New BK owner

[Keith E]

Hey everybody. I'm one week into my new BK Princess. I'm also one week into turning off my heat....I'm loving this stove for sure! Question that I have is is there a comfort zone where my stove likes to run? I'm hesitant to push it past midway into the active zone. Where do you all run yours when it's settled in and crusing along? Thanks fellas.

 

[webby3650]

Don't pay attention the cat probe thermometer. It's monitoring the internal temps of the catalyst, most often it doesn't have a whole lot to do with stove top temps. You can monitor stove top temps if you want, I don't bother anymore with my BK. It's so predictable I just find a setting on the therm that works for me. Typically right in the middle, which ironically used to labeled "normal".

 

[webby3650]

I should also mention that running it hard won't hurt your stove as long as the bypass is closed. It's good to run a fire with it on high for half hour or so once a week.

 

[Poindexter]

As long as the cat probe indicates active zone, the bypass door is shut and your cord wood measures 12-22%MC you arent going to hurt the stive with any setting on the thermostat dial.

Do anticipate tpur brand new combustor will be something of an overachiever for a while not hurting itself. after 3-5 cords it will settle down a bit.

 

[Keith E]

Thanks guys. So 12 o'clock - 2 o'clock in the active zone is an exceptable place to cruise?

 

[webby3650]

Anywhere in the active zone is considered normal.

 

[Highbeam]

Hey everybody. I'm one week into my new BK Princess. I'm also one week into turning off my heat....I'm loving this stove for sure! Question that I have is is there a comfort zone where my stove likes to run? I'm hesitant to push it past midway into the active zone. Where do you all run yours when it's settled in and crusing along? Thanks fellas.

You don't have much control over "how active" the cat gets anyway. You will find that turning the stat down can often increase the reading on that cat meter. Also that turning it up can increase the reading. It's a waste of time trying to worry about it. Be sure your loading door seal is tight and burn.

The only purpose for the cat meter is to know when the cat has passed from inactive to active so that you can close the bypass.

 

[Keith E]

Thanks guys for the useful info!

 

[Ashful]

If the question is, "where should I set the dial", try a burn with the knob pointed to the middle of the "Normal" range. On an Ashford this is with the dial pointed to 3 o'clock, but the Princess may be different. After several days of running at different knob settings, you will learn the duration of a full burn (on your unique combination of house, chimney, and wood species) at each knob setting. I put little marks on my knobs for 12 and 24 hours, so I can quickly eyeball the setting for a given burn duration, and (approximately) nail my next reload window.

 

[Keith E]

Is it harmful to the stove,cat,chimney liner to burn in the upper active zone for a duration of time. This is my first stove I'm still hesitant to pack it full and let her rip.

 

[tarzan]

Not harmful at all as long as your setup was correctly installed. Temps are dipping here tonight and my cat probe needle is at 3:00. My "probably lying a bit" stove top thermometer is at 700*F.

How long has your wood seasoned and how tall is your flue? I ask because I'm a little surprised you've been able to even keep the cat thermometer from going past midway in the active zone with a new cat.

 

[Keith E]

Wood seasoned for about 14 months. I wanna say they installed a 25' liner. It goes past 12oclock I just didn't know if there was a temp where it's most efficient and also how hot is too hot for a period of time.

 

[tarzan]

Honestly, the stove will run efficiently as long as you don't stall the cat. Meaning, fall out of the active range before the majority of the wood has burned. Other than that, just run it at the setting that heats your home.

Did you get the fan kit? That can make quite a difference in the amount of heat these things put out.

New Jersey. I'll go out on a limb and say you probably have a good selection of hard woods available to you. If so, woods like oak and hickory are awesome in the BK after two or three years drying.

 

[Woody Stover]

You don't have much control over "how active" the cat gets anyway. You will find that turning the stat down can often increase the reading on that cat meter. Also that turning it up can increase the reading.....The only purpose for the cat meter is to know when the cat has passed from inactive to active so that you can close the bypass.

Really? With or without flame, I can control how hot the cat burns by how much air I give the stove. The only time I see more cat activity when closing the air is when that extinguishes the flame and more smoke is available for the cat.

Is it harmful to the stove,cat,chimney liner to burn in the upper active zone for a duration of time. This is my first stove I'm still hesitant to pack it full and let her rip.

I have read that sustained operation of the cat at temps in excess of 1600 or 1800 (I've seen both numbers mentioned) can cause the catalyst layer to peel off the substrate, and I have seen mild cases or it on the Buck 91 cat, where the cat pushed 1800 several times, before I tweaked the air intake plates to get more control, and on my SIL's Fireview. Since your cat probe is a re-badged Condar with no numbers, 1600 is about 4 o'clock on the dial. I wouldn't want to run hotter than that for an extended period. You can also tell how hot the cat is by how brightly it is glowing. I like to see a medium-orange glow, never a bright orange glow where I can't see the cells of the cat. Some of these guys will tell you that you can't hurt the cat no matter how hot you run it, even if you pin the needle, but I've read posts by BKVP talking about cat temp and peeling of the catalyst wash coat. Do what you want but if my cat were to cost in the neighborhood of $300, I would err on the side of caution.

 

[Keith E]

I too am learning that I can somewhat control the cat temp by adjusting thermostat and fan. I'm learning more every day I know it's not a stove that I can just open the door and add wood there is a lot more to it. But that's why I went with BK because of their super efficiency.

 

[Woody Stover]

I too am learning that I can somewhat control the cat temp by adjusting thermostat and fan.

How much control a user would have might depend on the setup. On a shorter stack a BK won't pull much air, and maybe you wouldn't see as much difference in cat activity when adjusting the air.

 

[Highbeam]

Running the fans falsely lowers the reading on the cat probe anyway. It's just cooling the coil.

 

[lsucet]

I too am learning that I can somewhat control the cat temp by adjusting thermostat and fan. I'm learning more every day I know it's not a stove that I can just open the door and add wood there is a lot more to it. But that's why I went with BK because of their super efficiency.

I will recommend until you feel more used to the stove that follow what the book says or pick one of the ways from somebody here that make more sense to you. Everybody want to help but sometime is confusing, we all have our ways of do things cause it is what it work for us or we believe that is the right way to do it. I also went thru that.

All cars take you to your destinations but they all performed different. Stereos play music but with different quality. cat stoves works under same principles but performance are different based on design, features etc. that is why one has better burn time, other better emissions, other better controls, etc etc etc. Including advise coming from people with the same stove , setup, similar conditions and locations can differ. Some times is trials and error and wish for the best.

Regards

 

[Keith E]

I will recommend until you feel more used to the stove that follow what the book says or pick one of the ways from somebody here the make more sense to you. Everybody want to help but sometime is confusing, we all have our ways of do things cause it is what it work for us or we believe that is the right way to do it. I also went thru that.

All cars take you to your destinations but they all performed different. Stereos play music but with different quality. cat stoves works under same principles but performance are different based on design, features etc. that is why one has better burn time, other better emissions, other better controls, etc etc etc. Including advise coming from people with the same stove , setup, similar conditions and locations can differ. Some times is trials and error and wish for the best.

Regards

Yes I agree. I have learned a lot this past week for sure. Last night was my best overnight burn yet.

 

[tarzan]

Did you get the fan kit? That can make quite a difference in the amount of heat these things put out.

I believe this statement may have been misconstrued? It simply means what it says. It has nothing to do with controlling cat temps.

 

[Keith E]

I believe this statement may have been misconstrued? It simply means what it says. It has nothing to do with controlling cat temps.

Yes i do have the fan kit

 

[Rickb]

I have found with my BK and a tall chimney I almost never run over the lowest setting. I turn it up to start the finre then it stays as low as it will go. It seems the colder it is outside the mroe heat it puts out on its own. My basement stays at 75-77 at all times. If the basement is really cold like when I got home today all I do is run the fan but the stove setting stays the same. Its actually pretty awesome.

 

[Keith E]

Thanks for all the great info guys I really appreciate you taking the time. How about creosote? I know it's normal for the glass to get black burning in low which is mostly all I've needed so far. How about creosote build inside the firebox though? The upper side walls show some build up is that normal?

 

[lsucet]

burn for 20 to 30 minutes on reloads and it will take care most of it. very soon you will forget about it. LOL. some time at the end of the cycle when still a good amount of coals i just open the air and it gets hot and red . that sometimes takes care a lot of that creosote and after reload i let it burn for awhile like mentioned before and it clear most of it

 

[Highbeam]

so yes, it is normal for firebox creosote to accumulate on those single wall steel parts. Not on bricks or the cat chamber though.