Need Recommendation if I Replace My Blaze King
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Absolutely. I'm guessing the water is coming through the cap. I'm attaching a photo of the cap, taken through a skylight just a moment ago. I don't know much about it but I wonder if it's the right design for this region. The installer really didn't know anything about wood stoves and it wouldn't surprise me if he chose the wrong one. A slow drip that happens just during rain storms, perhaps when the wind blows the rain sideways, would be enough to create the corrosion on the top of the stove over 7 years. Clearly this needs to be resolved before a new stove goes in.
As for draft issues, I'm hoping a non-cat stove would work better. My home is surrounded by 200 foot tall Douglas firs. You can see them in the background behind (and way higher than) the stove pipe. The installer raised the pipe as high as he could to try to get as much draw as possible. I don't think I can do anything more. At least nothing that I can think of. When the weather is cold, the draw is adequate. When not so cold, we're right at the edge. That's why I have the draw collar. We're also very careful about opening the door to reload. But a stove that runs most efficiently at hot temperatures should work a lot better. At least that's what I'm thinking.
![[Hearth.com] Need Recommendation if I Replace My Blaze King](https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/289/289166-ff61f9280415352dffcb6513973cb804.jpg?hash=WcizrVXDpL "[Hearth.com] Need Recommendation if I Replace My Blaze King")
I'm thinking T5 because my wife insists on keeping the brown enamel finish we have with the Ashford, which is also a beautiful stove. It's good to hear so many positive reviews on the Alderlea. I look forward to making the change.
My sense is that, unrepaired, it would likely spread even after the leak is resolved. But I don't think it would be the difficult to sand the rust off and refinish the metal. Of course that impression is largely based on the feedback received in this thread.
Well, here's a wrinkle. I was told by a PE dealer that the Alderlea does not qualify for the 26% tax credit. The Hearthstone guy tells me the Manchester does. That's a significant difference. Particularly since it applies to both the stove itself and the installation, inclusive of any associated parts.
Trevor Tahclep
Feeling the Heat
I believe that is true, it may not matter to some people who absolutely desire a specified make and model.
I'm more of a balancing competing interests and making a best-guess decision kind of guy. If the tax credit is there for the Manchester but not for the Alderlea, that's a significant difference. I'm wondering what begreen and others who are familiar with both stoves think. The government kicking in around $1,000 (or more) would seem (to me) to tip the scales in favor of the Manchester, which is more the size of the Ashford 30 anyway.
My recollection is that begreen said there were problems with hinges on the Manchester in the past and that he doesn't have direct experience with the new model, which has hybrid technology. I got in trouble with the Ashford, buying it before the kinks had been worked out. I suppose another option is to wait a while and see how things shake out. Perhaps PE will rework their stove for 2023. Perhaps we'll know more about the Manchester as it gains a track record in real world use.
All of this is complicated by supply chain issues. Both manufacturers have all their efforts going into restarting their lines on stoves that already exist. Not updating designs or working out bugs.
Yet another option would be to pick something up used and live with it for a year or two and then reassess.
Note that the tax credit is for this year. Not guaranteed for next, I believe.
To complicate matters more...
To complicate matters more...
There is another place where they suggested to raise the door (washer on the hinge pins). I don't remember the whole thread, but if your knife edge impression in the gasket is not centered, you might look into that?
I believe it drops from 26% to 22% next year. But if the BBB bill passes, it morphs into something slightly different. Thank God I'm not an accountant or tax attorney. One would spend all his time just keeping up.
Yes. Blaze King sent me a one inch gasket together with cement and some shims. Instructions too. I paid a handyman to help me get everything installed. It was when pulling the top off that I discovered the probe got fused to the top panel due to rust. But it took care of the leak.
What should I search on to find that thread? I'm not going to be using this stove forever but, given that we had some smoke the other day when there were high winds, it would be good to make sure everything's as tight as possible.
The top really isn't a problem. It's at most an hours work probably more like 15 mins
Assuming this stove is currently in service? The probe remnant can be snipped/trimmed/ground off and the remainder driven out. Pop in another. Or leave it as is and run without a probe. Fix the minor paint blemish and stubborn probe in the summer. Surely you can tell after running it this long when to safely engage the Cat. The rust is nothing. I'd have no issue with running it as is. It's winter! Stay warm.
Sorry, I was out for a bit. One post is here. This is not the one I remembered, but it's the same thing.
Blaze king princess, sooteater process, internal pics
So I decided to do a midseason cleaning on the Princess since the sooteater makes this really easy and I thought that maybe my draft was slowing down. Once per year I will be on the roof to clean the nasty cap as well. I have an all vertical 12' flue. 8 feet is class A and 4 feet is double wall...
www.hearth.com
Scroll up and down for related posts.
There was one recently where @BKVP asked for and gotna pic of the gasket showing how the impression of the rim (knife edge) of the stove was not centered in the gasket leading to a leak. I can't find it now.
Thanks. We're using it when it gets really cold. Not at the moment, as it's probably in the 40s. When it drops into the 20s, it helps ease the burden on our heat exchange system. After all these years, I do have a good sense of when to engage the cat.
Thank you! Will check it out.Sorry, I was out for a bit. One post is here. This is not the one I remembered, but it's the same thing.
Blaze king princess, sooteater process, internal pics
So I decided to do a midseason cleaning on the Princess since the sooteater makes this really easy and I thought that maybe my draft was slowing down. Once per year I will be on the roof to clean the nasty cap as well. I have an all vertical 12' flue. 8 feet is class A and 4 feet is double wall...
Scroll up and down for related posts.
There was one recently where @BKVP asked for and gotna pic of the gasket showing how the impression of the rim (knife edge) of the stove was not centered in the gasket leading to a leak. I can't find it now.
Good news. It looks like the PE Alderlea qualifies for the tax credit. I'm going to call them to confirm since one of their dealers advised it does not. But if it does, I'm happy!
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
25 C credit was the old 300$ or something like that. It was replaced by the new 25D credit I think. To qualify stove need 75% or greater HHV.
New tax credits for 2021
Hello, I have a new blaze king princess insert ordered and is scheduled to deliver mid January. I heard rumor the new federal tax credit for wood stoves is 26 percent of the purchase price plus install as opposed to the old flat rate of $300. Can anyone confirm that? Also, is the chimney liner...
www.hearth.com
Some really good stoves were just not efficient enough to make the cut. Being 1% less efficient in a lab doesn’t really mean anything in the real world but they had to draw the line somewhere.
Then I'm back to being screwed. The efficiency on all of the Alderleas is under 75%. Guess I'm back to the Manchester. It qualifies under 25 D.
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
Think about it this way. A replacement cat every 4-5 years will cost you about 1200$ if the stove runs 20 years and you burn a good bit. Are you saving enough more than that with a 25D eligible install?
