Blaze king king tune up...

[Milton Findley]

I can't believe I am reading this. Last time I was in, Blaze Kings were perfect, and burned for three days, no smoke and no creosote. Plus, they heated 3000 square foot Victorians, of the original variety. I am disappointed to read these posts.

 

[aansorge]

Because the cat gasket needs to be watched? A cat gasket isn't a big deal. The rest of the items listed above are either very rare or simple tuneup items...

 

[Highbeam]

I can't believe I am reading this. Last time I was in, Blaze Kings were perfect, and burned for three days, no smoke and no creosote. Plus, they heated 3000 square foot Victorians, of the original variety. I am disappointed to read these posts.

Well that's just crazy and I do note your humor. The BKs are as good as ever. That is, not perfect but superior performance. My cat gasket is 100% intact after 9 months of full time burning.

 

[Heatsource]

Seems crazy to remove the cat element(s) for cleaning. They are right there front and center with the dirty side facing out. Pretty awesome access. Maybe the King is different but I didn't think so. The only thing better would be the cast iron drop out cat frame on the woodstock fireview that lets you easily remove the cat and inspect it on the bench all with no gaskets being disturbed.

I have seen no need to brush the cat. The thing stays very clean all on its own.

When they are really dirty you need to remove the cat to clean behind it, it does get dirty back there. And you cant clean the back of the cat from the bypass housing
Even "clean" cats get (some) ash build up in the cells
(As a dealer I clean a few dozen BK stoves each year and keep spare cat gaskets on the truck )

 

[RustyShackleford]

I have read on here a few times about the "batch" of reverse wound springs in the thermostats. The fact is, there were 6 in the past 14 years. We gladly replaced them. Those stoves still performed, just inverse to the decal indications.

Chris, I was just checking in with hearth.com (why the heck I'm doing that in North Carolina in July is a good question) and noticed you have joined the forum. I am very psyched about that. You guys make the best woodstove, and your participation here shows that you care about supporting the product.

I do have to comment on the reverse-wound thermostat. My Princess had one - I think I caught it only because (a) you mentioned the possibility in one of the lengthy and very helpful telephone conversations we had when I was doing my install, and (b) I'm an engineer, so I tend to think about stuff like this (plus I've been heating with wood for almost 40 years). So I would humbly suggest that just because there are only 6 reverse-wound thermostats that you know of, there may be more, as yet undiscovered. (And you did gladly replace it).

Also, you seem to say that a stove with the reverse-wound thermostat would work fine, just that the 1/2/3 indications for the thermostat control knob would be reversed. I doubt this very seriously. Even with the reverse-wound thermostat, the flapper opens up more when you turn the knob from 1 to 3. What is different is that when the stove gets hotter, the flapper opens more. This is known (in control systems engineering) as a positive feedback loop - when the stove gets hot, the thermostat opens more and gets it hotter. The only thing preventing the stove from glowing is that there is a limit to how much air can get in, even with the flapper fully open; nonetheless, this is very likely to lead to overfiring of the stove (as it did with mine, though I've seen no signs of damage thankfully). Of course, as the stove was designed, and with a properly fabricated thermostat, you have a negative feedback loop ("negative" usually being "good" in the context of feedback loops).

If something is wrong with the stoves performance, it is very, very unlikely to be related too a reverse wound spring.

Granted, but it's not that hard to check, as I describe in a massive thread on this issue:

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/blaze-king-thermostat-faulty.48603/

... in post #1, and a method that doesn't even require removing the thermostat cover in post #17.

P.S. Bow-hunting bear is pretty bad-ass !

 

[Highbeam]

I am also happy to see BKVP on this site and the new photo of the bear is a great one.

Oh and Rusty, we are woodburners all year long. Our stoves have gone cold only temporarily.

 

[aansorge]

The bypass gasket seems smaller in diameter than the door gasket. I bought a bunch of extra door gasket in hopes of using it on the bypass....are they supposed to be different?

 

[clemsonfor]

I got to thinking. I don't have a BK but I do have a HIgh valley cat stove. I have no bypass gasket??? LOOKED up my manual online and ther3 is not one listed, maybe I should glue one inthere? Also I have a housing that I take the cats out in, I cant get to the stove side of them without taking them out of the housing but I can get to the back side and they are easy to get to, and after a year I have pretty much nothing inthem, them bottom of the housing has fine ash build up that falls out of the cat while burning, I suck that out and put the vac to the back of the cats and that's it.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I have no bypass gasket??? LOOKED up my manual online and ther3 is not one listed, maybe I should glue one inthere?

Maybe I'm missing something, but a bypass gasket doesn't seem that important to me. It just means that a little smoke is going to go straight out the flue, instead of through the catalytic converter - but still the vast majority of the smoke still goes through the cat, so you get virtually all the benefits (of reduced emissions and greater efficiency).

 

[Highbeam]

The bypass gasket seems smaller in diameter than the door gasket. I bought a bunch of extra door gasket in hopes of using it on the bypass....are they supposed to be different?

They sure feel different. On my newish BK, the flat bypass gasket is like a thin velvet. It seems to be in a terrible place always having junk smashed into it. On occasion, I vacuum out that cat chamber and try to be sure that there is no junk in the sealing area.

I am 95% certain that they are not the same material at all.

The bypass seal is not nearly as important as the door seal.

 

[RobH]

I just purchased an 7 year old Blaze King Ultra, the previous operator didn't understand it was a catalytic stove so he used it for 7 years, never closing the bypass door. I'm in the process of rebuilding the stove and have ordered new fans, rheostat for the fans, cat thermometer, door gasket and bypass gasket. I took the cat out and it is perfect condition, with the exception of 1 row of honey combs in the center is cracked (will I need a new cat?) other than that after vacuuming it looks brand new. Also, and this is probably a big one, the frame that hold the bypass gasket is pretty badly warped, I'll see how the new gasket fits when I get it but, I suspect that even if it seems good now it will wear out quickly. I tried hammering up on it but it didn't budge, I think I'll need to take it to a welder and have him heat it and straighten the gasket frame.

So, my question to all of you is. #1 Do I need a new combustor and #2 Can the bypass frame be straightened?

Thank you in advance

 

[clemsonfor]

Rob, starting your own thread would be best . With your issue.

 

[HotCoals]

They sure feel different. On my newish BK, the flat bypass gasket is like a thin velvet. It seems to be in a terrible place always having junk smashed into it. On occasion, I vacuum out that cat chamber and try to be sure that there is no junk in the sealing area.

I am 95% certain that they are not the same material at all.

The bypass seal is not nearly as important as the door seal.

I'd like to add to this cause it can be very important.

When cleaning the flue with the by-pass open and the pipe still all attached some crud will fall down the flue..hit the open by-pass door and end up right behind the cat. Some of it can and will end up in the cat.
That said you would have to pull the cat to clean behind it and possibly the cat itself.
Now you could avoid all this by taking the pipe apart just above the stove and attach a bag of sorts I guess.
The crud also keeps the by-pass door from sealing well..you may notice it to be harder to close all the way.

If you take your pipe off you can see that when the by-pass is open it is on a angle and it sticks into the flue opening by about a 1/3.
Funnels the crap right to the cat.

 

[HotCoals]

Chris,
Last season was the first time I pulled my cat. I just pulled it again doing the cleaning.
Last year to get a gasket I called my dealer(Williamson Hardware in Williamson NY.) to see if they had the gasket.
They had to order it.
They would not drop ship to my house so I had to drive the 45 mins to their location.
I forget what I paid but I also paid shipping..I want to say like 20 bucks.
Anyways I suppose any 2"x30" cat gasket will work but I like using what came with the stove.
But it is crazy for me to obtain the gasket that way.
So what should I do..just order a cat gasket off the net from somebody?
I would like 3 at least because I plan on pulling my cat at least once a season for maintenance.

This stove really works..I'm starting my 4th season with it.
I cut my wood consumption by a 1/3 and we are way warmer!
We had a non cat BK king for around 14 years before this one.
Didn't wear that one out but reading here and because of the Fed rebate at the time we updated and so glad we did.

 

[weatherguy]

Chris,
Last season was the first time I pulled my cat. I just pulled it again doing the cleaning.
Last year to get a gasket I called my dealer(Williamson Hardware in Williamson NY.) to see if they had the gasket.
They had to order it.
They would not drop ship to my house so I had to drive the 45 mins to their location.
I forget what I paid but I also paid shipping..I want to say like 20 bucks.
Anyways I suppose any 2"x30" cat gasket will work but I like using what came with the stove.
But it is crazy for me to obtain the gasket that way.
So what should I do..just order a cat gasket off the net from somebody?
I would like 3 at least because I plan on pulling my cat at least once a season for maintenance.

This stove really works..I'm starting my 4th season with it.
I cut my wood consumption by a 1/3 and we are way warmer!
We had a non cat BK king for around 14 years before this one.
Didn't wear that one out but reading here and because of the Fed rebate at the time we updated and so glad we did.

HC, what about these?

http://www.firecatcombustors.com/category-s/1626.htm

 

[clemsonfor]

Fire cat ships free

 

[aansorge]

HC, what about these?

http://www.firecatcombustors.com/category-s/1626.htm

That is what I used. Worked great.

 

[HotCoals]

HC, what about these?

http://www.firecatcombustors.com/category-s/1626.htm

1.70/ft sounds good to me. Thanks.
I guess that's just the way things work theses days.

EDIT: Just ordered enough to do it twice..free shipping!
So I still have enough out of that 20 for a beer or 3!

 

[clemsonfor]

The most recent 2" gasket I got from them was 1.5 " thick? The previous was 2" and that's what I ordered.

 

[HotCoals]

Now I'm not sure if i ordered the right one..see what I mean.
Anyways here is the gasket.
The one on the left..will it work?
Gasket Wrap ACIG-2

Gasket Wrap ACIG-3
Retail Price: $1.90

Our Price: $1.70

Retail Price: $3.09

Our Price: $2.78

Installing Gasket Material
Shape: N/A
Dimensions: 1/16" x 2"
Shipping Weight: 0.10 lbs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This product is sold by the f

 

[clemsonfor]

The 2 should be 2" s thick the 3 should be three thick. By their own words when I asked they said the thickness varies.

 

[HotCoals]

Are you talking about width..I'm lost now.
It says 1/16 thick.

 

[clemsonfor]

Oh yea sorry. Its all the same thickness

 

[HotCoals]

Oh yea sorry. Its all the same thickness

Ok. Cheers!