2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

Woody harrelson said:

Do you reapply silicone when reinstalling cover?

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I did not. The silicone appears to be spooged out from another area and does not appear to seal the area below the stat where a leak would be a bypass to the fire.

BKVP said:

Your numbers are normal....my King can go a bit lower, around 200....your performance may varying depending upon draft, fuel type and etc., etc.,

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Ahh! That's why my Magic Heat isn't working very well!

BKVP said:

Your numbers are normal....my King can go a bit lower, around 200....your performance may varying depending upon draft, fuel type and etc., etc.,

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Ahh! That's why my Magic Heat reclaimer isn't working very well!

Ashful said:

Ditto on the filters. I'll be running mine 24/7 on the lowest setting, just to keep air moving out of the fireplace. No need for a "horsepower boost", as my burn rate is dictated by my free time for processing and loading, more than demand.

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I usually run my fans on high when I start the stove up. I have the t-stat on high of course. It gets the house warmer quicker. I usually spend my evenings in the living room where the stove is, so when it gets good in there I shut them off or have them on really low. When I leave there to go to bed I'll turn the fans on medium to circulate the air a little better.

My install is tight and the back of the stove is almost against the back of my hearth. When I get a chance I'm literally going to plumb bob the front edge of the hearth and measure the 16" I need and adjust it so the fans have a little more breathing room.

Highbeam said:

Your test will be guys like @Poindexter that run them all winter at full blast. Guys like me that run them once every couple of weeks for an extra boost should get a longer life.

I wouldn't want to choke the fan system with a filter. That convection path needs to remain clear so that natural gravity convection can take place. Remember, the fan system takes the place of the rear heat shield for reduced clearances. Heat shields need to be open top and bottom to allow air flow to keep that space cooled. Also, the fans could be damaged by higher heat if their homes are not allowed sufficient ventilation.

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Filter Schmilter. Those 12vdc 4" (nominal) biscuit fans were under two bucks each in 1996 and probably even less now that we get them shipped in from across the Pacific. Just blow 'em out in the summer time once annually, replacing both of them someday should be under ten bucks with shipping and less than an hour including finding the parts on Amazon.

I will be reloading in a few hours and this is where it's running at. 200 flu temp and about 10:30 on the cat thermometer . I imagine that's about as low and slow as you could go.

Pulled the Thermo cover the other day. Couldn't figure out where to lube?

(Hint Hint : Pictorial guide : Wink Wink)

Rossco said:

Pulled the Thermo cover the other day. Couldn't figure out where to lube?

(Hint Hint : Pictorial guide : Wink Wink)

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It's where the shaft meets the thermostat housing. There's a spring and a few washers. Apply the anti-seize to the spring and washers.

webby3650 said:

It's where the shaft meets the thermostat housing. There's a spring and a few washers. Apply the anti-seize to the spring and washers.

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Ok fella thanks. Will take another look once it cools off.

Woody harrelson said:

Do you reapply silicone when reinstalling cover?

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Not needed...

webby3650 said:

Ahh! That's why my Magic Heat reclaimer isn't working very well!

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You're just trying to get me worked up!

I finally got my Blaze King set up! My problem is everytime my oil drips into the secondary burn barrel the stove puffs smoke. I don't get it? I thought these stoves were supposed to be good?

I see the problem....the defibrillating rogerater seems to be locked in a planetary loop. Simply retorque the planetary gear ratio when it approaches 191 ft/lbs. The net result will be much higher temperatures and successful combustion. With the elevated temps you should go nuclear in less than 42.6 seconds

Added another 2' section to my chimney today bringing it to 19'. I did notice an improvement when starting a new fire with the bypass open. Flames really took off quickly. Also noticed when opening the door there's next to nothing in smoke spillage. Guess with my install I needed that extra little bit in length.

Joe dirt said:

Added another 2' section to my chimney today bringing it to 19'. I did notice an improvement when starting a new fire with the bypass open. Flames really took off quickly. Also noticed when opening the door there's next to nothing in smoke spillage. Guess with my install I needed that extra little bit in length.

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I hate to sound like a broken record, "but no two installations are the same". This is great news. It also means the cat will most likely stay active at even a lower burn rate. You have found a sweet spot!

All of us need to accept that as thermal efficiency rises, draft becomes more sensitive. If the appliance you purchase is much over 78% HHV, you can bet some dialing will be necessary to get to peak performance.

Thank you Joe Dirt for posting your results.

Chris

What does a stalled cat look like. Is it when the probe indicates that the cat is inactive or when it stops glowing but the probe says it is active. Does it always glow when it is active?

Usernamemustbeunique said:

What does a stalled cat look like. Is it when the probe indicates that the cat is inactive or when it stops glowing but the probe says it is active. Does it always glow when it is active?

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No it does not need to be glowing to be working. Visually, it would be hard to determine a stalled cat. However, if you cut off the air too soon or if your stack does not produce enough draft, you can find it difficult to operate in the lower but ranges, then the cat therm on the top of the stove will go inactive, even though you have smoldering fuel in the stove.

BKVP said:

you can find it difficult to operate in the lower but ranges

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They can cause constipation too?

Yes...just like excessive cheese consumption.

Lately with warmer temperatures I've been running one overnight burn a day. Light 20-25 lbs wood 6pm and it burns until 9am or so next day. I've found that if the morning temperature rises quickly the cat will stall with a few small pieces of wood left. I've been bumping the stat wide open which makes this wood relight and burn off.

My question is should I open the bypass when I do this? If I find it stalled I leave the cat engaged and open the stat. It might go active again briefly as it burns off then go inactive.

I just don't want to clog it or damage it.

Not a direct answer to your question, but you should be able to find a sweet spot on your t'stat setting, where the stove handles this automatically. It would appear you're turning it down too far to allow the thermostat to do its thing.

dh1989 said:

Lately with warmer temperatures I've been running one overnight burn a day. Light 20-25 lbs wood 6pm and it burns until 9am or so next day. I've found that if the morning temperature rises quickly the cat will stall with a few small pieces of wood left. I've been bumping the stat wide open which makes this wood relight and burn off.

My question is should I open the bypass when I do this? If I find it stalled I leave the cat engaged and open the stat. It might go active again briefly as it burns off then go inactive.

I just don't want to clog it or damage it.

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Describe your chimney install and post pics please.

dh1989 said:

Lately with warmer temperatures I've been running one overnight burn a day. Light 20-25 lbs wood 6pm and it burns until 9am or so next day. I've found that if the morning temperature rises quickly the cat will stall with a few small pieces of wood left. I've been bumping the stat wide open which makes this wood relight and burn off.

My question is should I open the bypass when I do this? If I find it stalled I leave the cat engaged and open the stat. It might go active again briefly as it burns off then go inactive.

I just don't want to clog it or damage it.

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Sounds real familiar. Must not be quite enough heat from those last couple of chunks to keep the cat active.