Blaze King thermostat faulty

[Highbeam]

My stat works properly. Manufacture date is July of 2011. FYI, the serial number is stamped on the side of the stove top sheet right above the stat knob on the right side of the stove.

 

[jeff_t]

My stat works properly. Manufacture date is July of 2011. FYI, the serial number is stamped on the side of the stove top sheet right above the stat knob on the right side of the stove.

When I was ordering parts the other day, she asked for the serial number. I asked if that was it and she said no, the number on the WH tag. The stove I'm working on has a number stamped in the same place as yours, but my stove doesn't.

 

[begreen]

Rusty, what was the change in burn times from before the thermostat change to afterward? Was that the most apparent symptom?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Rusty, what was the change in burn times from before the thermostat change to afterward? Was that the most apparent symptom?

Hard to say. Maybe from 10 hours to 20 - meaning with the catalytic converter still in the "active" range. It wasn't like the thing ran away and overheated on anything. It wasn't even obvious anything was wrong. But then I noticed the wrongness in where the valve-closing "click" occurred.

 

[begreen]

Wow, that's like a 100% change. I would expect with this defect that the stove would always go for full air as it warmed up. Was the stove making the room uncomfortably warm during shoulder season burning?

 

[Woody Stover]

Wow, that's like a 100% change. I would expect with this defect that the stove would always go for full air as it warmed up. Was the stove making the room uncomfortably warm during shoulder season burning?

That's what I was trying to get at in my previous post. I was wondering how much that coil moves the flap and changes the amount of air. It looks like only about half a turn of coil material. I think my BIL's Resolute III has several turns. It will move the air flap maybe 45*, drastically increasing the air as the stove cools. I guess you could engineer the coil material so that only half a turn of coil would move the BK flap an equal amount...

 

[krae]

I have been suspicious of the thermostat on my princess for quite sometime.

I just bought a new one from the local dealer and asked him if it needed a gasket.. and he said no...after doing further reading, I seems you do ...did you use a gasket of some kind ???

my neighbor is going to replace the thermostat, along with the cat next week...

 

[jeff_t]

Looking at the pics on the first page of this thread, it looks like maybe gasket cement. Call BK if you want. Every time I have called them has been a pleasant experience. You could PM Rusty, too. He's the only one here that I know of that has replaced one.

 

[Skidooer]

Wow i am so glad i found your thread!! Iv tried 3 different kinds of wood now in my new Princess Ultra thinking wood quality is was my problem. Maybe im not crazy after all! I am going to try your test, as i filled it up last night with good seasoned elm and set it at 1.5 with the fans on low. Didnt last me 10 hours and it was only 20deg F outside!! Not near good enough for what i payed for this thing. It seems to really surge or roar at 2- 2.5, and not even at 3 yet. Almost like my door is loose but its not, and burns up really fast at the door. Im frustrated with this thing! Sorry guys if im going off your thread topic.

I also cant get it to burn the coals right down all the way. They stay built up at least as high as the door, sometimes higher. Like is not completely burning, and i cant get it nice and full unless i crank it up in the morning and let is burn the coals down for a while, to get it packed nice and full off wood.

 

[krae]

rusty actually mentioned earlier in this post about what he used.. he got it at auto parts store

 

[TX-L]

Looking at the pics on the first page of this thread, it looks like maybe gasket cement. Call BK if you want. Every time I have called them has been a pleasant experience. You could PM Rusty, too. He's the only one here that I know of that has replaced one.​

I also replaced the stat on a Princess; see post #51 in this thread. I used Permatex Ultra Black High Temperature RTV on the install and have had no problems with it.

 

[krae]

thanks TX-L ! appreciate it..

 

[krae]

Okay, here's the update: It took over 2 weeks, but I received the new thermostat from my dealer on Monday, and installed it on Tuesday. I used Permatex Ultra Black High Temperature RTV to seal the new stat to the stove.

I conducted the "hair dryer test" on each one, and exactly as described earlier in this thread, they were opposite. The original stat that came with the stove opened up as it got hotter, and the replacement stat modulated closed as it got hotter.

The stove now works exactly like it's intended to, without the running away wild on the top end or having it nearly go out on the low end.

According to the dealer, whoever he spoke to out at Blaze King had not heard of this problem. I have to return the original stat to the dealer, he said he has to mail it back to Blaze King. Hopefully they will look at it, realize the problem, and send out a bulletin / tech update to their dealers, alerting them of this potential problem. Perhaps it's on certain models with a specific build date range, maybe they got a bad lot or run of stats.

It wasn't hard to change, but I wonder how much the dealer will pay me for conducting a warranty call & repair on this stove? I guess I won't hold my breath for that...


Scott

I had the same experience with my local dealer.. for the last 3 years they have been telling me the thermostats don't go out...your problem can't be the thermostat..........all while I am burning way more wood than usual. (buckskin tamarack) I just bought a new thermostat from them for 100$,, a good price as new ones are 170$, quoted from another dealer... also going to replace the cat.... I have also had 3 cracks in my stove and the inside right side piece of metal is bowed out... (BK Princess Ultra) since about the 2nd year I bought it.. it is 9 years old now... and of course that was my fault for letting it get to hot..... all i have to say about that is,, it's a fricken heating appliance.. it should be able to withstand high temps........my old boss at the machine shop says it's made out of "dirty" steel........ ie: inferior metal.................. anyway, I am looking forward to see how it runs with new cat and thermostat.. will probably do the thermostat this weekend... the cat is still on it's way

 

[Highbeam]

I also have an ultra and would like to know the weak spots so that I can keep an eye out for cracks. Where did you get the cracks Krae?

 

[jeff_t]

I also cant get it to burn the coals right down all the way. They stay built up at least as high as the door, sometimes higher. Like is not completely burning, and i cant get it nice and full unless i crank it up in the morning and let is burn the coals down for a while, to get it packed nice and full off wood.

Sounds like typical Blaze King operation. Thermostat at 1.5 is just about all the way closed. That stove will hold coals for a long time. What kind of stove top temps are you getting at that setting?

 

[krae]

I also have an ultra and would like to know the weak spots so that I can keep an eye out for cracks. Where did you get the cracks Krae?

at the bottom corners of the door at the right top corner by the door.. on the stove itself.. will try and post the pics,, looks like they are too large so will have to make them smaller


first picture is the top right side.. the little rectangular part is where I believe the inside wall was tack welded....that inside wall is bowed.. will post a pic of that, i lost it in the process..

the 2nd pic is the bottom right corner and you can just barely see where there is a crack forming...

the 3rd one is the botton left corner

 

[krae]

L

I also have an ultra and would like to know the weak spots so that I can keep an eye out for cracks. Where did you get the cracks Krae?

LOL I posted pics but they ended up further down in this thread... ,,, I do have,, or did have a pic of it from the front that shows the bowed inside wall.. lost it.. will try to find it or take another one..

 

[Highbeam]

Thank you Krae, I don't anticipate cracks since everything stays relatively cool in my install but knowing where to look makes me feel more confident each time I light up. I expected this location and am glad it is right up front and easy to keep an eye out. Thanks again.

Lot's of missing paint and rust on the ash lip. Has this stove lived a hard life?

 

[krae]

Thank you Krae, I don't anticipate cracks since everything stays relatively cool in my install but knowing where to look makes me feel more confident each time I light up. I expected this location and am glad it is right up front and easy to keep an eye out. Thanks again.

Lot's of missing paint and rust on the ash lip. Has this stove lived a hard life?

it's 9 years old.. rust ?> what are you seeing ??? that is a bark chip along the lip under the door opening... missing paint ?? I supposed it wore off ?

I used to cook breakfast on the top of it every am so the top surface had marks on it but I sanded and repainted the top this year.....

 

[HotCoals]

My old 86 bk had some cracks ..similar to the pics.
Had them welded a few times.

 

[Highbeam]

That wood chip, I mistook it for a blister of paint missing on the ash lip.

 

[krae]

,, i can't get the other picture to work... will post it when i get it fingered out.............

 

[krae]

I've been telling my local dealer who I bought the stove from that the thermostat has been bad for years.. only to be told that they don't go bad...replaced the cat the other day.. .. and i still thought the thermostat wasn't working properly,, so last night replaced the thermostat..... hmmmmmmmm no doubt about it.. thermostat was bad..has been since I bought it.........................which explains quite a lot about this particular stove.......

 

[RustyShackleford]

At the risk of being self-serving, I'm bumping this thread, because I've seen at least two other threads just now where I wondered if the BK owner had a reverse-wound thermostat coil.

 

[krae]

not sure what you mean by "bumping" but if you mean delete it..please don't.. because when I was trying to figure out what was going on with my stove, I learned soooo much from reading this post.. I read every post on here about blaze king thermostats and cats..

update on how my stove is now burning since replacing the cat, and then a week later, the thermostat .......it burns LIKE IT'S NEVER BURNED BEFORE !! ! I am soo amazed at the difference...