Newbie here..

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HotCoals

Minister of Fire
Oct 27, 2010
3,429
Rochester,Ny.
Well I have been burning a BK classic for 24 years.
Stove has had some welding done and it is finally getting beat inside the box.

So we went looking for a replacement.
First store had a great selection...but no Blaze King.
Wife looks around for awhile then says to the clerk...Nice stoves but do you have any full size ones we can look at..these display ones must be like 1/2 size.
Clerk says no they are full size..
She says ..Really?
They look awful small. lol


Anyways he trys to sell her a Lopi Liberty ..she says she will think about it.
We get out in the car and she says they all looked like toy stoves..lol.
So now I tell her about the BK cat.
Find me a BK dealer.

So the following Sunday we drive 45 mins to a BK dealer.

So now in a month our new BK King Cat Classic should be in..3200+tax...dang!
They would not budge.
But with the tax deal almost a thousand off !
I read here a month off and on before even mentioning the BK Cat to her.

I have always used 15-17 face cord with the non-cat BK..If I save a 1/3 I will be happy as heck!
I pay 70 a FC delivered.
House built in 1986..2500 sq.ft colonial.
Total electric house with heat pump and a big toaster in the basement.
Seems like a great group here and look forward to great wood stove talk!
Burn,baby burn!
 
Here is a pic of our old BK.
S5300001.jpg
 
You made the right choice and it will pay for itself in a few years. Probably save 1/3 on firewood.
 
I hope so..always thought the 10-12c hour burns of the non cat was pretty good..but 20+ hour burns in 40°F weather sounds crazy.
From what I can tell I guess the new stove is the same size so it should slip right in.
One question for you guys..should I leave the damper in place or put a new piece of pipe in its place?
 
Is that double wall pipe or single? I think Blaze King recomends at least a 36" vertical rise of double wall before any elbow. If it's just a straight shot your probably fine and if the pipe is in good shape reuse it and leave the damper, if you need it, it's there, if not no biggy.
 
It's single wall pipe till it goes through my ceiling into the second story..then straight up through the roof.
Since there are no elbows I think I'm ok with the single wall..but maybe I should buy new ..I mean the pipe is 24 years old.
Should I get double then if I do?
 
You can leave the key damper in, just leave it in the full open position. Or remove the damper from the pipe and screw a couple of short 5/16" bolts into the 2 holes. C

And congratulations on the new stove. Take some shots when it's burning.
 
10-4..when it gets here I will!
I just went and tapped on the pipes and looked them over...they seem fine.
If I don't need to replace that would save a few bucks..but i don't want to skimp on safety.
 
If you are at all concerned with the older pipe, then replace it. That pipe is not expensive but if it gives you piece of mind it will be worth the added expense. At the least, you can take the pipe down to inspect it to see what shape it is in.

Good luck on the new stove.
 
As Dennis said, there ain't nothin wrong with taking a good hard look at your old pipe. Heck, your gonna have the stove out of the way anyhow. Might as well inspect it good. If its in good shape, there is no need to buy new and it will give you a piece of mind doing it. The key damper shouldn't be an issue.

Congrats on the new stove. Nothing has been mentioned about your wood supply but be aware that the new stoves like the dry stuff. Your old BK would burn through some marginal wood, where the new one won't.
 
Congrats on the new stove - I bet you and the wife will be happy.

It sounds like you have a pretty ideal setup there for the new stove so draft shouldn't be a problem but the cat BK will run a lot cooler on the stack (especially in the low burns) and with shoulder season burning being the worst possible draft times I think that is the reason BK recommends the double wall pipe.

Another thought on the new pipe vs keeping the old. I believe that if you did the new pipe now as part of the install of the new stove it can count for the tax credit, thus saving you 30% on the cost of the pipe. Might make a difference or not - keeping the old pipe is a 100% savings after all.
 
Oh..so the double wall pipe is to help keep stack temps up more then it is to protect people and things around it..I get it now.
I think I will go new double wall for peace of mind of pipe condition and good point about getting the 30% off the pipe also.

I pay 70 a FC for delivered mixed hardwoods...seasoned pretty good but not over a year ..if a year.
I'm buying a meter also..thanks again guys.
 
BTW..am I right in thinking the BK only has a cat and no secondary burn tubes?
If so do any cat stoves have burn tubes?
 
I pay 70 a FC for delivered mixed hardwoods...seasoned pretty good but not over a year ..if a year.
I'm buying a meter also..thanks again guys.[/quote]


Congrats on the new stove Rochesterian ...If your looking for a cheap meter I bought one at Harbor Freight in Henrietta store, works fine for 15 bucks...
Good Luck
md
 
Lighting Up said:
I pay 70 a FC for delivered mixed hardwoods...seasoned pretty good but not over a year ..if a year.
I'm buying a meter also..thanks again guys.


Congrats on the new stove Rochesterian ...If your looking for a cheap meter I bought one at Harbor Freight in Henrietta store, works fine for 15 bucks...
Good Luck
md[/quote]

I didn't even know there was HF out there till last summer..lol.
I'm actually in Brockport.
I'll get out there for the meter..I want to look around again anyways..place is like a cheap candy store to me..lol.
 
HotCoals said:
BTW..am I right in thinking the BK only has a cat and no secondary burn tubes?
If so do any cat stoves have burn tubes?

Not yet as far as I know from the main mfgrs, However.... the new stove from Woodstock is going to do just that in order to maximize efficiency and clean burns at both high and low burns.
 
HotCoals said:
I hope so..always thought the 10-12c hour burns of the non cat was pretty good..but 20+ hour burns in 40°F weather

You are going to love your new stove. I do 24 hour burns in 10-20 degree weather and my house is a lot older than yours. 40 degrees and you are loading every other day.

I have straight up double wall into class A. However, I would try what you have before you replace it. What's the worse that happens, you wait a couple days for double wall? Just decide before the end of the year for the tax credit.
 
SolarAndWood said:
HotCoals said:
I hope so..always thought the 10-12c hour burns of the non cat was pretty good..but 20+ hour burns in 40°F weather

You are going to love your new stove. I do 24 hour burns in 10-20 degree weather and my house is a lot older than yours. 40 degrees and you are loading every other day.

I have straight up double wall into class A. However, I would try what you have before you replace it. What's the worse that happens, you wait a couple days for double wall? Just decide before the end of the year for the tax credit.

Wow..those are great burn times.
I have 2x6 walls well insulated then high r over that then vinyl siding..holds heat pretty well..very good windows also..but i would not dream of 24 hour burns in 10 -20 degree weather..but I would love it!

On my second story the pipe goes through my walk in closet.
The pipe says ..model sc chimney..type ht...minimum air space to combustibles 2"...my clothes are about 6 inches away at one point..been that way for 24 years...used to make me nervous...lol..but you can hold your hand on the pipe with even a really hot fire..chrome looking pipe from Canada..I musta paid a big buck for it...lol.

I might just do the double wall now because the stove will be out and just to be good for another 24 years!
The pipe in my closet upstairs looks like new yet.
 
Every time I see a pic of a BK I think "Belly of the Beast" .. That thing screams heat!!
 
HotCoals said:
Lighting Up said:
I pay 70 a FC for delivered mixed hardwoods...seasoned pretty good but not over a year ..if a year.
I'm buying a meter also..thanks again guys.


Congrats on the new stove Rochesterian ...If your looking for a cheap meter I bought one at Harbor Freight in Henrietta store, works fine for 15 bucks...
Good Luck
md

I didn't even know there was HF out there till last summer..lol.
I'm actually in Brockport.
I'll get out there for the meter..I want to look around again anyways..place is like a cheap candy store to me..lol.[/quote]


Funny...Brockport...I get my Christmas Trees from there every year. Not far at all I'm in Ogden,

There's is also a HF store in Irondequiot but I sure you know that since you like them like a candy store. Can't agree more about the candy store...It's cold enough here right now to get the chill out of the house...burning right now.
md
 
45 degrees here and no fire..about 62 in here...heat pump will kick on at about 60.
I have maybe burned 1/2 a face so far.
I drive through part of Ogden to get to Chili everyday..lol.
They let me in on thier speeding rules a few months ago..I have the paper work to prove it.
Second one I have ever had.
I didn't realize it was a 45 where I was..I do now!
 
I can't wait to hear about your comparison once you get the new stove.

pen
 
Pen/
I happened to be in Lowes today and I think i saw your stove there...NC 30?
Really looked well built for the money and larger then I thought it would be..around 1100 which seems like a really good price compared to what I'm paying for a BK..dang..lol.
 
While I have a min I would like to say that the old BK I have can really heat the house...2500 sq.ft...two story.
Nothing to have it around 75 in here if I want to burn a lot of wood when its 0 out and blowing.
About 15-16 fc a season...we hardly ever use the heat pump or the electric furnace.
I don't use the blower anymore since the fan only runs on high now.
Ceiling fan is usually on med.

It's really going to take something to impress me with this new BK cat....I will let you all know how I feel about it after a week or so after it gets here..I'm not shy..lol.
But if its true that I can save 1/3 the wood and be as warm..I will be more then happy.
 
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