Blaze King thermostat faulty

[Highbeam]

Yep, 20 hours would be a great thing. I just know how much we gripe about the non-cats and not being able to shut them down all the way. Well, looks like they all do it. I also wonder if having that hole there will help prevent backpuffing. Do you ever really want to shut it off 100%? The glass might get sucked in.

 

[North of 60]

Note the hole in the butterfly. You can't shut this stove down.

It will still snuff the flames out in 20 paces with the stove on a full tilt full flame, full bed of hot coals under fresh dry pine splits.
No reason to restrict any more air than that.

 

[Highbeam]

Sure the flame will go out but as you cat guys always say, it's not the fire that makes the heat it's the cat eating that smoke. So beyond the flame snuff you have smolder and less smolder. I wouldn't do anything that might jeopardize that awesome 20 hour burn without specific instruction from BK.

I appreciate the pics you took for this thread Rusty. Every time I see more of the workings of the BK I am even more impressed with them.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Sure the flame will go out but as you cat guys always say, it's not the fire that makes the heat it's the cat eating that smoke. So beyond the flame snuff you have smolder and less smolder.

If the wood is not plenty dry, the fire would "go out" with not enough air; to me, this means the
wood is longer generating enough flammable gasses to keep the cat "active". Even without the
hole plugged, if I turn it down for overnight burn with wet wood, the cat goes inactive.

I wouldn't do anything that might jeopardize that awesome 20 hour burn without specific instruction from BK.

It's not like you couldn't easily remove the piece of aluminum tape (nice idea !) if you don't like the results.
I think I'd start by covering half the hole. I wish I could remember why the guy said EPA required the hole.

I appreciate the pics you took for this thread Rusty. Every time I see more of the workings of the BK I am even more impressed with them.

Da nada. I wish I could've included video of the hair-dryer test - it's kinda cool.
But not without my own web-hosting site, I guess. If anyone wants to volunteer ...

 

[Chopslide]

After reading this post I have done the "simple" test on my princess and may have the same problem as you rusty.... I installed my stove in october and have been very happy with the performance but have had problems reproducing some of the results I have read about on this board.... I have been blaming it on my wood it is not the best but pretty good... anyway I will be checking the cold full closed setting as this burn progresses but from memory it seems to close(Clunk) further counterclockwise when hot and less when cold.
thanks for this info will keep you all posted

 

[RustyShackleford]

After reading this post I have done the "simple" test on my princess and may have the same problem as you rusty.... I installed my stove in october and have been very happy with the performance but have had problems reproducing some of the results I have read about on this board.... I have been blaming it on my wood it is not the best but pretty good... anyway I will be checking the cold full closed setting as this burn progresses but from memory it seems to close(Clunk) further counterclockwise when hot and less when cold.

Sure sounds like you have the backwards-wound coil to me.

Just go ahead and do the test in the first post of this thread. It's
actually simpler, except for removing the thermostat cover: two
square-drive screws, and "persuade" it a little. Like I said, mine
came off WAY easier with a hot stove. And be sure to turn the
thermostat down before you replace the cover (so the flap
is near closed); not sure why the cover would interfere with
a fully-open flap, but that's what the guy told me.

I wonder how many of these things are out there ?
Maybe I can get a job as a thermostat tester/replacer ...
Except BK may be getting pretty mad at me.

 

[kwikrp]

are the faulty tstats on the princess models only or also effecting the King. Do they use the same tstat?

 

[RustyShackleford]

are the faulty tstats on the princess models only or also effecting the King. Do they use the same tstat?

I don't have a clue. Although I'd doubt the King uses exactly the same tstat, since it almost certainly has
a larger air opening. However, it seems entirely possible that the bi-metallic coil is the same and thus
subject to the same quality-control problem.

 

[RustyShackleford]

So, any of you kids checked your thermostat for the "reverse wound coil" problem ?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Beginning of the new burning season is a good time to bump this thread ...

 

[weatherguy]

Not sure how I missed this thread last year but Im going to check my tstat first cold night we get, which should be shortly. Wonder if they had a bad lot that slipped through.

 

[TX-L]

Beginning of the new burning season is a good time to bump this thread ...

My retired neighbor recently (September) installed a Princess parlor stove; I believe hers has a backwards wound stat as well. It does not operate at all like my King model, and will flame and heat way up even with the stat knob pointing at the "w" in the word "warmer" on the dial, well below the "1" setting. Sometimes it goes into the inactive zone overnight (as it would with the damper shutting instead of opening).

I took the cover off the damper last night with the stovetop at 575F. Turned the fans on for about 20 minutes, and the temp dropped to 450, but the damper shut completely. This is obviously backwards, as it should modulate open a little to compensate for the stove cooling down. The same thing happened on the other end of the spectrum: I turned the fans off, rotated the stat knob to where the damper was just open enough to liven up the coals, and the stove temp started rising. And rising. With the stovetop at 650, the damper had obviously opened further, and continued to open up as we passed 700 stovetop temp. I then adjusted the knob to return the air damper to just barely open. She has been running it for about 3 weeks now, and had complained that it wasn't right. I think she's correct.

I went home and took the cover off my King and conducted the same type of testing; the damper reacted exactly the opposite of the Princess. I am going to call Blaze King today and see what they have to say.

 

[fdegree]

Please correct me if I'm wrong in the way I'm thinking...

After there is a good fire going...t'stat set half way (around the 2 setting) for a while...turn the t'stat up to the 3 setting and, if it is working correctly, you should see the coals become bright and flames start to form.

Wouldn't this indicate the t'stat is operating properly? I hope so because that is what mine is doing.

 

[SolarAndWood]

if it is working correctly, you should see the coals become bright and flames start to form.

That sounds right.

 

[jdscj8]

Thanks for posting this, i got a call about a month ago from from my dealer telling me they had heard of some reports of a few bad t-stats and if i had any problems at all with it acting up to call and they would overnight me a new one. Mine is working great so i hope i got a good one. I'm glad they are staying on top of things and letting people know, most companys would just let the problem keep going and not say anything. JD

 

[TX-L]

I called my dealer this morning and outlined the problem and what I have observed as described above. The dealer was not aware of anything like this, and told me to call Blaze King in Washington. A pleasant woman answered the phone; I asked for tech support. She said they didn't have any tech support, please ask her the question. I explained how I tested the damper operation and the results, she told me that "their stoves do not have a damper". I told her they certainly did, and asked her what the thermostat was attached to? She told me removing the cover changes how the stove operates. I disagreed again, and she put me on hold for about 2 minutes, and then came back online. She said they had never heard of a thermostat problem and if I felt it was a warranty problem I should talk to my dealer (who has also never heard of the problem and referred me to their corporate office). What a vicious circle. I was really hoping to talk to someone that designs/builds/tests the stoves. I called the dealer back, he said he would call Blaze King. I'll keep all the readers posted.

 

[jdscj8]

I just talked with my dealer to clear it up some, ok he and another dealer had a few customers that had a problem with the t-stat within the first year and he wanted to let other customers know so they can be aware of it, mines still kinda new so he called me. Thats all i know and was just relaying what i was told. My dealer was the company i was talking about informing people. I dont think everyone needs to get worried about it, it dont seem to be a big problem. Everytime i call BK in Washington with a question i always get transfered to someone in the back never had to ask the ladies in the front questions. JD

 

[RustyShackleford]

I called my dealer this morning and outlined the problem and what I have observed as described above. The dealer was not aware of anything like this, and told me to call Blaze King in Washington. A pleasant woman answered the phone; I asked for tech support. She said they didn't have any tech support, please ask her the question.

This is odd, because I've called them a number of times, and I don't say "tech support", I think I say "I have a technical question, is there someone I can talk to" and they transfer me to a very helpful and knowledgeable guy, named Chris I believe.

Anyhow, I'm not so sure BK is that "on top of" this. Sounds like there's a good many people out there wouldn't know of the problem if it wasn't for the natural curiosity and willingness to share of this engineer (yes, beating my own drum, but I think it's true). But to some extent they do take it seriosuly I think, because Auto-Rain sent my new thermostat almost instantly, in marked contrast to the slow-as-tar service I've experienced with them purchasing my stove. I personally think that BK-central should be sending a letter to evey BK owner who could conceivably have a bad thermostat, now, like an automobile company would do.

 

[Highbeam]

I called my dealer this morning and outlined the problem and what I have observed as described above. The dealer was not aware of anything like this, and told me to call Blaze King in Washington. A pleasant woman answered the phone; I asked for tech support. She said they didn't have any tech support, please ask her the question. I explained how I tested the damper operation and the results, she told me that "their stoves do not have a damper". I told her they certainly did, and asked her what the thermostat was attached to? She told me removing the cover changes how the stove operates. I disagreed again, and she put me on hold for about 2 minutes, and then came back online. She said they had never heard of a thermostat problem and if I felt it was a warranty problem I should talk to my dealer (who has also never heard of the problem and referred me to their corporate office). What a vicious circle. I was really hoping to talk to someone that designs/builds/tests the stoves. I called the dealer back, he said he would call Blaze King. I'll keep all the readers posted.

It's not really a damper, it's a combustion air inlet. You never got past the counter girl. Once you realized she had no idea that a damper is another name for the intake flapper you should have asked to speak to a supervisor, tech person, or pretty much anyone else.

 

[weatherguy]

This is odd, because I’ve called them a number of times, and I don’t say “tech support”, I think I say “I have a technical question, is there someone I can talk to” and they transfer me to a very helpful and knowledgeable guy, named Chris I believe.

Anyhow, I’m not so sure BK is that “on top of” this. Sounds like there’s a good many people out there wouldn’t know of the problem if it wasn’t for the natural curiosity and willingness to share of this engineer (yes, beating my own drum, but I think it’s true). But to some extent they do take it seriosuly I think, because Auto-Rain sent my new thermostat almost instantly, in marked contrast to the slow-as-tar service I’ve experienced with them purchasing my stove. I personally think that BK-central should be sending a letter to evey BK owner who could conceivably have a bad thermostat, now, like an automobile company would do.

Same here, I talked to Chris the other day, I have his email if anyone needs it. He was very friendly and helpful to me.

 

[naptime]

Owner of a new BK Princess here. A very informative site and interesting thread.

This doesn't seem too complicated. But testing the coil by turning the inlet damper manually would not seem to indicate anything at all about the coil. The inlet damper can either be turned manually or by the TS coil, but they are independent actions, no? I think what would really tip you off to a backwards coil would be to turn down the TS manually on a new burn and notice through the door that your fire is damping down. As the catalyst then lights and the stove heats further, a faulty TS would soon begin to light up the burn again, no?

I've only been using the new stove just shy of two weeks, but the discussion here about the clicking of the inlet damper closing had me paying more attention to it the last few days. I guess you guys call this the shoulder season, and we don't need that much heat right now, so I've had the stove turned down to less than 1 on the TS most of the time after cat light-off, and to the W of Warmer quite a lot. What I've noticed is that when I turn the TS down this low, and in small increments as the owner's manual suggests, I only here the click at just above 1 or so, but never below, which would seem to suggest the inlet damper is fully closed already when I'm trying to turn the stove even lower than 1. What this means to me is that this lower TS setting is only affective as the fire burns down and the stove cools, i.e. it would not increase the air flow to a cooling fire as soon as a higher TS setting would, but that it has no different thermal effect to a new burn than a setting of 1. Does this jibe with what others are seeing?

As far as BK tech support, I submitted an email question on their website and the head honcho (he said he doesn't own the company, he just runs it) called me back with a response. Not too shabby.

 

[North of 60]

Naptime you are a man full of mechanical common sense. :coolsmile:
Welcome to the Hearth Forum and stay warm this winter. -11c / 14f this morning in our backyard.
Cheers.

 

[RustyShackleford]

I think you guys are making this test too complicated. Just do it the way I outline in my post - leave
the adjustment knob alone, and change the temperature of the thermostat by building a fire or letting
one die, and see if it moves in the right direction. Pull the cover - it's easy, but be sure to close the
flapper before you reinstall it - instead of guessing what the "click" sound means.

 

[North of 60]

Uhhh Rusty we have made it simple. We have done all what you said without taking the cover off.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Uhhh Rusty we have made it simple. We have done all what you said without taking the cover off.

Damn your eyes, sir (I say that CORDIALLY, of course).