the same as hybrid) for stoves that aren't used as heavily and for oil or gas furnaces.
We rarely use pre insulated
This "premium" liner is also called a "lifetime" liner, but I know that's just advertising. What do you estimate is the lifespan for midweight versus the heaviest weight flex lner, for a CAT woodstove in regular use six months a year, used properly with CAT in good condition, and dry wood, and annual chimney cleaning?
It sounds like you are perfection-minded too, if you use the heaviest wall liner, and insulate it yourself. The high-volume stove dealer said "nobody" applies insulation to flexible liners manually anymore, so I bought the best pre-insulated I could find. I was told that I'm being wasteful and "everyone" else uses the cheapest liner, but I suspected that's because it's easier to handle.
But this chimney flue is so wide and straight it could have been rigid-lined with only a trace of brick cutting at the smoke shelf.
For us I usually don't see justification for the added cost and weight of pre insulated. Plus none of our suppliers offer it in heavy wall liner
What do you estimate is the lifespan for midweight versus the heaviest weight flex lner, for a CAT woodstove in regular use six months a year, used properly with CAT in good condition, and dry wood, and annual chimney cleaning?
Fired up the King 40 for the first time today, a small first fire. I started it very small with just a few small pieces and newsprint wads, adding a little more, and a little more, until it's now about a quarter full.
Re: negative pressure: Before I lit the stove today the stove door was open and I could feel movement of cold outside air coming all the way down the chimney and out through the stove. But now, whenever I open the door to put on a few more pieces the smoke stays nicely inside. Even when I open the door all the way, it still doesn't come out. So does that mean there really isn't much negative pressure?
It took a long time for the CAT thermometer to reach "active," but then it quickly dropped back to inactive. I addeed more pieces and eventually it reached active again, and then I closed the bypass.
I just checked the stove, a half hour later, and it's already reached about 3/4 of the way up in the Active section. I had set the thermostat knob very low, just at the very beginning of the white stripe.
I know this is boring to read but it's my first experience with a CAT wood stove. I'm worrying about over-firing it or doing some other damage.
Re: negative pressure: Before I lit the stove today the stove door was open and I could feel movement of cold outside air coming all the way down the chimney and out through the stove. But now, whenever I open the door to put on a few more pieces the smoke stays nicely inside. Even when I open the door all the way, it still doesn't come out. So does that mean there really isn't much negative pressure?
It took a long time for the CAT thermometer to reach "active," but then it quickly dropped back to inactive. I addeed more pieces and eventually it reached active again, and then I closed the bypass.
I just checked the stove, a half hour later, and it's already reached about 3/4 of the way up in the Active section. I had set the thermostat knob very low, just at the very beginning of the white stripe.
I know this is boring to read but it's my first experience with a CAT wood stove. I'm worrying about over-firing it or doing some other damage.
Your cat will be "over-active" the first few months. That's normal.
The thermostat should prevent overfiring (as long as you keep the door closed and the bypass closed when the cat is active).
The cold air in the beginning is no problem. Unless you get smoke in while starting up. If so, use a propane torch for a few minutes, blowing hot air up the bypass opening.
Just make gradually bigger fires. Preferably without feeding a piece by piece. Just ligth top-down fires on progressively bigger piles of wood.
Play with it, observe, sit by it. This'll make you learn how it behaves and give you confidence.
Pic of first fire?
The thermostat should prevent overfiring (as long as you keep the door closed and the bypass closed when the cat is active).
The cold air in the beginning is no problem. Unless you get smoke in while starting up. If so, use a propane torch for a few minutes, blowing hot air up the bypass opening.
Just make gradually bigger fires. Preferably without feeding a piece by piece. Just ligth top-down fires on progressively bigger piles of wood.
Play with it, observe, sit by it. This'll make you learn how it behaves and give you confidence.
Pic of first fire?
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