Simple Thread: Blaze King Princess Burn Times

I rarely get 24 hour burns, but 16-20 hour burns on poplar during the shoulder season are the norm. I have had a 26 hour burn once with birch... But that was the exception.

I am marginal on the draft and find I need just the right setting to keep the stove from stalling, but maintaining a low burn... Typically between the N and the O in Normal. Also, I need to readjust 2-3 times during the burn.

After researching the situation, I'm convinced my draft is the problem and am saving up to rerun my flue... Hopefully in the spring.

rdust said:

Do you have a progress comparison posted somewhere?

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Not yet, but I will once I get some time with it under my belt.

I have yet to figure out how the burn times are shorter with the blowers on for some of you. For me it seems to make no difference with burn times to speak of.
It's not like your blowing air into the stove.

Last night I acquired some 4 year old dried beech splits from a fellow wood burner down the street (after talking about my burn time issue). I packed the firebox full at 10:00 pm on top of a nice thick bed of raked coals from cherry wood that was burned on high since 5:00. I even managed to squeeze a few thin rounds in some small spots, so this thing was packed nicely. I kept the door open and the bypass open until this thing was roaring (maybe 10-15 minutes). I then closed bypass, left on high for 15 minutes. Put on medium for 15 minutes, and then put to 'low setting 15 minutes later when the stove temps were about 550 and cat was well into active range. From 11:00 pm to about 4:00 am it burned nicely, but house started getting cool around 4:30. By the time I got downstairs at 6:00 am, stove temps were about 180 degrees and it was just putting out slightly warm air.

In short, I'm getting about 9 hours burn time (give or take an hour) with seasoned beech (28 million btu's per cord) on low setting with blazeking princess insert. very underwhelming burn time i think.

The lowest burn i can muster is a about a 325 stove top, loaded with 17% white oak i can run 20 hrs consistently. I have the princess ultra.

I can get 24 hour-ish on 8 - 9 medium splits set on 1.5 on my Sirocco 30. The lowest I can run without stalling is about 1 to 1.25 which will bring my burn time up, but there isn't much heat coming off it in the latter part of the burn.

Ricky8443 said:

I kept the door open and the bypass open until this thing was roaring (maybe 10-15 minutes). I then closed bypass, left on high for 15 minutes. Put on medium for 15 minutes, and then put to 'low setting 15 minutes later when the stove temps were about 550 and cat was well into active range.

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You blew your wad too early. Wasting all that heat to run the stove up to 550 is where your burn times are going. Close the loading door as soon as you can without snuffing the flame, leave the stat on high only until the cat probe reads active and then flop the bypass and immediately set your stat to the low setting only high enough to prevent stall. Let the stat do the work from here on out.

15 minutes might translate to an additional 2 hours on low.....I'm not disappointed with the stove, in fact it's much better than heating with oil. Also, the house seems to be much warmer now. But 27+ hour burn time on the princess insert stove is just not achievable in my experience. If anyone out there can say differently for princess insert, I'd love to get some feedback. thanks,

I wonder if some of the short burn times some folks are complaining of might be due to the t-stat issue RustyShakelford posted about? In his case the bi-metallic coil was wound incorrectly and would open the air as the stove got hotter which lead to shortened burn times. Once he figured that out and got a new t-stat his stove ran a lot better and longer.

sumpnz said:

I wonder if some of the short burn times some folks are complaining of might be due to the t-stat issue RustyShakelford posted about? In his case the bi-metallic coil was wound incorrectly and would open the air as the stove got hotter which lead to shortened burn times. Once he figured that out and got a new t-stat his stove ran a lot better and longer.

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Possible. I checked mine and it was fine, easy to check.

Highbeam said:

You blew your wad too early. Wasting all that heat to run the stove up to 550 is where your burn times are going. Close the loading door as soon as you can without snuffing the flame, leave the stat on high only until the cat probe reads active and then flop the bypass and immediately set your stat to the low setting only high enough to prevent stall. Let the stat do the work from here on out.

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+1

I have to do this too. If I leave the stove open bypass, closed door for 20+ minutes, it shortens the burn time. I do burn it for 10 minutes on high after closing the door, then 10 or so after closing the bypass. My stove is waaay bigger than I need for my house but I planned it that way. 1400sq house means that it heats the house quick, then I let it cruise between 1 and 1 and a half. Anything lower the cat stalls in the middle of the night. The stove is still putting out minimal heat at that point and the house is still nice and warm (75f). I also leave my door in my kitchen that leads to the my breezeway and sunroom open overnight. The sunroom does NOT hold heat worth a hoot so that offsets the higher temp in the adjacent living room where the stove sits. I get consistent 18-22 hours (33 degrees outside overnight) but that will change as it gets colder out. I'm still learning too.

My apologies but I suck at navigating the site. How do I check to make sure my T-stat is wound correctly?

blueguy said:

I can get 24 hour-ish on 8 - 9 medium splits set on 1.5 on my Sirocco 30. The lowest I can run without stalling is about 1 to 1.25 which will bring my burn time up, but there isn't much heat coming off it in the latter part of the burn.

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What is the height of your chimney? And is it insulated. I can get 12 hours easy on my sirracco 30. But mine seems to stall if i turn it down past 1.75. Im burning seasoned fir. 15% on moisture meter.

Ricky8443 said:

My apologies but I suck at navigating the site. How do I check to make sure my T-stat is wound correctly?

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The short version is that when the stove is cold and you close the stat from wide open to full closed you should be able to hear a clank of the flapper closing at about 1/3 of the way from closed. After the stove has fully warmed up, repeat this test and you should hear the clank at a higher setting. This indicates that as the stove warms up, the stat coil is closing the flapper.

Ricky8443 said:

My apologies but I suck at navigating the site. How do I check to make sure my T-stat is wound correctly?

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https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/blaze-king-thermostat-faulty.48603/

jeffsk7 said:

What is the height of your chimney? And is it insulated. I can get 12 hours easy on my sirracco 30. But mine seems to stall if i turn it down past 1.75. Im burning seasoned fir. 15% on moisture meter.

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22 feet, external Class A chimney, heating from the basement.

Ricky, don't worry about the the thermostat spring being backwards on your insert. That part is subcontracted so it is nothing like the ones me make. Second, I think I can help you with your burn times.

How long have you had the insert and who is your dealer? Send me a PM if you would like them to come out and take a look. No promises, but I bet I know what is going on.

Chris

BKVP said:

Ricky, don't worry about the the thermostat spring being backwards on your insert. That part is subcontracted so it is nothing like the ones me make. Second, I think I can help you with your burn times.

How long have you had the insert and who is your dealer? Send me a PM if you would like them to come out and take a look. No promises, but I bet I know what is going on.

Chris

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Chris, please share your ideas. I was working with you last year with my ashford with a similar problem- short burn times. Would like to continue the effort this fall.

Brett

BKVP said:

Ricky, don't worry about the the thermostat spring being backwards on your insert. That part is subcontracted so it is nothing like the ones me make. Second, I think I can help you with your burn times.

How long have you had the insert and who is your dealer? Send me a PM if you would like them to come out and take a look. No promises, but I bet I know what is going on.

Chris

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Thanks Chris, I've had my stove for 7 or 8 months, but I've only been actively burning for the last 30 days. I drove 4 hours to pickup my stove, so I'm not sure I have someone I call 'dealer'.

BKVP said:

Ricky, don't worry about the the thermostat spring being backwards on your insert. That part is subcontracted so it is nothing like the ones me make.

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You mean the thermostat coil on the insert and on the free-standing are made by different folks ? Interesting.

RustyShackleford said:

You mean the thermostat coil on the insert and on the free-standing are made by different folks ? Interesting.

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No. I don't read it at all like that. I think they fixed the problem, which was a few stats a few years back. Mistakes and recalls can and do happen. I think its time to let it go......

Got an 8 hour burn on about the 1.5 / 2.0 setting last night. Very excited, took me by surprise. I basically threw new logs onto red coals and closed the bypass after only 2-3 minutes as was recommended on here. Thank you for the advice. I might not get 27 hour burns as advertised, but at least I was able to garner an overnight-er.

Ricky8443 said:

Got an 8 hour burn on about the 1.5 / 2.0 setting last night. Very excited, took me by surprise. I basically threw new logs onto red coals and closed the bypass after only 2-3 minutes as was recommended on here. Thank you for the advice. I might not get 27 hour burns as advertised, but at least I was able to garner an overnight-er.

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Ricky I am in the same boat. I also have the insert and am on my 3rd season with it. I am lucky in the cold (less than 20) to get 6-8 hours. I will also try turning it down early, but on the blaze king video on you tube it says to let the fire get going for 30 minutes. That's why I have been doing that. Keep us updated.

Chris I would love to know what your ideas are about this. Sounds like Ricky and I are in the same boat. I would rather handle the problem myself. I don't trust or like the dealer I bought mine from and would never let them in my home again. Thanks.

Ricky are you getting better burn times with your princess? I just purchased one and now I'm getting a little buyers remorse......more so because we live about 30 miles from each other so we have the same climate, wood available, etc.
Thanks
Matt

Please make certain the front door has been adjusted and is sealing tight. When the fire is out, make certain the glass is tight inside the door frame. Make certain you are locking down the by pass and hear an audible click.

Post a picture of your firebox with a full load. What species of wood are you burning? How long is your chimney? How warm are you keeping your house? How many square feet is your house ? What year was your house built?

Thank you