2013-2014 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

jeff_t · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
I was fiddling with the low burns for most of the day yesterday.
Could not keep the cat active at 1.
Could not keep the cat active at 1.5.
So last night I set the cat to 1.75 just inside the normal range.

This morning the stove is again in the inactive zone. More than half the fuel remains. These are solid pieces of wood not coals. It took only a couple of minutes for the fire to get back up to raging with the remaining fuel.

The lowest I have successfully kept the cat in the active zone is 2. Which like I have said is insufficient to keep the room warm and apparently higher than most of you keep your stoves on.

Do you have an outside air kit? Is there anything that could be pulling air and creating a draft issue? Like furnace, dryer, exhaust fan, etc. Is there a window in the room you can crack open?

If you have a decent draft and dry wood, there is no reason to not have that room at tropical temps at the lowest setting, with no blower.

Rickb · Jan 27, 2014

Buy a cheap 6' single wall stove pipe and put it on top of your exsisting chimeney and see if that makes it better.

Highbeam · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
Is there any easy test that can be done to see if the draft is sufficient?

You can stick a piece of cheap single wall onto the top of your chimney, remove the cap first. This can be cheap anything, even metal duct. Then try to run it to see what happens. Get a full four footer to maximize the effect.

Your fire is going out unless being flooded with combustion air because your wood is wet. I too have 14' of chimney and my wood burns down to fine white powder. You wouldn't be the first person to think that their wet wood is good.

zac2424 · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
Is there any easy test that can be done to see if the draft is sufficient?

I'm sure there is a scientific way, but i just lit some newspaper and made sure the smoke was drafting up the chimney pretty good. I wanted to use 6" from stove up, but after reading others comments went with 8" up as far as possible into a 6" adapter. The chimney above connection is 13x7 clay and about 16-18' from stove to top of chimney and drafts very well. I do leave the air inlet open all the way most of the time since it is pretty small, but can close it off to about 1/2 if the coals are good an hot. I did install a pipe damper and have it about 1/2 closed and noticed a big difference in heat, but would want it opened all the way on start up for sure.

Not back puffs yet.

Zanimal · Jan 27, 2014

jeff_t said:
Do you have an outside air kit?

No air kit. Windows and exit vents are as sealed as possible. The house is not hard to heat at all with the oil furnace or the 40 year old VC Defiant in the basement

Do you have an air kit? From what I read online it is unclear if they actually do anything more than cracking a window or having a drafty door.

Rickb said:
Buy a cheap 6' single wall stove pipe and put it on top of your exsisting chimeney and see if that makes it better.

Good idea.

Highbeam said:
Your fire is going out unless being flooded with combustion air because your wood is wet.

Why does it go out with the ultra dry compressed sawdust logs? It goes out with the dry wood that the dealer brought me to try out. It goes out with my wood that the dealer tested at below 18%

zac2424 said:
8" up as far as possible into a 6"

I thought that was not allowed.

alforit · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
It is about 15' now. That has been stated as OK by Blaze King and the dealer. Really any additional cost is unwelcome. The stove was already a massive purchase for us.

Sorry was one of the brochures. Here is a photo of the blurb

There does not seem to be anything obviously wrong. Wood has been the major reason. But like I said, we tested that one and it was not the issue.

I returned my moisture reader because it did not seem to give an accurate indicator. The dealer tested my main stack of wood and it was low.

Not really. It glows red sometimes but not always. I brought this up with the dealer and they said that that is not an indication of the proper function of the cat.

Insulation is pretty good. Walls have at least 6" fiberglass and the ceiling also is insulated with fiberglass and then covered with cellulose. The house was built in 73 and I think the insulation rocks. But I have only ever experienced very old homes in comparison.

Hey Zanimal, I know you have invested a lot of money already on this stove.........So even better reason to figure out what's going on.

You have been getting advice about your draft and your wood as being the potential problem.

You've got to rule these two things out first.

FIRST : Go to the grocery store and get a bundle of the kiln dried wood....get a couple bundles at different grocery stores because sometimes they aren't always perfect and dry.

Test it out.

let us know what you find out

shoot-straight · Jan 27, 2014

alforit said:
Hey Zanimal, I know you have invested a lot of money already on this stove.........So even better reason to figure out what's going on.

You have been getting advice about your draft and your wood as being the potential problem.

You've got to rule these two things out first.

FIRST : Go to the grocery store and get a bundle of the kiln dried wood....get a couple bundles at different grocery stores because sometimes they aren't always perfect and dry.

Test it out.

let us know what you find out

alan, ive been wanting to do that with mine, but with the cold wx, everyone is sold out !!!

! gonna pack some bricks in mine, not as many as webby did, but quite a few and see what happens.

Zanimal · Jan 27, 2014

alforit said:
FIRST : Go to the grocery store and get a bundle of the kiln dried wood....get a couple bundles at different grocery stores because sometimes they aren't always perfect and dry.

Good plan.
My only concern with that is that the pieces I typically see in those bundles are small.
I think I will try anyway and let you all know.

jeff_t · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
No air kit. Windows and exit vents are as sealed as possible. The house is not hard to heat at all with the oil furnace or the 40 year old VC Defiant in the basement

Do you have an air kit? From what I read online it is unclear if they actually do anything more than cracking a window or having a drafty door.

I don't. This house is so drafty, I don't need it.

OAK let you pull combustion air from outside. It can help in a tight house. Regardless, if your stove pulls room air in and sends it up the pipe, that air has to come from somewhere (outside), so the OAK should eliminate any cold drafts associated with that.

Has your dealer checked your draft with a manometer?

When you turn the dial rather quickly, can you hear the butterfly tapping closed under the cover? Mine closes around 1.5ish with a pretty hot stove. It could be something as simple as an adjustment, meaning the thing is working fine, but the numbers don't jive. Maybe your dealer should pull the cover off and have a look.

There have been some issues with the bimetallic coil being wound backwards, but that doesn't seem to be the case here
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/blaze-king-thermostat-faulty.48603/

Zanimal · Jan 27, 2014

jeff_t said:
Has your dealer checked your draft with a manometer?

No there has been no checking of the draft.

If I had poor draft would I not get smoke pouring into the room when I open the door?

weatherguy · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
No there has been no checking of the draft.

If I had poor draft would I not get smoke pouring into the room when I open the door?

not necessarily, the more I read of your problems the more I'm convinced its your draft and possibly wood too. Don't you have some bends in your flue?

Zanimal · Jan 27, 2014

weatherguy said:
Don't you have some bends in your flue?

Yes. I have an 8" offset with two 45 degree bends.
Going to try putting some piping on top to see if it makes a difference.

Although as I said before every additional cost this stove is throwing at us really hurts.
Since I am new to burning wood I don't really feel comfortable doing something like adding permanent height to the chimney. The way it is currently supported by the roof may not be enough in high winds and I do not really want to jerry rig an eye sore.

I'll see if the dealer can come over again sometime soon to check it out. But if the cost is even moderate it simply will not be possible for us to do.

rdust · Jan 27, 2014

jeff_t said:
When you turn the dial rather quickly, can you hear the butterfly tapping closed under the cover? Mine closes around 1.5ish with a pretty hot stove. It could be something as simple as an adjustment, meaning the thing is working fine, but the numbers don't jive. Maybe your dealer should pull the cover off and have a look.

x2, I'd also like to hear where the flapper closes on a hot vs cold stove.

Zanimal said:
But if the cost is even moderate it simply will not be possible for us to do.

At this point the only options are to get it figured out or get rid of the stove if your dealer will take it back. Your flue is at the minimum without the 2 45's, I really think that needs to be the focus at this point if the store bought wood doesn't help. Any modern EPA stove is going to have a minimum flue requirement and most are pretty similar. I would also make sure you have no restrictions on the air inlet side of the stove.
Something is clearly wrong here and I would love for you to figure this thing out. When it's right burning these stoves are as simple as they come.

I wonder if we have any members close to you who can bring over some known good seasoned cord wood. Maybe start a thread in the wood shed asking the question.

weatherguy · Jan 27, 2014

Zanimal said:
Yes. I have an 8" offset with two 45 degree bends.
Going to try putting some piping on top to see if it makes a difference.

Although as I said before every additional cost this stove is throwing at us really hurts.
Since I am new to burning wood I don't really feel comfortable doing something like adding permanent height to the chimney. The way it is currently supported by the roof may not be enough in high winds and I do not really want to jerry rig an eye sore.

I'll see if the dealer can come over again sometime soon to check it out. But if the cost is even moderate it simply will not be possible for us to do.

You've come this far you have to figure out what's wrong, I'm not familiar with the type of flue system you have since I have an insert but maybe if you post pics you can get some advice here and maybe someone in your area can help you out, if I lived closer I'd take a ride and try to help you figure this out, I know these things are expensive but you have to get it working right to reap the benefits. If it's as simple as 4 feet more pipe and some better seasoned wood that's not too bad and will be worth it in the long run.

blueguy · Jan 28, 2014

Can any Ultra or Sirocco owners post a closeup of their ashpans in the pedestals? I'm looking hard at replacing my Napoleon 1450 with either a Sirocco 30 or maybe upping to a King Ultra and through the pages of threads I've gone through so far, I can't for the life of me found any pics of the ashpans.

Thanks!

hack · Jan 28, 2014

jeff_t said:
When you turn the dial rather quickly, can you hear the butterfly tapping closed under the cover? Mine closes around 1.5ish with a pretty hot stove. It could be something as simple as an adjustment, meaning the thing is working fine, but the numbers don't jive. Maybe your dealer should pull the cover off and have a look.

Zanimal,

At the end of the day, it's either the wood, draft, cat, or thermostat.

At this point I think it's worth checking out the thermostat. Pull the cover off and see where the blade closes. Yours could be set wrong to where your 3 is everyone else's 2 etc.

Also, do you have the correct thermostat blade? Does it have a pilot whole? I don't know what it should have but I'd be making sure it is correct. I purchased a new king ultra for my parents earlier this month that had the wrong blade so it can happen. BK is making it right by sending me the correct one.

jeff_t · Jan 28, 2014

blueguy said:
Can any Ultra or Sirocco owners post a closeup of their ashpans in the pedestals? I'm looking hard at replacing my Napoleon 1450 with either a Sirocco 30 or maybe upping to a King Ultra and through the pages of threads I've gone through so far, I can't for the life of me found any pics of the ashpans.

Thanks!

I like the ash pan a lot, but not the plug. If I even shovel too many ashes out and disturb the plug, I have a bit of an air leak for a while. Otherwise, it is fine. I like the hinged cover.

I have removed the plug and used the ash pan once. It holds a lot more than it looks like it can.

fire slave · Jan 28, 2014

hack said:
Zanimal,

At the end of the day, it's either the wood, draft, cat, or thermostat.

At this point I think it's worth checking out the thermostat. Pull the cover off and see where the blade closes. Yours could be set wrong to where your 3 is everyone else's 2 etc.

Also, do you have the correct thermostat blade? Does it have a pilot whole? I don't know what it should have but I'd be making sure it is correct. I purchased a new king ultra for my parents earlier this month that had the wrong blade so it can happen. BK is making it right by sending me the correct one.

How do you know what type of blade you are suppose to have?

About the ashpan, I have it and have never used it in a year and a half if burning. I think it's much easier just shovelling out in a ash can. Also I think it just another thing that could go wrong. Maybe an air leak or something.

jeff_t · Jan 28, 2014

The butterfly in the king is solid, with a hole on the assembly underneath it to let in enough air to keep the EPA happy. The hole is in the butterfly itself on the princess. Not sure about the ashford/sirocco/chinook thermostat.

Hiram Maxim · Jan 28, 2014

rdust said:
Hi stranger! Yep, it's cold out! Spring can arrive anytime now.

Howdy!

I couldn't agree more

Thank goodness for Black Locust!

Did you ever end up purchasing Locust plants from that supplier in Indiana?

Hope all is well

blueguy · Jan 28, 2014

jeff_t said:
I like the ash pan a lot, but not the plug. If I even shovel too many ashes out and disturb the plug, I have a bit of an air leak for a while. Otherwise, it is fine. I like the hinged cover.

I have removed the plug and used the ash pan once. It holds a lot more than it looks like it can.

Awesome pics, thanks!

Does the pan just fit in loosely into the pedestal or is it on some type of sliders?

shoot-straight · Jan 28, 2014

I'd like to get some input from you guys.

My Ashford goes from dark to flames at about 1.9. At what setting does yours do that?

Also, when I have flames, I get smoke out the chimney. Low setting no smoke. And yes, cat is engaged and in active zone. Does it with cord wood or wood bricks, so it's not a moisture issue.

Highbeam · Jan 28, 2014

shoot-straight said:
I'd like to get some input from you guys.

My Ashford goes from dark to flames at about 1.9. At what setting does yours do that?

Also, when I have flames, I get smoke out the chimney. Low setting no smoke. And yes, cat is engaged and in active zone. Does it with cord wood or wood bricks, so it's not a moisture issue.

Over the cords that I've pushed through the BK, I've found the flame point to vary depending on temperature (stove and ambient) as well as wood species. The maple I'm now burning seems happy to provide flames at 1.75 where the doug fir would not.

rdust · Jan 28, 2014

Hiram Maxim said:
Howdy!

I couldn't agree more

Thank goodness for Black Locust!

Did you ever end up purchasing Locust plants from that supplier in Indiana?

Hope all is well

All is good, happy that we're just about finished with this current cold snap.

I did purchase some Honey Locust seedlings a while back. Out of the bunch one made it, it's amazing how quickly it's growing. I've gathered Black Locust seeds on occasion and scattered them around the back, my wife won't let me plant any Black Locust in the yard due to their thorns.

rdust · Jan 28, 2014

fire slave said:
Looking for any tips on changing the door gasket on my Princess. I've heard and noticed that the door tends to not seal as good around handle area. Do you try to make that area fluffier and the hinge area more compressed? any other tips would be great.

The only suggestions I can make that I know makes a difference is to stick with the BK specific gasket and use HT silicon(recommended by BK) instead of gasket cement.(suggested by stove shop) I had to do mine twice due to being sold the wrong gasket the first time. I didn't do anything special laying the new gasket it place, I didn't try stretch it out or fluff it up in one place more than another.

2013-2014 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

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