BK princess owners need temps

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jtb51b

Feeling the Heat
Dec 24, 2007
361
Birmingham AL
Can any of you freestanding princess owners give me some of your real world stove top temps? I am having a terrible time heating my house with this stove this year. I finally remembered to get new batts for my IR gun and was suprised by the numbers. I am looking at a stove that when running at 1.5 I can muster about 400-450, but at 2 I can barely reach 500 and just run through a load of wood. What are your numbers? Does your stove shut itself down when set to 1.75 (bottom of normal), and at that time what sort of stove top temps (in front of the cat, center) do you see at that point? Also, when running at that setting what sort of burn times do you get? Its bad enough that my furnace has to run during 45* sunny days to keep the upstairs at 65-- this has not been the case previously. I had resigned to the fact that I was burning through my "wetter" wood ~22% (on resplit) but this stuff I have been on this week is a year older and crazy dry (~13%)..

Any ideas? Any numbers?


Jason
 
I don't know crap about your stove but the following posts are going to blast your basement install and say your wood is wet even though it sounds real dry to me. Are you suggesting it did well in yrs past and just became a problem this yr? Your sig line says all very warm and happy, might want to change that hehehehe.
 
I have only had this stove since February of last year. It did great at the end of the last season and during the shoulder season this year. Once the cold hit it fell on its face. We are still warm and happy, it just costs more (NG).. I have talked with BK and the dealer and they have not been able to fix he problem yet.. I was able to do this well with a Buck model 21, at 1.6cf.. I want some real world numbers before I decide on what route to take. With the price of this stove I need to be able to justify it, at this point I cannot.. I can keep a fire for a long time but I just can't get the heat out of it that I once could.. They have recommended I change the door gasket, it looks to me like the lip misses the gasket surface, I have shimmed the door up and it did tighten things but I still think I should be doing better.

Oh well, I have lost more $ than this on several other things--- why not a stove.. Thanks!

Jason
 
I'm really beginning to see that most of the success stories around these stoves is in settings that aren't super demanding. No doubt those suckers will extend a burn time real well as long as 300-400 degree stove top is enough to heat the area. If it requires 5,6 or 700 then those times go away quick. Heck my cheapy stove will hold coals for a long time once they get glazed over with ash, but thats not heat to me. Even though you are in AL where the demands aren't as great your experiencing what alot of people who heat from the basement do. Move that stove upstairs and you might be saying is running you out. I would like to here from someone else who has a BK in an uninsulated basement of about 1200-1500sqft.
 
I’m really beginning to see that most of the success stories around these stoves is in settings that aren’t super demanding. No doubt those suckers will extend a burn time real well as long as 300-400 degree stove top is enough to heat the area. If it requires 5,6 or 700 then those times go away quick. Heck my cheapy stove will hold coals for a long time once they get glazed over with ash, but thats not heat to me. Even though you are in AL where the demands aren’t as great your experiencing what alot of people who heat from the basement do. Move that stove upstairs and you might be saying is running you out. I would like to here from someone else who has a BK in an uninsulated basement of about 1200-1500sqft.
Click to expand...

Id have to disagree with your assessment, Im heating 2800 sf with my princess and when its cold (below 20) I run it good and hot day and night with three loads. I burn two long loads and a quick one to keep my loading times on schedule.
I think the OP has either a problem with the stove or the wood, his stove should easily heat in his climate on a couple loads a day.
 
weatherguy said:
I’m really beginning to see that most of the success stories around these stoves is in settings that aren’t super demanding. No doubt those suckers will extend a burn time real well as long as 300-400 degree stove top is enough to heat the area. If it requires 5,6 or 700 then those times go away quick. Heck my cheapy stove will hold coals for a long time once they get glazed over with ash, but thats not heat to me. Even though you are in AL where the demands aren’t as great your experiencing what alot of people who heat from the basement do. Move that stove upstairs and you might be saying is running you out. I would like to here from someone else who has a BK in an uninsulated basement of about 1200-1500sqft.
Click to expand...

Id have to disagree with your assessment, Im heating 2800 sf with my princess and when its cold (below 20) I run it good and hot day and night with three loads. I burn two long loads and a quick one to keep my loading times on schedule.
I think the OP has either a problem with the stove or the wood, his stove should easily heat in his climate on a couple loads a day.
Click to expand...
Is that 2800sqft on one floor? I'm really learning what a heat sink a basement is. If that is all on 1 or even 2 floors above basement level then I wouldn't doubt it for a minute.
 
Its two levels, my first level is over 1000 feet and gets warm, sometimes a little too warm and the upper level is 1800+ sf and is more comfortable especially for sleeping. My wife kicks the hot air furnace on when she gets up at 5 because she wants heat right away in the morning but its shut off as soon as she leaves and stays off all day. It took me most of last year and this year to learn how to get the most out of the stove, its my first wood burner but its a great stove and would get another if I ever move.
An unfinished basement will rob a lot of heat as a lot of people have found out. Nothing that cant be fixed with a little work and some insulation.
 
Counting the basement I'm heating,or trying to, the same square as you. But not only do I heat from the basement but a walkout one to boot. I've known for yrs the walkout wall is a problem but just haven't done anything about it yet. On cold nights like tonight standing near the wall you can feel the cold coming through the block. Probably not a stove made that can overcome the BTU loses I have there.
 
Your going to have to insulate, its not that expensive depending on how you wantg to go about doing it.
Its been a cold winter here too, we've broken 32 maybe twice since the new year and a lot of nights in the single digits.

heres my yard, been like this for a month

IMG_0194.jpg
 
Ok, I know its tough but lets get back on track here. Regardless of what room or floor, insulated or not-- the stove top temps have dropped.. Last february (when I first installed the stove) I could easily maintain 500* through the night, and most of the morning on a load-- OF THE SAME WOOD I AM NOW BURNING A YEAR LATER. The wood is obviously dryer than it was last year-- it has never left my wood shed. The chimney has NOT changed, nothing else has either-- that I can tell.. But I cannot get the heat ouput to stay up where it once was without just running the stove much higher and running out of wood quickly. The thermostat does NOT change the fire-- because the temps never get up. I have a good working thermostat (tested on and off the stove now) the door gasket is sealing better than before but with the door bottom "lip"does not seem to contact the gasket surface correctly-- not that it could have changed from year to year but still.. I also now get much more coals that last year, I have to burn down coals daily and never had to do that before..

Jason
 
I really think you should replace the door gasket ASAP. It takes about 10 minutes to remove the door from the stove and pull the old gasket off and then put the new glue with gasket in place. I would get that done! It has made a huge differnce with my Princess insert. You BK dealer can drop ship the glue and gasket directly to your home all for about $25.
Have you tried tightening the door latch?
Good luck!
 
If I left the stove run on #2 I would have stove temps of 600-700* without trying.

With the knob straight up and down it will cruise all day at 350-400* which is plenty of heat to keep my house at 75*. If it drops much below zero I do kick it up to #1, but that's as high as I go.
 
Have you cleaned the cat since last season?
 
Lanning said:
I really think you should replace the door gasket ASAP. It takes about 10 minutes to remove the door from the stove and pull the old gasket off and then put the new glue with gasket in place. I would get that done! It has made a huge differnce with my Princess insert. You BK dealer can drop ship the glue and gasket directly to your home all for about $25.
Have you tried tightening the door latch?
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Door gasket is on the way, door is tightened as far as possible. Door seems to sit very low, even compared to by buddies princess insert. Not sure if thats part of the problem or not.

Jason
 
NATE379 said:
If I left the stove run on #2 I would have stove temps of 600-700* without trying.

With the knob straight up and down it will cruise all day at 350-400* which is plenty of heat to keep my house at 75*. If it drops much below zero I do kick it up to #1, but that's as high as I go.
Click to expand...

Thats what I thought. Thats exactly how this one USED to behave but not anymore. Thank you for the numbers, at least I have something to go by (other than my memory!)

Jason
 
bluefrier said:
Have you cleaned the cat since last season?
Click to expand...

Yes, the cat has been vaccummed recently. I have not removed it, and there appeared to be no buildup on it at all.. Cat lights off well but really does not stay in the active throughout the burn.

Jason
 
leave the t stat higher like 2 1/5 or 2.5 . and is it reading 500 on 2 with the fan on or off? on 2 my stove will run about 500 or warmer for 4 or 5 hours. go up to mid 2's and ur over 600. this is with fan on
 
ecocavalier02 said:
leave the t stat higher like 2 1/5 or 2.5 . and is it reading 500 on 2 with the fan on or off? on 2 my stove will run about 500 or warmer for 4 or 5 hours. go up to mid 2's and ur over 600. this is with fan on
Click to expand...

Any you get a 4-5 hr burn with a full load, and only 500 or so? Wow, I hope I can do better than that.. I was doing that with my old buck 21, at 1.6 CF. Maybe I am misreading.

Jason
 
jtb51b said:
ecocavalier02 said:
leave the t stat higher like 2 1/5 or 2.5 . and is it reading 500 on 2 with the fan on or off? on 2 my stove will run about 500 or warmer for 4 or 5 hours. go up to mid 2's and ur over 600. this is with fan on
Click to expand...

Any you get a 4-5 hr burn with a full load, and only 500 or so? Wow, I hope I can do better than that.. I was doing that with my old buck 21, at 1.6 CF. Maybe I am misreading.

Jason
Click to expand...
probably 9 10 hours later its at about 350 400 or so if i leave it on just 2 thats with the fan on. dont really pay attention to it that much. the house is warm thats all i care about. 4 to 5 hours of constant 500 degree temp with the fan blowing over it is pretty long by the way it slowly goes down after that . if i turn the fan off itd read hotter. if im running hotter like mid 2's or higher i'll get 650 700 degrees for a while. if i leave it on 3 she'' be crankin close to 800 if i leave let it.
 
Ok, that sounds a bit more like it. I could deal with that then.. Right now I lose the higher temps much quicker and drop much lower than 400.. I will measure it in the morning but I imagine at 6am (just loaded) I will be below 300, maybe below 250..

Jason
 
jtb51b said:
Lanning said:
I really think you should replace the door gasket ASAP. It takes about 10 minutes to remove the door from the stove and pull the old gasket off and then put the new glue with gasket in place. I would get that done! It has made a huge differnce with my Princess insert. You BK dealer can drop ship the glue and gasket directly to your home all for about $25.
Have you tried tightening the door latch?
Good luck!
Click to expand...

Door gasket is on the way, door is tightened as far as possible. Door seems to sit very low, even compared to by buddies princess insert. Not sure if thats part of the problem or not.

Jason
Click to expand...

Try running a flame from a butane grill lighter around the door. If it's sucking air by the door gasket, the flame from the lighter should get sucked in where it's leaking.
 
Ok, 6am (9 hours after full load) the stovetop was at 260 directly in front of the cat. It was less everywhere else of course. The cat was inactive and there was a ton of coals, not glowing just black charcoal, turn the air up and they began to glow quickly.. Is this what others are seeing after 9 hours? BTW, it did NOT even keep the basement about 70* 4 ft in front of the stove beyond 3 am.

Jason
 
I loaded the stove twice today, full loads at 7am and 12pm-- burned to coals by 5pm.. On the good side, I was able to keep the house 68 today-- even though it was 44 outside and very sunny.. I hope a door gasket fixes this problem, I will be out of wood WAY soon at this rate!

Jason
 
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