Overheated Princess Insert?

[patrickoneal]

I got home and started up my BK princess insert today. I had the door closed and latched, blower off, bypass open and the thermostat set all the way high while the wood caught fire. I let it burn for a little while and closed the bypass when the cat was warmed up. I let it burn for a little while longer on high to clean the glass. When I went to turn down the t-stat and start the blower, the cat gauge was reading off the scale. This is my first full season with the stove, and I thought the thermostat was supposed to keep the stove from running too hot. I think my IR gun said the stove top temp was 650F, but it's the cat temp that concerned me. Should I just keep an eye on it when running wide open? Is this considered normal operation?

 

[robk]

Mine sent crazy hot once. I don’t think it upset anything.

 

[black smoke signals]

I installed a beer can over mine then I quit burning ponderosa pine.LoL

 

[webby3650]

That’s normal. The cat simply had more fuel to burn this time. It’s good you noticed a difference though, many people don’t pay enough attention. The cat thermometer isn’t a precise instrument, it’s really just to tell you when to close the bypass.

 

[black smoke signals]

From what I have learned here is running the t/stat this high will shorten its life. Mine ran higher than yours for one year and still performs today.

 

[patrickoneal]

Thanks for the input, I guess it's fine.

I suppose if it wrapped all the way around back to inactive and melted the cat, it might actually be telling the truth.

 

[Highbeam]

Normal but if it bothers you you might not spend so much time at max before turning the stat down. That should keep the cat needle down a bit.

 

[begreen]

How does exploring this high temp range affect the thermometer accuracy? I have read that repeated high forays into very high temps affects the bimetallic spring. Thought his was from Condar, but haven't verified it yet. Yes I know that BK has chosen to erase numbers, but is relative range accuracy suffering from this?

 

[black smoke signals]

It did bother me made me nervous Bk States a minimum starting temperature of 500 deg and maximum temperature of 1800 deg not sure about numbers. So answer what temperature is OP according to his gauge? I see OP lives on the east coast no ponderosa pine there. Like I said if I burn 10-15 percent ponderosa my gauge will go past go on slow burn

 

[patrickoneal]

It did bother me made me nervous Bk States a minimum starting temperature of 500 deg and maximum temperature of 1800 deg not sure about numbers. So answer what temperature is OP according to his gauge? I see OP lives on the east coast so ponderosa pine there. Like I said if I burn 10-15 percent ponderosa my gauge will go past go.

Yeah, I don't even know what ponderosa pine is

I've got a whole bunch of black cherry I'm burning through from a large tree my father cut down.

 

[begreen]

Yes, I'd like to know if I have taken the cat above maximum recommended temp.

 

[black smoke signals]

I’m I correct your gauge stove cold is on the mark?

 

[patrickoneal]

I’m I correct your gauge stove cold is on the mark?

Yes, the needle is in the correct place when the stove is cold. It's currently still burning in a more reasonable range, so I won't know if it still reads correctly cold until tomorrow.

 

[black smoke signals]

Not to rant sore subject with me!

 

[patrickoneal]

You didn't even get it up to dot com

 

[black smoke signals]

Turn the fan on high it will drop cat temperature quick and do like high beam said

 

[black smoke signals]

It’s been past go believe me cat still functions

 

[black smoke signals]

Set t/stat at temperature you like and walk away I was told this too Bud lite can fits just fine!

 

[Woody Stover]

you might not spend so much time at max before turning the stat down. That should keep the cat needle down a bit.

Yep, get less wood burning at the start to keep cat temps reasonable.

Not to rant sore subject with me!
View attachment 218374

That's a little yellower than I like to see my cat, but to each his own. I like orange, and not a real bright orange..

 

[Poindexter]

The only ones i know of actually heat damged had the loading door open and running in bypass for extended periods.

If you had the loading door latched shut there is a 99.999% chance you got nothing to worry about.

 

[Woody Stover]

The only ones i know of actually heat damged had the loading door open and running in bypass for extended periods.

I've seen the catalyst start to peel off the substrate on a couple of cats that I know got hot more than a few times, one ceramic and one steel.

 

[black smoke signals]

When using the Infrared gun to check stove top shoot the gun at the far left or right not the center of stove! Center of stove will be picking up heat from the combustor.Go back and read the manual again there are some good tips when setting fan speed to T/Stat

 

[jetsam]

Do whatever you want, just remember to close the bypass. I burn my PI on high every winter. My cat is well past its 10,000 hour service life and is still limping along.

Any stuff you hear about changing the initial size of the fire to make the burn hotter or cooler does not apply to your stove. The thermostat removes any need for that old timey crap. Load 'er up and set the dial to whatever temperature you like. If you like "blazing inferno", pick "blazing inferno"- it's designed for that.

It's perfectly normal to wrap the cat probe around when the cat is new.

I really think that if it was even possible to damage the cat on that stove with the door and bypass closed, I'd have done it myself, as I've subjected mine to many flavors of abuse.

 

[black smoke signals]

Straight from Blazeking manuals

Possible Cause: Extreme temperatures (above 1800°F, or 1000°C.) at combustor surface can cause the catalysts to peel. Over firing and flame impingement on the combustor are primary causes. Minor peeling photo shows minor peeling that is normal and does not affect function. Severe peeling photo shows that are closed or plugged.
Solution: Avoid extreme temperatures and flame impingement. If peeling is severe, remove and replace combustor. The original poster pictures show combustor pointing apox south so from the starting point apox 500 degree or 10 o’clock what maximum temperature is it reading when it wraps around? Yes I know we have a 10 warranty just doesn’t make sense reading the gauge and some saying it’s not over firing the cat or is this a misprint from Blazeking

 

[jetsam]

Straight from Blazeking manuals

Possible Cause: Extreme temperatures (above 1800°F, or 1000°C.) at combustor surface can cause the catalysts to peel. Over firing and flame impingement on the combustor are primary causes. Minor peeling photo shows minor peeling that is normal and does not affect function. Severe peeling photo shows that are closed or plugged.
Solution: Avoid extreme temperatures and flame impingement. If peeling is severe, remove and replace combustor. The original poster pictures show combustor pointing apox south so from the starting point apox 500 degree or 10 o’clock what maximum temperature is it reading when it wraps around? Yes I know we have a 10 warranty just doesn’t make sense reading the gauge and some saying it’s not over firing the cat or is this a misprint from Blazeking

The manual on the PI also tells you to run the blower on high when the stove's on high. I don't always follow those instructions, but it seems like it'd be pretty hard to overheat the cat with the blower (which is blowing right over the cat) on high.

With a brand new cat, it makes sense to be a little conservative just in case, as it's hotter than an older cat. The advice in the manual seems plenty safe for this purpose.