Looking for new insert - Blaze King?

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If it happens occasionally for short times, I don't think there's a big deal. Consistently and for long may be a problem.

So if you want to run the insert hot (to clean out the gunk inside that accumulates when you run low and slow), do so with the thermostat maybe a bit less than fully open. My thermostat has the minimum at "1 o'clock" and the max at 6. I do my occasional hot runs around 4.30-5 ish on the thermostat.

I know folks in Alaska run wide-open-throttle sometimes for long. But it all depends on the draft so comparing is hard to do.
I don't know if you have a ceramic cat or a metal one; it's easier to see flame impingement damage to ceramic cats. (but once that happens damage has already occurred).
 
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I'm perhaps getting a bit obsessive at this point so I hope you guys don't mind questions. One thing that's interesting is that earlier today the stove got down to coals and the thermostat was sitting right at the "in between" point between active and inactive. Is that normal? I mean, is it normal for that indicator to hang out right between "active" and "inactive"? I saw on another thread that on the insert it is a "switch" and not really a "thermostat" like on the free standing stoves. I can't find anything in the manual on this.

At that point, with the indicator at the "in between" point, the heat coming out of the blower was still blazing hot even though it was just coals, so perhaps that's the catalyst was still doing its job?

Thanks so much for the input. I'm really enjoying this thing but trying to get my head around all of the nuances is challenging!
 
I am not familiar with the insert way of doing things, but the temperature decrease at the end is very slow, therefore it may look like it's hanging out a long time.

If you go outside and your chimney exhaust looks clean (i.e. is invisible), all is good.
 
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