2013-2014 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

[claybe]

Rdust, which stove do you have? What settings were you running?

 

[rdust]

Rdust, which stove do you have? What settings were you running?

Princess free standing, this time of year is usually between 1.5 and 1.75 with the blower off.

 

[PapaDave]

rdust, great pictorial report.
Just the kind of info I look for to help make a good, informed decision on my new stove.
Pretty sure it'll be the Sirocco.

 

[rdust]

I've complained about smoke spillage(not rolling out, more like a wisp) during the shoulder season since I installed this stove which I never had with my Endeavor. This season I swapped the 90* elbow out for 2 45* elbows instead. My chimney shouldn't have been borderline even with the 90, about 27' of insulated liner and about 3' of double wall inside. Since switching to the 45's I'm happy to report that smoke spillage hasn't been an issue! I just loaded up tonight on a hot coal bed and took my time on purpose, pieces were burning with the door open and no smoke came out! So far it seems like a good mod!

 

[rdust]

rdust, great pictorial report.
Just the kind of info I look for to help make a good, informed decision on my new stove.
Pretty sure it'll be the Sirocco.

They really are great burning stoves, I think you'll be happy if you end up with the Sirocco. I'm eying the Ashford but don't want to give up the firebox depth below the door. I usually don't have to shovel any ash during the shoulder season.

 

[BrowningBAR]

What is the going price for the Princess insert, the Sirroco 30, and tha Ashford 30 for the northeast?

Anyone?

 

[davenorthshorema]

Anyone?

I paid 3300 for the Princess in Massachusetts.

 

[oldspark]

So is there a secondary burn stove on the market with the same size firebox to get a fair comparision.

 

[BrowningBAR]

So is there a secondary burn stove on the market with the same size firebox to get a fair comparision.

What are you talking about ? Which stove? The 4.4 cu ft firebox, the 2.8 cu ft firebox, the 2.75 cu ft firebox, or the 1.8 cu ft firebox?

Your Summit is just a little larger than the Princess at 3 cu ft. The Equinox is a claimed 4 cu ft firebox. The Buck91 is 4.4 cu ft, but it is a cat stove (but does not get anywhere close to the same burn times). The Buck 94 is a 4.4 cu ft non-cat stove. The T4 is a 2 cu ft firebox, the Englander 13 is a 1.8 cu ft firebox. The PE Neo is 1.6 cu ft.

 

[oldspark]

The big boy, seems like the big firebox and the low temps are the key to the long burn times, wondeing out loud how it compared to a same sized secondary burn tube stove, seems like we dont hear much about the Equinox.
A large cat stove would change the way I burn, wish I could try more stoves.
Love the idea of load it and forget it.

 

[BrowningBAR]

The big boy, seems like the big firebox and the low temps are the key to the long burn times, wondeing out loud how it compared to a same sized secondary burn tube stove, seems like we dont hear much about the Equinox.
A large cat stove would change the way I burn, wish I could try more stoves.

The Buck 94 and the Equinox are in the same ballpark. Both will give you 14 hours of heat on a good day, based on reports here.

 

[Rickb]

I cant comment on any of the insert fans but the fan for my sirocco is adjustable from off to full speed and anything in-between. With the TV on you cant here it at about half speed. And as much heat that blows out from it at 1/2 speed I can't imagine ever needing it faster.

 

[PapaDave]

Rick, if I remember correctly, your home is somewhere around 1200 sq. ft., which is about where mine is.
Is the house well insulated? How has the 20 performed for you so far?

 

[Todd]

Reading through this thread kind a makes me miss my BK but so far the wife really like the replacement gas stove. She can go down there flip a switch and get instant heat as needed.

I'm keeping an eye out for the new Ashford 20, it may replace the Keystone upstairs in the future. Can anyone squeeze a 24 hour burn from the 20's fire box?

 

[BrowningBAR]

Reading through this thread kind a makes me miss my BK but so far the wife really like the replacement gas stove. She can go down there flip a switch and get instant heat as needed.

I'm keeping an eye out for the new Ashford 20, it may replace the Keystone upstairs in the future. Can anyone squeeze a 24 hour burn from the 20's fire box?

What will the gas stove cost you a year?

 

[Todd]

What will the gas stove cost you a year?

I don't know yet for sure but I'm thinking $25-$50 per month depending on the weather and how warm I want the basement.

 

[Rickb]

Rick, if I remember correctly, your home is somewhere around 1200 sq. ft., which is about where mine is.
Is the house well insulated? How has the 20 performed for you so far?

The stove is located int he basement. It is around 750sqft of good insulated finished area. There is a back room that is unfinished however it has a doorway that is closed. Then there is around 1200sqft on the main floor and another 800sqft on the second floor. It is all new construction so its not fantastic insulation but it is all insulated.

My main problem is with getting the hot air where I want it. Right now with it getting in the low 30's at night and 50's durning the day I have been running only 1 fire a day in the evenings and it is running around 76 in the basement and 71 on the main floor when I wake up at 5:30am. I am running a small fan on low blowing down the stairs.

When I finished the basement I did include a large return in the ceiling. So I am sure I could run it some to move the hot air around. I have an expensive wifi enabled programmable thermostat but it has no setting to turn the fan on say 5 minutes every 30 minutes or so.

 

[PapaDave]

Thanks Rick.
So, not really like my place at all.
Ranch, no basement.
Guess I'll keep the plan for the S 30.

 

[Rickb]

To be honest I think the 20 would be more then enough to heat 1200sqft. If I turn on the blower it will take my basement to 80F in short order and that is with the air turned as low as it will go. Unless your house is not insulated.

The 30 would give you longer burn times tho. So if you need more then 12 hour burn times the 30 may be a better fit.

 

[jeff_t]

I think your winters may be a little different too, Dave.

 

[PapaDave]

Yep, there's my problem.
The house has R-11 in the ceiling with loose vermiculite on top in spots. The vermiculite has compacted the batts down to about 1.5", so I still only have R-11 or less.
Supposed to be R-49 minimum around here, but the house was built about 40 years ago, and insulated, um, not well. Woefully inadequate.
Pulling the old insulation out in the stove room is interesting when the loose stuff is falling on my head......pouring, actually.
Luckily, it's a fairly small room...10x15', and it's not square. Inch and a half out in both directions.

 

[PapaDave]

Well Jeff, you'd know, eh? Gets a bit chilly here.

 

[claybe]

Princess free standing, this time of year is usually between 1.5 and 1.75 with the blower off.

Thanks. I have the princess insert and am not getting anything like those times. Does yours have dots or numbers for your settings? I packed mine about like yours last night at 6:00. Stove was pumping at 600 degrees for a while on 1.75 dots. It was at 400 when I went to bed at 10:00. This morning at 5:30 the stove was at 200 and the heat was on Any suggestions? Wood is silver maple and is dry. I am burning the uglies right now. Would that have anything to do with it?

 

[Highbeam]

Look carefully at the specs. Comparing the largest stove to the smallest stove you will see that the minimum output, the low setting, makes about the same heat for all models. The burn time is significantly higher on the larger models. The only time I would recommend a tiny stove like a 20 model is when you need the floor space really bad.

It's hard to understand the purchase of tiny cat stoves.

 

[Carlcox]

Just had my blowers installed on King Ultra, very quiet. Compared to a Buck 94. Really moves the heat around. We will see when it gets really cold.