2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[Niko]

That low piece of metal bolted on has nothing to do with cat tightness. It just holds the flame shield. Tighten back up when the stove cools

Thank you for your help.

 

[Ashful]

Can't speak for the King, but on the Ashford, this shield just sits in there loose. You can lift it out without loosening any bolts, and it will indeed move when bumped.

 

[Highbeam]

Can't speak for the King, but on the Ashford, this shield just sits in there loose. You can lift it out without loosening any bolts, and it will indeed move when bumped.

He's not talking about the perforated flame shield but the thinner stainless bracket that bolts onto the bottom of the cat chamber.

 

[Heftiger]

The term "automatic thermostat" took on new meaning for my Ashford last night. It was forecasted to be a bitterly cold night, so I made sure the stove was stuffed full, set the thermostat to the 5 o'clock position and turned the fan kit to high. To my surprise, I woke up in the morning with wood still in the box, but not for the reason you would expect. The thermostat had wiggled itself down to the 3 o'clock position. Does anybody else have this problem? I was surprised when I got the Ashford that the thermostat moved so freely, my King had a little resistance to it.

 

[Highbeam]

The term "automatic thermostat" took on new meaning for my Ashford last night. It was forecasted to be a bitterly cold night, so I made sure the stove was stuffed full, set the thermostat to the 5 o'clock position and turned the fan kit to high. To my surprise, I woke up in the morning with wood still in the box, but not for the reason you would expect. The thermostat had wiggled itself down to the 3 o'clock position. Does anybody else have this problem? I was surprised when I got the Ashford that the thermostat moved so freely, my King had a little resistance to it.

Never had it move on its own. In fact, most have the opposite problem and we need to lube it. There is a little collar on the stat shaft that is set at a specific rotation and location on the shaft. That location could be closer to the firebox to compress the spring washers which would make your stat harder to turn and more likely to stay put. I think I'd try degreasing those spring washers first.

The good news is that it turned itself down instead of up!

 

[Heftiger]

What's the normal travel for the thermostat (using the o'clock scale)?

 

[Ashful]

Mine are also fairly stiff. High at 6 o'clock, low near 7 o'clock.

 

[Heftiger]

Mine are also fairly stiff. High at 6 o'clock, low near 7 o'clock.

Interesting. What's the full travel? I'll have to double check but I feel like mine goes from 9 o'clock to high around 6 o'clock (obviously once you pass the flapper closing it has no real affect). The thermostat is so loose I can just tap it with my finger and go from high to low.

 

[Poindexter]

Heftiger, your thermostat knob is loose on the thermostat shaft.

You'll need a small allen wrench to tighten the set screw in the knob that tightens up against the shaft. The one on my 30.0 was imperial, there may or not be some metric ones out there. Bring both sets up from the garage.

Start with a pair of pliers, in a way that doesn't scratch the shaft up too bad, turn the shaft full clockwise.

Once the throttle shaft is at full throttle, put the knob on with the arrow pointing at the six o'clock (straight down) and then tighten the set screw.

 

[Heftiger]

Heftiger, your thermostat knob is loose on the thermostat shaft.

You'll need a small allen wrench to tighten the set screw in the knob that tightens up against the shaft. The one on my 30.0 was imperial, there may or not be some metric ones out there. Bring both sets up from the garage.

Start with a pair of pliers, in a way that doesn't scratch the shaft up too bad, turn the shaft full clockwise.

Once the throttle shaft is at full throttle, put the knob on with the arrow pointing at the six o'clock (straight down) and then tighten the set screw.

If it was loose on the shaft, wouldn't that mean the knob would rotate without moving the shaft? It's seems to be operating normally.

 

[Poindexter]

If it was loose on the shaft, wouldn't that mean the knob would rotate without moving the shaft? It's seems to be operating normally.

Well, I only have ever owned one BK stove. If the knob on mine was that loose the shaft would not be turning.

 

[rdust]

Question for the Princess/King ash pan supporters. I've been giving it a fair shake this season, I've used it for all my ash remova up to this point.

Is there a way to keep the dust from coming out between the ash pan/pedestal when raking ash into it?

Seems like the pan needs a gasket where it meets the pedestal. I was thinking of gluing a thin gasket to it similar to a glass gasket.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

We finally got some cold temp's today. I started the day at 5:30 am interior temp was 60* outside 15* with the Princess running on last nights wood basically about 4 inches of coals.
At 6am I filled the stove now bear in mind my stove thermostat numbers are my own the stove did not come with a numerical sticker so I made my own.
I set the thermos to the 2:30 position it was 60* inside way too cold for me. After a hour (7 am ) the temp was still 59*-60* inside the house too cold still.
At 9am I set the thermostat up a little to the 3 O'clock position and turned the fan up a little outside temp now was 11* and snowing ( has been since 4 am)
At 11:00 it was 61* inside and 12* outside still too cold for me I made the latest adjustment now to the 4 O'clock position and the fan at the 4 O'clock position .
It is now 12:15pm (noon ) and the inside temp is now 65* out side is 12* with light snow.

What is this all about you may ask, well the stove " may keep up" set to the 4 O'clock position but how long would a load of wood last at this setting? By the way once it gets to the 6 O'clock position it would be wide open. Now you must understand if you are wondering I have heated with wood since I was a kid now I am 52. I have heated the house for the last 25 years with a non cat Old Mill wood stove so I know it can be done. Before that and old Ashley...

Although we got the Princess in October this is the real first cold weather so am I on the right track? driving on the learning curve? yada yada? I think the stove,.. most likely will be a good one but I am concerned about "coal" build up when running it so high? The Old Mill used to do that when run high and hard, time will tell ..but I am "VERY new" to this technology and just trying to be honest,.. I don't feel the need to swoon over any brand of anything to me every tool I own takes time to learn and probably this will be no different. Give me your opinions thanks Jeff Bty it is 12:30 and 65* inside and 12* outside right now.

 

[Heftiger]

We finally got some cold temp's today. I started the day at 5:30 am interior temp was 60* outside 15* with the Princess running on last nights wood basically about 4 inches of coals.
At 6am I filled the stove now bear in mind my stove thermostat numbers are my own the stove did not come with a numerical sticker so I made my own.
I set the thermos to the 2:30 position it was 60* inside way too cold for me. After a hour (7 am ) the temp was still 59*-60* inside the house too cold still.
At 9am I set the thermostat up a little to the 3 O'clock position and turned the fan up a little outside temp now was 11* and snowing ( has been since 4 am)
At 11:00 it was 61* inside and 12* outside still too cold for me I made the latest adjustment now to the 4 O'clock position and the fan at the 4 O'clock position .
It is now 12:15pm (noon ) and the inside temp is now 65* out side is 12* with light snow.

What is this all about you may ask, well the stove " may keep up" set to the 4 O'clock position but how long would a load of wood last at this setting? By the way once it gets to the 6 O'clock position it would be wide open. Now you must understand if you are wondering I have heated with wood since I was a kid now I am 52. I have heated the house for the last 25 years with a non cat Old Mill wood stove so I know it can be done. Before that and old Ashley...

Although we got the Princess in October this is the real first cold weather so am I on the right track? driving on the learning curve? yada yada? I think the stove,.. most likely will be a good one but I am concerned about "coal" build up when running it so high? The Old Mill used to do that when run high and hard, time will tell ..but I am "VERY new" to this technology and just trying to be honest,.. I don't feel the need to swoon over any brand of anything to me every tool I own takes time to learn and probably this will be no different. Give me your opinions thanks Jeff Bty it is 12:30 and 65* inside and 12* outside right now.

I think you're still learning, and doing a great job. I'm not sure what you mean by "coal buildup", I've only every burned with a BK. But if you left the stove wide open with the catalyst engaged (and you're burning dry wood), it would turn that wood into 100% ash, no coals to speak of. Of course you want coals for reload, so you would reload before all the coals were gone.

 

[Heftiger]

Well, I only have ever owned one BK stove. If the knob on mine was that loose the shaft would not be turning.

I checked the shaft lasnight. It is turning the shaft as expected. The knob is not loose on the shaft.
I ran overnight with the fan on low, and the thermostat was not moved in the morning.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Well by coal / coals building up what I mean is it happens when you open the draft way up to introduce more air for a hotter fire. Eventually you are burning and reloading so often that you need to stop adding wood,... and let the coal build up burn off because you end up with 8" deep of coals.

 

[kennyp2339]

Well by coal / coals building up what I mean is it happens when you open the draft way up to introduce more air for a hotter fire. Eventually you are burning and reloading so often that you need to stop adding wood,... and let the coal build up burn off because you end up with 8" deep of coals.

Last year was pretty brutal for my area, lows zero to 10 below zero and highs in the single digits to low teens, my stove is in a un-insulated block wall basement, I definitely asked a lot from my princess, I had coal build up issues from running it high, what I would do is take smaller splits in the am when I first wake up and load them in, turn the t-stat all the way up and let her go full throttle while I got ready for work, I would be able to burn the coals down considerably within 40min, and I would have enough room to do a full load and go.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I must be missing something but if you were built up on coals why would you add more wood? as in "small splits" Why not just hoe them ahead and open her up?

 

[Heftiger]

I must be missing something but if you were built up on coals why would you add more wood? as in "small splits" Why not just hoe them ahead and open her up?

I think we're misunderstanding eachother. Are you talking about coals that do not burn? With the catalyst the BK will burn those coals. If you have coals in the box, your BK will burn them down (likely with no flame).

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Yes of course It will burn them, how could it not? I am describing something that I don't think you have ever experienced I guess. In my other stove you can end up with 8 inches or more of coals yes they will burn but a hardwood fire will make much more heat. But if your stove is half full of coals you have no room for wood.

 

[Highbeam]

Yes of course It will burn them, how could it not? I am describing something that I don't think you have ever experienced I guess. In my other stove you can end up with 8 inches or more of coals yes they will burn but a hardwood fire will make much more heat. But if your stove is half full of coals you have no room for wood.

Noncats are much worse about this coal build up thing due to their super high oxygen firebox environment. When running a stove at max output a non-cat will fill up with coals that just don't make much heat compared to the initial burn off of fresh wood. The pic is my non-cat in this situation. Nothing you can do but wait for them to burn down while you freeze, remove them to make room for more fresh wood, or try to accelerate their reduction by adding a small split of wood to the top which tends to create a draft and fans the coals which makes them reduce faster.

The BK is a bit different. I don't get much any coaling in it. Seems the logs don't all burn up at the beginning like in a non-cat. Some members here have had to shovel coals out of a BK to make room but it is rare.

 

[Highbeam]

And to be clear, the pile of coal buildup in a stove like that isn't cold. It's still warm but much cooler than a stove at full boogy.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

well put Highbeam, I am almost done a wide open run right now she has been wot for about 1 hour. Another 1/2 hr 40 min I will reload tonight I will run it at 3.5 last night was 2.5 so hopefully it will be a little warmer in here in the am tomorrow. The house never got above 65* today I don't call that super warm myself.

Edit:
I decided to remove some ashs it has been a couple of weeks. So I moved the coals over and shoveled her clean then did the same on the other side as well removed about 4 gallons and left 3 inches of red coals. And here it is loaded for the night

 

[HarvestMan]

And here it is loaded for the night

Dang that is a ton of splits. I get a touch of stove envy when I see pics of the princess/king loaded full like that. I bet within short order you will be past the learning curve and things will settle in nicely with your new stove.

 

[begreen]

Noncats are much worse about this coal build up thing due to their super high oxygen firebox environment. When running a stove at max output a non-cat will fill up with coals that just don't make much heat compared to the initial burn off of fresh wood. The pic is my non-cat in this situation. Nothing you can do but wait for them to burn down while you freeze, remove them to make room for more fresh wood, or try to accelerate their reduction by adding a small split of wood to the top which tends to create a draft and fans the coals which makes them reduce faster.

The BK is a bit different. I don't get much any coaling in it. Seems the logs don't all burn up at the beginning like in a non-cat. Some members here have had to shovel coals out of a BK to make room but it is rare.

The BK is in a house and not really raising the temp much at all. The 30NC is in the shop and daily being asked to raised the 1800 sq ft space and all the contents 20-30 degrees. The shop needs a furnace, not a stove or maybe another BK?