Blaze King-Should the thermostat open all of the way?

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Holtman

Holtman

New Member
Oct 30, 2012
9
NW Missouri
Hi, I'm new to the forum and I wanted to ask you experts a Blaze King question.

I'm installing a ~1984 Blaze King KEJ-1101 in my basement that I got for free from a friend's parents. While reading the manual and looking over the stove, my dad and I wondered how the thermostat worked, so we took the cover off. When it is around the 1 setting the butterfly is closed, and as I turn the knob up, the butterfly falls partially open. My question is: Should the butterfly fall to wide open (90 degrees)? It cannot because it hits the screw that holds the assembly in the square air passage. My best estimate is that is opens about 10 degrees. We backed the screw out enough to let the butterfly rotate the full 90 degrees but when I turn the knob back to 1, it wont bring the butterfly shut again.

Should I cut the screw shorter to let the butterfly past or is it designed to stop it?
 
Yours is an older model but when I took the cover off my new Princess the butterfly valve closed completely at 1 and opened up 90 degrees at 3. The screw kept it from flipping over more than 90.
 
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Thanks Todd,
I will probably shorten the screw to let the butterfly valve open up all the way. My pipe came in today and I'm looking forward to trying out my first wood stove!
 
Before altering the setting, contact Blaze King and ask them.
 
Those are good stoves with a functional thermostat. I would just order a new one.
 
I would leave it alone. Chances are you will be running the stove at WAY less than full throttle all the time. Full out, #3 only occurs during start up. After that generally you are set to 2 or below (around 35* on the flapper, prior to the stove causing the flapper to close).. Give it a try before a modification.. Is this a Cat model, or prior? If its a cat, remember that heat output is not as directly proportional to thermostat setting as you might think, there are other factors afoot.. Outside and inside air temps will play a large role in how much heat the stove produces, I.E. #2 on the thermostat does not create the same heat output in 50* weather as it will in 20* weather. Tough to explain but you will see.. Good luck..

Jason
 
Congratulations on your most excellent score! I'd try running it as is before making modifications. You might be "fixing" something that ain't broke.
 
Thanks for the input, the previous owners used this stove lightly for the past 15 years or so and they never messed with the thermostat assembly. If it worked fine for them, I think I will give it a try as is. It is a cat stove. Here is a pic of half the pipe install last night. This stove is in the basement and I'm running the pipe through an existing window and then out to a 10" X 20' free-standing flue pipe.
 

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10" pipe? Is this some sort of well casing? Or is is the class A insulated 8" pipe that matches your flue diameter?
 
begreen said:
Before altering the setting, contact Blaze King and ask them.
Click to expand...

I agree with BG, if you have any questions they'll put an engineer on the phone and help you out, they're really great at the company for customer service.
 
It is an old grain elevator pipe, .25 in. wall. I anchored it to a piece of concrete and built a bracket the holds it from under the eave. I can get a pic tonight
 
It runs up the side of the house. I'm torching the hole in it tonight for the stove pipe to go into
 
Ugh, that's a problem. It should be insulated class A from the first wall pass through all the way to the cap. Your culvert chimney is oversized and will be cold. If you're lucky enough to get it to draft then you will need a drain hole in the bottom to let out all the condensate. The class A pipe is very expensive but it is the right product.
 
I'll let you know how it goes, I know numerous ppl around here that have a similar setup that works. The 10" pipe was a freebie so I'm going to try to make it work before spending $1000+ on chimney pipe. I know starting a fire with a cold pipe is going to be difficult. I am putting drain holes in the bottom as others have told me to keep from having black water in my house.
 
If you wrapped some insulation around that pipe and built a chase around it, it would probably work great. I can foresee drafting problems as is.
 
Highbeam said:
Ugh, that's a problem. It should be insulated class A from the first wall pass through all the way to the cap. Your culvert chimney is oversized and will be cold. If you're lucky enough to get it to draft then you will need a drain hole in the bottom to let out all the condensate. The class A pipe is very expensive but it is the right product.
Click to expand...
Started the first fire last night and it drafted like a champ.
 
Holtman said:
Started the first fire last night and it drafted like a champ.
Click to expand...

Make sure you keep the pipe clean, the smoke is going to condense on that pipe rather easily. How close is the pipe to the eave? It doesn't look like enough clearance.

All and all it looks like a chimney fire/fire waiting to happen.
 
rdust said:
Make sure you keep the pipe clean, the smoke is going to condense on that pipe rather easily. How close is the pipe to the eave? It doesn't look like enough clearance.

All and all it looks like a chimney fire/fire waiting to happen.
Click to expand...
Rdust,
I am a volunteer fireman (mechanical engineer full time) along with my brother, dad, and multiple relatives. We have fought various flue and chimney fires so I have seen how dangerous poorly vented woodstoves can be. Believe it or not I have seen triple wall chimney pipe cause a fire so nothing is 100% fail safe. I've also been warmed by wood my whole life so I am familiar with it. I know this system isn't the nicest stainless steel triple wall $2K install you want to see but I promise it will work. I have plenty of clearance between the eave and pipe, the picture just doesn't show it. The pipe will be maintained and cleaned regularly. IMO, having the flue outside of the house is safer anyways, keeping the chimney fire risk away from the wood. I know numerous people that use similar setups and get along just fine.
 
Not saying it won't work, just that it is unsafe. I can brush my teeth with a wire wheel too.

I really am glad it is chooching for you.
 
Holtman said:
Rdust,
I am a volunteer fireman (mechanical engineer full time) along with my brother, dad, and multiple relatives. We have fought various flue and chimney fires so I have seen how dangerous poorly vented woodstoves can be. Believe it or not I have seen triple wall chimney pipe cause a fire so nothing is 100% fail safe. I've also been warmed by wood my whole life so I am familiar with it. I know this system isn't the nicest stainless steel triple wall $2K install you want to see but I promise it will work. I have plenty of clearance between the eave and pipe, the picture just doesn't show it. The pipe will be maintained and cleaned regularly. IMO, having the flue outside of the house is safer anyways, keeping the chimney fire risk away from the wood. I know numerous people that use similar setups and get along just fine.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have all your angles covered as far as the safety side goes.

The one sticking point I still have is I'm surprised it passed inspection since it's obviously not up to code or get your insurance companies approval. Hate to have a fire and have the insurance company void the policy.
 
Live in the country = No codes

If my house burns down, I definitely won't tell you all! haha

I would like to know the fire hazard of a properly cleaned pipe that is anchored away from the house? The top of the pipe is over 3 feet higher than the peak of the roof
 
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