Ashful
Minister of Fire
If the 30NC could run like a BK, maybe it wouldn't need to raise the temp 30 degrees over and again, each day.
2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)
- Thread starter webfish
- Start date
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
- Status
burnbabyburn139
New Member
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I know you haven't run a cat stove BG, and you also have a furnace that you can use to prevent your house from cooling if you leave for long, you're also retired so can be at home to keep it warm in your warmer climate. I have run two other EPA non-cats in this house before coming over to the cat stove side. So I know what happens when you run a non-cat hard, they can coal up, whether in a house or in a shop. In the house you shouldn't have to do that very often but as you can see above, some folks run their BKs at 100% to keep warm and don't have the same coaling problem and go through less wood. I'm starting to wonder if there really ever is a time when a non-cat is "better". It used to be said that at high outputs, the non-cats are at least as efficient but that's just not panning out for a couple of reasons.
I would love a furnace in the shop. It would be better than a stove, even better than a wood furnace would be a wood boiler and the floor heat. Due to the lack of available clean burning furnaces (even BK cancelled US sales of their cat furnace), I will be using a stove for now. The NC30 does the job but as was expected, it needs to be run hard and hot. Anybody have a king they want to swap for an NC30? I would not put another 3 CF stove in the shop so the princess is out and on a 6" flue the king would be an experiment.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
The Chinook uses the same firebox as the scirroco and the ashford so you can read about those stoves and expect similar performance. I will say right now that you should skip the 20 series. There is almost never a time that the 20 is preferable.
nellraq
Member
I have the chinook 30---essentially the same firebox as the ashford and the chinook. Works great....but if you are burning alot of ash making hardwoods, you would have to clean the ashes out way more often. The princess' firebox is deeper..ie. More room between the door opening and the fb floor...so can hold a lot more ashes before you have to remove them.
nellraq
Member
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
I've used the ash pan for 100% of my ash dumps this year. Which has been twice! In all my time using the ash pan I have never seen any ash leak from the ash pan drawer area. It's not a terrible system if you only have a couple of inches of ash to remove.
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
I wouldn't say the same thing for my Ashford. I did my first ash dump a couple days ago, and the hole doesn't seem to be centered on the bucket. So the ashes spill out the back of the bucket onto the tray. I'm a little disappointed; I'll try a different method next time.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
rdust and I have the princess ultra with a better ash pan, at least it seems better. The ash all hits the pan as the chute is centered. The issue is that the ash pan chamber in the pedestal could be exposed to ash dust from the falling ash and rdust seems to be getting some of that dust floating out from the gaps around the drawer in the pedestal.
Exactly, here is what the pedestal looks like after using the pan.
Attachments
Jeff in Maine
Feeling the Heat
We I still had room for one or two more very small ones but did not have any in the house. I do not like the way the inside of the stove is designed the cat is in the way as far as I am concerned it hangs down into the doorway opening. I have been splitting next years wood in my mind these last few days if you can believe that. I want some larger wood next year this season I split my wood quite small as I had no idea how well the stove would work but I knew I could most likely make small wood burn. Next year I will I think, split the 10-12" diameter wood in half then take one half and split that again . Then on the next piece I will split that in half and then split the other half into 4 pieces . That way I hope to have some lg some medium and some small for chinking in around that dam cat riggin ha ha.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
This is correct. The ash dump on the Ashford 30.1 is damn near useless, unless you like having ash and hot coals on the floor, every time you use it. Knowing how much effort goes into BK's designs, I still can't believe they ever let this model ship, as it is. Reports on this forum (eg. webby3650) indicate the 30.0 version did not share in this problem, it's unique to the 30.1's.
They did update the pan drawer, which will help to keep any larger coals from falling behind the pan and onto the floor, but does nothing to help with ash falling over the back of the pan and onto the floor.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
I was reticent to try the ash dump on my 30.0 because the hole is so darn small, but once I started using it I was converted the first time. Keeps almost all the airborne ash out of the living space with not very many coals in the box to keep the flue pumping. Judging by the cone of ash that accumulates in the drawer the hole on the 30.0 is more or less dead center over the floor of the drawer. Works awesome.
I do prefer the numbered Tsat dial on my 30.0 to the new swoosh, easier to communicate with the wife when she is the one twisting the knob.
If my 30.0 gets abducted by aliens tonight I'll order a new 30.1 first thing in the morning. I'd probable have to fab up some kind of sheet metal chute for the back of the drawer so I could keep using the ash dump...
Ashful
Minister of Fire
If my 30.1's get abducted tonight, I'd be tempted to ask how I could order a 30.0.
I don't believe any metal chute solution will work very well. Really, they just need to fab a new pan drawer to move the pan back under the hole about 5 inches, and then replace the double-extension slides with triple-extension slides to make up the extra required travel to get the pan out. Not very difficult in concept, but some work to implement, I'm sure.
[QUOTE="Jeff in Maine
I decided to remove some ashs it has been a couple of weeks. So I moved the coals over and shoveled her clean then did the same on the other side as well removed about 4 gallons and left 3 inches of red coals. And here it is loaded for the night
View attachment 170344[/QUOTE]
Second year with a BK King stove also. I have burned for 15 years with an old Sears Circulator stove. You are doing it exactly how I am. I was used to everything falling through the grate into the ash pan. The stove always held the same amount of wood...as long as you emptied the ash pan every time you loaded it, which was every 3-5 hours when cold and maybe 8 hours if really mild out and I had good dry Oak. The BK now gets emptied about once every couple of weeks or when it warms up enough to rake coals forward and I have time to burn them down on a higher setting...sometimes this can take up to a few hours depending on heat output.
When I really want to empty it out, I rake whats left to one side and sift through a home made shovel with holes in it. Ash on one side and coals on the other, shovel the ash out and keep sifting. This take the longest with the door open, ash dust mostly goes up the chimney (bypass open/thermostat wide open). I can almost fill a steel 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full this way, but it leaves the stove 'big' again and ready for another few weeks of easy 12 hour burns, even when cold out.
The first year I tried too hard to get the most out of each load I believe and kept the thermostat too low for long max time burns. 12 hour loads are the easiest and last through any work shift now also. No rushing home to reload on my half hour break and right after work like with the old stove. No waking up in the morning to a cold house.
I think I'm still learning with the BK, but am very glad I went with the King rather than a QuadaFire. I never could see the fire in the old stove because it had no glass. I got a glass door with the King, but except for reloads there's still no fire to watch. LOL My old circulator had a knob that controlled the draft door so that part was easy to understand. Having no ash pan and a smaller and smaller firebox is taking longer to get used to. Thinking of getting the ash pan for the BK to make ash removal easier or maybe just more like I'm used to.
I live in central MN and burn 24-7 during the winter, other wise the furnace turns on at 68F...it has yet to turn on once in the past 2 years! Can't say that about the last stove...
I decided to remove some ashs it has been a couple of weeks. So I moved the coals over and shoveled her clean then did the same on the other side as well removed about 4 gallons and left 3 inches of red coals. And here it is loaded for the night
View attachment 170344[/QUOTE]
Second year with a BK King stove also. I have burned for 15 years with an old Sears Circulator stove. You are doing it exactly how I am. I was used to everything falling through the grate into the ash pan. The stove always held the same amount of wood...as long as you emptied the ash pan every time you loaded it, which was every 3-5 hours when cold and maybe 8 hours if really mild out and I had good dry Oak. The BK now gets emptied about once every couple of weeks or when it warms up enough to rake coals forward and I have time to burn them down on a higher setting...sometimes this can take up to a few hours depending on heat output.
When I really want to empty it out, I rake whats left to one side and sift through a home made shovel with holes in it. Ash on one side and coals on the other, shovel the ash out and keep sifting. This take the longest with the door open, ash dust mostly goes up the chimney (bypass open/thermostat wide open). I can almost fill a steel 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full this way, but it leaves the stove 'big' again and ready for another few weeks of easy 12 hour burns, even when cold out.
The first year I tried too hard to get the most out of each load I believe and kept the thermostat too low for long max time burns. 12 hour loads are the easiest and last through any work shift now also. No rushing home to reload on my half hour break and right after work like with the old stove. No waking up in the morning to a cold house.
I think I'm still learning with the BK, but am very glad I went with the King rather than a QuadaFire. I never could see the fire in the old stove because it had no glass. I got a glass door with the King, but except for reloads there's still no fire to watch. LOL My old circulator had a knob that controlled the draft door so that part was easy to understand. Having no ash pan and a smaller and smaller firebox is taking longer to get used to. Thinking of getting the ash pan for the BK to make ash removal easier or maybe just more like I'm used to.
I live in central MN and burn 24-7 during the winter, other wise the furnace turns on at 68F...it has yet to turn on once in the past 2 years! Can't say that about the last stove...
Last edited:
Kwehme09
Member
We've been running our new Sirocco 20 since 12/11 and are really starting to figure it out and hit our stride with it. Like any wood stove setup, it takes a little time. They are all different and no mater how much you think you know, and how much all the good folks on here think they know, there is no substitute for just running it.
A few notes:
- It took us 3 weeks to figure out it was way smarter to put the wood straight into the firebox instead of trying to run it across the firebox.Why that was so revolutionary to us, we don't know, but it has made it way easier to FILL the box.
- It's been 3 weeks and we are just now needing to clean any ash out of it.
- We have it dialed in so that we fill it twice a day, once before the wife leaves for work at 7 am. (I leave earlier) and once around 7 pm. We could get longer burns out of it, but this is what works for our schedule. There is some tinkering with the T-State during the burns based on what's going on, outside temp, etc. When things get really cold out, we might cranks what's left in it when we get home from work, do a minimal fill around dinner time, and then a full load before bed.
- We run the blower some... when the stove is hot and we want to heat the house quickly, but we tend to not run it overnight or on the long burns. I could see us running it more when it gets really cold out. The sound of it bugs me... feels more pellet stove than wood stove when its running, so I favor not running it unless I need to.
- The dog doesn't seem to like the BK as much. I think this is a because the stove is uses more convection than radiation unlike our past stoves.
- None of our friends believe us when we say we get 16+ hour burns,
- I don't think the stove has change our wood consumption much, but its made our house temperature far more consistent.
- Our house is small and the consistent temperature is good for more than just personal comfort. We find its better for a lot of our jarred/canned goods, especially our honey.
- Last but not least, now that we are getting the feel for our stove more, I am starting to favor the swoosh over the numbers. It's less rigid. Forces you to go by feel more than just "setting" it.
A few notes:
- It took us 3 weeks to figure out it was way smarter to put the wood straight into the firebox instead of trying to run it across the firebox.Why that was so revolutionary to us, we don't know, but it has made it way easier to FILL the box.
- It's been 3 weeks and we are just now needing to clean any ash out of it.
- We have it dialed in so that we fill it twice a day, once before the wife leaves for work at 7 am. (I leave earlier) and once around 7 pm. We could get longer burns out of it, but this is what works for our schedule. There is some tinkering with the T-State during the burns based on what's going on, outside temp, etc. When things get really cold out, we might cranks what's left in it when we get home from work, do a minimal fill around dinner time, and then a full load before bed.
- We run the blower some... when the stove is hot and we want to heat the house quickly, but we tend to not run it overnight or on the long burns. I could see us running it more when it gets really cold out. The sound of it bugs me... feels more pellet stove than wood stove when its running, so I favor not running it unless I need to.
- The dog doesn't seem to like the BK as much. I think this is a because the stove is uses more convection than radiation unlike our past stoves.
- None of our friends believe us when we say we get 16+ hour burns,
- I don't think the stove has change our wood consumption much, but its made our house temperature far more consistent.
- Our house is small and the consistent temperature is good for more than just personal comfort. We find its better for a lot of our jarred/canned goods, especially our honey.
- Last but not least, now that we are getting the feel for our stove more, I am starting to favor the swoosh over the numbers. It's less rigid. Forces you to go by feel more than just "setting" it.
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
Had this problem again lastnight, on the coldest night if the winter so far. I'll call my dealer next week and see what needs to be done.
blueguy
Feeling the Heat
Does your fan rattle or is it off balance? I wonder if the vibrations from the fan on high are responsible? Especially if it's as easy to turn as you say it is.
Heftiger
Feeling the Heat
The fan doesn't seem to rattle or vibrate the stove body at all. But it never seems to happen when the fan is off, so I'm sure there is some vibration.
I doubt it. No discredit to the BK but it would be running wide open too. The 30NC is very efficient, but heating a big barn of a space is going tax any stove. The area requires lots of btus. This is furnace territory and a lot of wood is going to be consumed to keep it at temp. Same reason why your boiler kicks in even with 2 stoves burning.If the 30NC could run like a BK, maybe it wouldn't need to raise the temp 30 degrees over and again, each day.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
All true, but on my boiler... it actually hasn't run much to heat the first floor of our house this year. Not saying it won't, if winter does finally come, but so far I'm thinking the BK's are doing a much better job of putting BTU's into the house than the Jotuls ever did.
The boiler does still run, but that's to satisfy thermostat calls for parts of the house more remote from the two stoves. I can't wait to calculate this year's oil usage, in a few months.
The boiler does still run, but that's to satisfy thermostat calls for parts of the house more remote from the two stoves. I can't wait to calculate this year's oil usage, in a few months.
becasunshine
Minister of Fire
Gonna jump in mid-stream here and I hope I offer something helpful.
Our Blaze King Princess is our first "we own it" wood stove. Husband's parents owned and operated the classic 1970s wood stove in a 100 year old house in the late 1970s/early 1980s when they were putting Hubs through college and simultaneously raising two younger siblings.
We are the first in the family to own and operate a wood stove since, as far as I know.
We chose a Blaze King Princess for our remote and often challengingly cold location: wind straight off the water mid winter.
We typically leave the house HVAC set at 50'F when we aren't here, and we typically roll in late evening on the nights that we arrive. We typically ask the Blaze King to raise the house temps (along with the heat sink of everything in it) at least 20'F on the first night.
We also start with dried split wood, no kindling to speak of, smaller splits if we place our hands on them, newspaper and the firestarters recommended by Blaze King. (What are the names again? IMMACULATE. Ours are "naked." We discussed that here, as I recall.
)
We don't rush the stove- we stuff enough newspaper, one fire starter disk broken into a few pieces, and a few dry splits in. By bedtime ( couple three hours later) we are in the lower to mid-60s by the HVAC thermostat and another thermometer in the house.
We load the stove at bedtime, turn it down, and go to bed.
The next morning it is borderline cool to comfortable. We turn the stove up to mid-normal range. By the time we are done with breakfast, we are typically turning the stove back down.
We have a good, hot burn on the first night, so we get a nice "clearing burn" from a cleaned out fire box at least once a "burn cycle" for us- although typically we'll open the damper at least once again during a burn cycle.
We haven't turned on the heat pump or the back up gas furnace at this location this year. Last year we invoked it once (one time) when it was *particularly cold* outside (teens without accounting for wind chill) just to move the heat around the house, and so as not to lose too many BTUs in the ductwork while we were moving the heat.
If the Blaze King isn't raising your household temps like you'd like, look to your insulation and air sealing/weather proofing. We learned that one the hard way in town with the 1950s bungalow and the Napoleon NPS-40. Additional attic insulation and air sealing made the difference there.
Edited to add: OH NEVER MIND. You are talking about a shop. Never mind on insulation. You know more about what you are doing that I ever will.
Hope this helps. <:3~
Our Blaze King Princess is our first "we own it" wood stove. Husband's parents owned and operated the classic 1970s wood stove in a 100 year old house in the late 1970s/early 1980s when they were putting Hubs through college and simultaneously raising two younger siblings.
We are the first in the family to own and operate a wood stove since, as far as I know.
We chose a Blaze King Princess for our remote and often challengingly cold location: wind straight off the water mid winter.
We typically leave the house HVAC set at 50'F when we aren't here, and we typically roll in late evening on the nights that we arrive. We typically ask the Blaze King to raise the house temps (along with the heat sink of everything in it) at least 20'F on the first night.
We also start with dried split wood, no kindling to speak of, smaller splits if we place our hands on them, newspaper and the firestarters recommended by Blaze King. (What are the names again? IMMACULATE. Ours are "naked." We discussed that here, as I recall.
)We don't rush the stove- we stuff enough newspaper, one fire starter disk broken into a few pieces, and a few dry splits in. By bedtime ( couple three hours later) we are in the lower to mid-60s by the HVAC thermostat and another thermometer in the house.
We load the stove at bedtime, turn it down, and go to bed.
The next morning it is borderline cool to comfortable. We turn the stove up to mid-normal range. By the time we are done with breakfast, we are typically turning the stove back down.
We have a good, hot burn on the first night, so we get a nice "clearing burn" from a cleaned out fire box at least once a "burn cycle" for us- although typically we'll open the damper at least once again during a burn cycle.
We haven't turned on the heat pump or the back up gas furnace at this location this year. Last year we invoked it once (one time) when it was *particularly cold* outside (teens without accounting for wind chill) just to move the heat around the house, and so as not to lose too many BTUs in the ductwork while we were moving the heat.
If the Blaze King isn't raising your household temps like you'd like, look to your insulation and air sealing/weather proofing. We learned that one the hard way in town with the 1950s bungalow and the Napoleon NPS-40. Additional attic insulation and air sealing made the difference there.
Edited to add: OH NEVER MIND. You are talking about a shop. Never mind on insulation. You know more about what you are doing that I ever will.
Hope this helps.
<:3~
Last edited:
Everyone back east is probably going to have a pleasant surprise with their heating bill. Highbeam has been seeing much colder temps.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I'm tracking by heating degree days, and subtracting our calculated daily usage for DHW, so it should scale out to some degree. I find their error(s) in my method actually favors colder weather, as it always looks like my usage/HDD goes up a little when it's warmer. Probably because I often let the stoves go out when it's > 50F.
- Status
