The Blaze King Performance Thread

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HotCoals said:
It does!
I have done it both ways..pellets 10 times better and way cheaper.
Just rake the coals forward and spread a few cups of pellets over them..not deep...crank the air but you might not need full open.
If you want you can make your stove a blast furnace doing it!
I have the cat engagement doing it..just as i do if I was just burning coals period.
Most times I get home at 5..and when its warm like this (35F) I just burn coals till 9-10 pm...then if there is to many yet I use some pellets..or even if the stove is just down on temp I use them.
Just loaded up and it's 78F in the next room..prolly 85 in my family room.
The wife loves it!

How long does it last?
 
If you use just a cup or three at full air maybe 15 -20 mins.
But it will really raise the temp of your stove.
I myself after doing it I spread the coals even over the bottom then load using gloves because it will be hot in there.
So many variables..sometimes I even throw another cup or two before the wood gets put on.
A bag is like 5 bucks and I bet don't use 2 this season.
 
HotCoals said:
If you use just a cup or three at full air maybe 15 -20 mins.
But it will really raise the temp of your stove.
I myself after doing it I spread the coals even over the bottom then load using gloves because it will be hot in there.
So many variables..sometimes I even throw another cup or two before the wood gets put on.
A bag is like 5 bucks and I bet don't use 2 this season.

WOW! really cheap way of getting a quick hot fire... I am going to buy a few bags, thanks!
 
BKInsert said:
HotCoals said:
If you use just a cup or three at full air maybe 15 -20 mins.
But it will really raise the temp of your stove.
I myself after doing it I spread the coals even over the bottom then load using gloves because it will be hot in there.
So many variables..sometimes I even throw another cup or two before the wood gets put on.
A bag is like 5 bucks and I bet don't use 2 this season.

WOW! really cheap way of getting a quick hot fire... I am going to buy a few bags, thanks!
No prob..report back though!
The first time I did it I was amazed how hot a small amount of those pellets can burn at full air.
I also tried the basket deal with pellets in it..was not impressed with that..though it does work and the cat reacted favorably to it.
Just didn't seem to work out trying to get a long slow burn very well..the pellets like air..lots of it!
 
Lanning said:
I wonder if the wood pellets are hard on the cat? Thats the first time I have heard of anyone one using pellets with a BK....

They're cleaner burning than wood so I dont think it would bother the cat, its like throwing a lot of small, mini, eco logs onto the fire.
 
weatherguy said:
Lanning said:
I wonder if the wood pellets are hard on the cat? Thats the first time I have heard of anyone one using pellets with a BK....

They're cleaner burning than wood so I dont think it would bother the cat, its like throwing a lot of small, mini, eco logs onto the fire.

Weather, can you buy them in smaller bags?
 
If I burn mine on a real low setting, like 1.5, after a couple days some of the steel and the glass inside the stove is coated with shiny black creosote. When I reload, I can watch the moisture oozing out of the splits until they're charred. This wood was split last fall, but the trees were dead for a year or two before they were cut. I would think they were plenty dry, but maybe not?
 
Lanning said:
weatherguy said:
Lanning said:
I wonder if the wood pellets are hard on the cat? Thats the first time I have heard of anyone one using pellets with a BK....

They're cleaner burning than wood so I dont think it would bother the cat, its like throwing a lot of small, mini, eco logs onto the fire.

Weather, can you buy them in smaller bags?

Im not sure, I only had the pellet stove for one year and Ive only seen the one size.
 
Bought 2 bags of pellets at Blowes for 10 bucks with tax,tried the little trick, I learned here on burning coals down,works great . Thanks
 
northroadak said:
If I burn mine on a real low setting, like 1.5, after a couple days some of the steel and the glass inside the stove is coated with shiny black creosote. When I reload, I can watch the moisture oozing out of the splits until they're charred. This wood was split last fall, but the trees were dead for a year or two before they were cut. I would think they were plenty dry, but maybe not?

If you can see the moisture coming out of the ends the wood probably isn't ready but it could just be some moisture that sucked up from rain/snow etc. Do you own a moisture meter?
 
Don't have a moisture meter, but can't really understand why this beetlekill wouldn't be dry. Some of it was split in the fall of 2010. I quite often see stuff running right out the sides of the splits. We have local people advertising dry firewood, and I'm probably going to try a cord, but can't imagine it being any different than what I already have.
 
ohlongarm said:
Bought 2 bags of pellets at Blowes for 10 bucks with tax,tried the little trick, I learned here on burning coals down,works great . Thanks

I just did it too, does work great, thanks for the idea.
 
Thanks for reporting back..thought it may work for you..I know it does for me.
I bet it surprised you a little how they will burn down the coals on a lot of air...not to mention the heat..lol.
 
Went away snowmobiling for the weekend.
Left at 6:00 am sat morning.
Came home sun night at 8:00.
Stove top 150f..54 in the house.
Had enough coals to light off a fire.
 
doing good
 
HotCoals said:
Went away snowmobiling for the weekend.
Left at 6:00 am sat morning.
Came home sun night at 8:00.
Stove top 150f..54 in the house.
Had enough coals to light off a fire.

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA I want a Blaze King!
 
February is just about over and this stove continues to impress. It hasn't been a brutal winter by any stretch but we've had some cold stretches a few days at a time just not weeks at a time like we usually get. Tonight looks like some teens which may be the last for the season. I had high hopes that the little lady would live up to the "hype" and I must say she has with ease.

The in-laws even approve! :lol: They live out of state and came to visit a couple weeks back and couldn't get over how even the heat in the house was with the "new" stove. Both of them sat in amazement every time I loaded the stove and continued to comment on how much control I had of the heat output with this "new" stove. This stove is a lot more friendly to visitors who don't heat their homes with wood since you don't experience any temps swings due to the even output.
 
Here's a shot of tonight's load, I haven't stuffed it full lately but figured I would tonight. I try not to stuff it during the week or loading before work is a pain in the butt.
 

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rdust said:
Here's a shot of tonight's load, I haven't stuffed it full lately but figured I would tonight. I try not to stuff it during the week or loading before work is a pain in the butt.

Do you let that flame up good before turning it down?
 
weatherguy said:
Do you let that flame up good before turning it down?

I let it burn on 2 1/2 with the bypass open until the stove top is around 300 then close the bypass. My glass was pretty nasty in the lower corners yesterday so I let it burn on 2 1/2 for about 20 minutes then 2(3 o'clock) for maybe 10 more before going to around 1 3/4.
 
rdust said:
weatherguy said:
Do you let that flame up good before turning it down?

I let it burn on 2 1/2 with the bypass open until the stove top is around 300 then close the bypass. My glass was pretty nasty in the lower corners yesterday so I let it burn on 2 1/2 for about 20 minutes then 2(3 o'clock) for maybe 10 more before going to around 1 3/4.

Reason I ask is my cats on its 9th live, this is my third year burning and I already need a cat. Im sure Ive made mistakes especially the first year but hope to get more than 3 years out of thje next cat. The one I have still glows but its chipping away. Im not sure what bad habit I have or had that caused this. The company I ordered my cat from sent me an email on how to get the longest life out of a cat, it seems to be at odds with BK's instructions.
I usually let the fire rip til its all engulfed in flames then I engage the cat til iots gets to about 3 oclock position, then I turn it down to 1 for the remainder of the burn. Maybe I have too much flame at the beginning?
 
Weatherguy I just burn it, I don't worry much about the flame impingement. I figured on a 3 year replacement so if I get that out of it I'll be happy. I've said it many times before if I had to replace it yearly I would without blinking.

I loaded last night at 10pm and the main level of my house is still 71* and we're at the 18 hour mark!(teens last night and low 30's right now) I just pulled the coals to the front in order to burn them down some. I'm trying to decide if I just want to load it light so I make it till tonight or just fill it now and reload in the morning.<sigh> :lol:
 
rdust said:
Weatherguy I just burn it, I don't worry much about the flame impingement. I figured on a 3 year replacement so if I get that out of it I'll be happy. I've said it many times before if I had to replace it yearly I would without blinking.

I loaded last night at 10pm and the main level of my house is still 71* and we're at the 18 hour mark!(teens last night and low 30's right now) I just pulled the coals to the front in order to burn them down some. I'm trying to decide if I just want to load it light so I make it till tonight or just fill it now and reload in the morning.<sigh> :lol:

I agree with that overall, $211 after three years isnt bad, Id pay $211 every two years and its still worth it in the long run. Im thinking maybe getting two and burn one for a year, take it out clean it and store it while I use the 2nd one, and alternate every year, wonder if that would add life to the cats.
 
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