Blaze King Stove top temp on low burn

[vess_40]

Greetings,
I’ve done some searching on here but I can’t seem to find what I’m looking for. I’m interested in what BK owners are seeing temp wise on their stoves when burning as low as possible.

Reason being is I’m returning back to wood from burning coal the last 5 years and I’m interested in the Sirroco or Ashford 30. I’m currently running a Hitzer 254. With that stove and the bi metallic damper I can consistently run at 250-300F stove top burning coal or wood. Running that stove like that with wood as you would guess is a dirty burn. I’m wanting to clean that up with a nice cat stove.

My house is small, 1000 sq/ft and not well insulated but my stove runs between 250-300 about 70% of the time. I only really crank it up when it gets below the 20’s. So my goal is to be able to burn at the temp and no higher for at least 8 hours. Thanks for your help.

Specs
1000sq/ft, 2 story poorly insulated house
Hitzer 254 connected to 15’ of 6” double wall chimney
Southern WV
14 year burner.

 

[stoveliker]

I don't know what those two models would have, because I have the Chinook which has a convection top.
It'll vary though, above the cat it'll be hot and elsewhere less.

But what is more important is how much heat it sheds in BTUs, and that depends on a lot more than stove top temps only.

A well installed BK can go down in heat output to the equivalent of three and a half 1.5 kW plug in (15 A) electric heaters. That is quite low.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I agree with Stoveliker that what is more important than surface temperatures is the amount of heat shed into the room, but I'll be happy to collect some temperature data for you as I can.

I have a Sirocco 30.2 in the central Virginia piedmont. We're just coming out of a pretty cold snap, so my stove was burning higher than normal recently. The forecast looks like it will be more seasonal starting next week, so when I have the stove on low, I'll try to grab some data for you with my infrared thermometer. I'm not sure we'll be burning absolutely as low as it will go as it will depend on what heat output we need. We're heating about 2700 square feet with the stove, but it's new construction and well insulated and air sealed.

When turned down low, any Blaze King should burn much more than eight hours. The longest I've done has been twenty-six, I believe, and that was with softer hardwoods like cherry. We've never packed the stove full of oak and seen what it could do as we're giving our oak longer to season than the softer woods. I can say that we've been very pleased with the range of heating outputs and control of the stove. If you're looking for a low and slow burn that is clean, I'm not sure you can really do better than a Blaze King.

 

[Tron]

A well installed BK can go down in heat output to the equivalent of three and a half 1.5 kW plug in (15 A) electric heaters. That is quite low.

If the numbers are true, a bit less than that, even. BK says the low output of my 30.2 Chinook is about 12kBTU/h. Equivalent to 3.5kW.
So 2.33 heaters ;-)

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, I made a mistake (my memory... Well, it ain't what it used to be)

 

[Dieselhead]

Here’s where I’m at today on softwood. I can go a little lower without stalling the cat. The highest temp you see is in about a 8x8 area right over the cat. It rapidly declines to the lower temp you see as you go towards the outer edge of the stovetop. Average those two temps and there is your desired 300 degree STT

At these temps I’d get 24-30 hours per load on hardwood. Don’t expect to see much (any) flame and also your door glass will be black after a few loads.

Do note I run BKs largest stove if my memory is correct. Some see big stove and get scared they will be heated out of their house. Well here’s your evidence that in this case, “size does not matter” 😜

 

[Dieselhead]

4 hours later. Figured I’d show the consistency before turning up the stat now that the sun has been down for a bit.

 

[vess_40]

Here’s where I’m at today on softwood. I can go a little lower without stalling the cat. The highest temp you see is in about a 8x8 area right over the cat. It rapidly declines to the lower temp you see as you go towards the outer edge of the stovetop. Average those two temps and there is your desired 300 degree STT

At these temps I’d get 24-30 hours per load on hardwood. Don’t expect to see much (any) flame and also your door glass will be black after a few loads.

Do note I run BKs largest stove if my memory is correct. Some see big stove and get scared they will be heated out of their house. Well here’s your evidence that in this case, “size does not matter” 😜

Very nice. This is what I’m wanting to see. I wanted to make sure these things get down to the low 300’s so I can have that low comfortable heat when the outside temps call for it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[vess_40]

4 hours later. Figured I’d show the consistency before turning up the stat now that the sun has been down for a bit.



This is impressive. I’m for sure going with BK now. Though after looking at my hearth and re measuring I’ll probably be going with a 20 box. The 20 is about the same size as the hitzer I have now but only longer.

 

[Dieselhead]

Just make sure your setup can follow the mfg chimney recommendations or draft may suffer which will affect how low you can run.

 

[stoveliker]

Another example. At noon I added 3 cherry splits and 3 oak splits (3" x 3" or so, so smallish) to the coals that were left over after last night's load (after 13 hrs).
Those 6 splits still have a ways to go 8.5 hours later. Far less than one smallish split per hour.
What you see here is not the tail end of a burn where things decrease. It's steady going.

The highest I read here on top is 278 F. But I have a convection deck. I see the door is slightly warmer.

Now that was possible because I had a lot of solar gain today. I'm dialing up a bit now because it's back to 27 and decreasing.
It's been 70 upstairs since (well I forgot when it was 69 or 71...).

 

[vess_40]

Another example. At noon I added 3 cherry splits and 3 oak splits (3" x 3" or so, so smallish) to the coals that were left over after last night's load (after 13 hrs).
Those 6 splits still have a ways to go 8.5 hours later. Far less than one smallish split per hour.
What you see here is not the tail end of a burn where things decrease. It's steady going.

The highest I read here on top is 278 F. But I have a convection deck. I see the door is slightly warmer.

Now that was possible because I had a lot of solar gain today. I'm dialing up a bit now because it's back to 27 and decreasing.
It's been 70 upstairs since (well I forgot when it was 69 or 71...).

Those numbers look good. Appears to be so much control with the Blaze King. I can’t figure out why more manufacturers didn’t go with the catalyst / mechanical thermostat design? I think Vermont Castings still does it. My Hitzer has one and there is really no way to over fire the stove unless the thermostat were to stick open.

 

[stoveliker]

Cats have a bit of a bad name because you do have to buy a new one every now and then. $200 or so.i gladly pay that for the convenience and safety.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

You've already seen some good data from a King model and a Chinook, so here are the temperatures from my Sirocco. I loaded it this morning and burned it on a medium setting for most of the day, but I turned it down as low as it would go at about four o'clock this afternoon since our house was warm, and I was doing some baking. After it had sat on low for a couple of hours, I took these pictures for you.

The first is the stovetop above the catalytic combustor, so that's where it's hottest. The second picture is closer to the front corner. The third picture is the side which is shielded and doesn't put out nearly as much heat as the front and top. The last picture is the view of the wood inside the stove. By the time I had turned it down, the wood had done all its major outgassing as it had probably already been burning about eight hours. If I had turned it to low earlier in the burn with more outgassing, the cat temperature would have been much higher, but the thermostat really does work quite well. I turned the stove up later this evening when the temperature was below freezing outside and the house temperature dropped to about seventy. I've just reloaded for the night.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Here are some temperature readings after the morning reload and a high burn and a turn down to a medium setting. This is not with the thermostat as low as it would go since it was seventeen degrees here this morning, and we wanted a bit more heat. It's closer to low than to high, though. Mostly I just wanted to illustrate the difference between the temperatures over the hot cat and the shielded sides.

I remembered this morning that members @moresnow and @Rickb may have the 20 boxes for the Sirocco. I had thought that might be more sized to your application, but they take short splits of wood if I recall correctly. Do you have a supply of firewood already because of your Hitzer, or do you just use coal?

I'm not sure that I can recall any members who have a 20 box in the Ashford. @Ashful owns two Ashford 30.1 models, I believe. I think the stovetop on the Ashford is cast iron over the steel top.

 

[Ashful]

I think the stovetop on the Ashford is cast iron over the steel top.

Yep. Same welded steel inner box as Chinook and Sirocco, but decorative cast panels all around. The top just sits loose, easy to lift off if you withdraw the cat probe thermometer from it's hole.

 

[vess_40]

View attachment 335808View attachment 335809

Here are some temperature readings after the morning reload and a high burn and a turn down to a medium setting. This is not with the thermostat as low as it would go since it was seventeen degrees here this morning, and we wanted a bit more heat. It's closer to low than to high, though. Mostly I just wanted to illustrate the difference between the temperatures over the hot cat and the shielded sides.

I remembered this morning that members @moresnow and @Rickb may have the 20 boxes for the Sirocco. I had thought that might be more sized to your application, but they take short splits of wood if I recall correctly. Do you have a supply of firewood already because of your Hitzer, or do you just use coal?

I'm not sure that I can recall any members who have a 20 box in the Ashford. @Ashful owns

View attachment 335808View attachment 335809

Here are some temperature readings after the morning reload and a high burn and a turn down to a medium setting. This is not with the thermostat as low as it would go since it was seventeen degrees here this morning, and we wanted a bit more heat. It's closer to low than to high, though. Mostly I just wanted to illustrate the difference between the temperatures over the hot cat and the shielded sides.

I remembered this morning that members @moresnow and @Rickb may have the 20 boxes for the Sirocco. I had thought that might be more sized to your application, but they take short splits of wood if I recall correctly. Do you have a supply of firewood already because of your Hitzer, or do you just use coal?

I'm not sure that I can recall any members who have a 20 box in the Ashford. @Ashful owns two Ashford 30.1 models, I believe. I think the stovetop on the Ashford is cast iron over the steel top.

Thanks for taking the time to post those temps. I’m sold on the Sirocco, just trying to figure out if I can make the 30 work. I’d love to have the extra fuel reserve the 30 offers but I believe the space is suited better for the 20 in terms of appearance.

For my Hitzer I do have a mix of seasoned, locust, cherry and poplar enough for this season and out in my yard I have about 4 cord of the same ready to be processed for next season. I also have 3 ton of coal so I’m good for awhile if I wanted to keep using the Hitzer and burn both but honestly at this point I would rather do a full switch back to wood. Coal is a phenomenal heating fuel but it’s boring. lol. I missed scrounging, cutting, splitting , stacking, tinkering with saws etc. after I got my Hitzer.

So for now I’m going to return to wood until i can’t do that kind of work anymore. I want this next stove purchase to be a top quality stove which is why I’m looking at the BK.

 

[Tron]

I’d love to have the extra fuel reserve the 30 offers but I believe the space is suited better for the 20 in terms of appearance.

Of course, it has to fit the place you pick out for it.
But I think the 20's and the 30's don't differ all that much in terms of dimensions. Yes, a few inches in every dimension, but the 30's are not hugely larger.
If in doubt, build a rough mockup out of carboard boxes and see how it looks.