2014-2015 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[Shane Collins]

How do i fix my temp knob?
one day i came home after work and my knob would turn, but the rod would not catch it stays in one place.
i believe its stuck on 1 but, i need it at a 2. do to the cold weather in alaska.
so if someone can get back to me on how to fix it that'll be great.

What stove do you have? This happened on my BK Ashford, earlier in the thread I posted the fix for my stove. For setting and securing the thermostat on the BK Ashford, quoted from BKVP :

"Turn the rod clockwise until the rod will turn no more and comes to a natural stop. This may require a small pair of pliers depending upon hand or grip strength.
Now turn the knob clockwise until the white line is pointing straight down to the 6 o'clock position. Tighten the hex screw using your allen wrench.
Our apologies for this having come loose. It doesn't happen very often at all but it does a few times each year."

 

[BKVP]

Okay reading this thread I'm still a little confused on the t-stat on my sirocco 30. My dial has a normal range in gold. (1) At where should I here it close on a cold stove? And by closed this means that the flapper just shuts all the way correct? (2) when the stove is heated up and cat engaged and i turn the dial down from 3 and I hear it click i assume the flap is closed and the bimetallic piece of metal controls the are intake from that point? I'm just curious because my stove seems to fall inactive in a few hours at setting 1.75. I have seen maybe 15 hours of good heat output but not any more than that. From my undetstanding the t-stat should keep this from happening and this is how long burns are achieved. I burn fir. Just trying to see if my burns are running long enough.

Lots of variables can effect that burn time. Fir being a softwood is one of a few that come to mind. How long is your chimney? 15' should be about the minimum from stove top to cap. If you have a short stack, experience shows a little more draft will enhance performance with more btu output at the top end and a lot more control at the bottom end. If the cat is going inactive and you have fuel left (unburned wood) then there may be other issues.

Chris

 

[Gareth96]

So chimney size matters? sorry....

 

[tarzan]

AlaskanChick, have you corrected the problem with the thermostat knob or figured out another way to turn it yet?

 

[Stump shot]

Well god dam it.

So just in from nightshift, said it was -26C on the ride home. Pulled on drive, no visible smoke from stack.

Stove out and stone cold. Wife forgot to turn it down at bed time.

Dam it what's the point!

Do you have the fan kit for your stove?

 

[BKVP]

So chimney size matters? sorry....

Yes. Both diameter, length and the type of pipe used.

 

[jeffsk7]

The thermostat strives to maintain at any setting. If it's falling inactive at a setting of 1.75 then try turning it up a bit. Your wood and or draft may simply not allow you to run at that setting. You don't need to run the stove by the sound of the draft shutting at a particular setting but you should here it at or near 1 on a cold stove.

Well mine clicks shut around 1.5. I did run the stove at 1.5 all day. It was only around 35 f today. It seemed to hold there great. Although I'm not seeing 24 hour burns. I loaded full at 5am came home at 4pm stove top was 300 degrees cat just active and some nice coal to load up again. Anyone think I should get longer burns?

 

[jeffsk7]

Lots of variables can effect that burn time. Fir being a softwood is one of a few that come to mind. How long is your chimney? 15' should be about the minimum from stove top to cap. If you have a short stack, experience shows a little more draft will enhance performance with more btu output at the top end and a lot more control at the bottom end. If the cat is going inactive and you have fuel left (unburned wood) then there may be other issues.

Chris

From top of stove it is 18' single wall flex liner. Its not insulated due to the size of old clay chimney liner. There is just no room. But with the clay liner being surrounded by brick I would imagine that is insulating it some. The fir is about 15% on the moisture meter. And yes the cat will go inactive with wood in the stove.

 

[Highbeam]

Well mine clicks shut around 1.5. I did run the stove at 1.5 all day. It was only around 35 f today. It seemed to hold there great. Although I'm not seeing 24 hour burns. I loaded full at 5am came home at 4pm stove top was 300 degrees cat just active and some nice coal to load up again. Anyone think I should get longer burns?

It's a thermostat and will open as needed to maintain stove temp. When it opens, more fuel is burned. We had 32 degrees and howling winds for the last two days. I'm down to easy 12 hour burn cycles as a result of my house needing the heat and the stove providing it. You only get the long long burns when demand is low and fuel load is high.

 

[Rossco]

Do you have the fan kit for your stove?

You bet. Mines a basement princess and points at the stairs. Fans 100% essential for heating upstairs.

Thinking about buying the convection deck.

 

[BKVP]

From top of stove it is 18' single wall flex liner. Its not insulated due to the size of old clay chimney liner. There is just no room. But with the clay liner being surrounded by brick I would imagine that is insulating it some. The fir is about 15% on the moisture meter. And yes the cat will go inactive with wood in the stove.

That's probably the biggest issue you are facing, especially if that chimney with the single wall liner is also on an exterior wall. Post a picture if you don't mind.

Will it burn to completion on a full high burn?

 

[jeffsk7]

That's probably the biggest issue you are facing, especially if that chimney with the single wall liner is also on an exterior wall. Post a picture if you don't mind.

Will it burn to completion on a full high burn?

It will burn to completion on high and possibly all the way down to 1.5 if it stays below 40f. This is best pic I have of chimney.

 

[BKVP]

Sir, you need more draft to take advantage of the full burn opportunities for your stove. The "below 40" is because the stack effect is "fixing" the lack of draft. But once temps go up, your chimney will not allow full burn range.

Chris

 

[Ricky8443]

How much of the cat's heat affects the Tstat versus if you run the stove on bypass mode the entire time. I didn't close the bypass last night but had the tstat on very lowlow. That sucker was still burning a nice low heat this morning and actually put out what felt like 'more heat' throughout the night. Not sure why, but curious to learn more. obviously heat was being lost, but didnt' feel like it and stove was still 350 in the morning with cat well in the active zone ironically.

 

[tarzan]

How much of the cat's heat affects the Tstat versus if you run the stove on bypass mode the entire time. I didn't close the bypass last night but had the tstat on very lowlow. That sucker was still burning a nice low heat this morning and actually put out what felt like 'more heat' throughout the night. Not sure why, but curious to learn more. obviously heat was being lost, but didnt' feel like it and stove was still 350 in the morning with cat well in the active zone ironically.

Obviously you would have gotten more heat, had you diverted the smoke through the cat for it to eat and heat instead of the straight shot out the bypass.

What I suspect you witnessed was basicly a smoke dragon on a cold night. With the good draft you got a good low burn.

I have no doubt we could take the cats out of these things and heat our homes just fine. The cat just provides a bonus in the way of heat and a much cleaner burn.

Adding that last night I loaded the stove at 9pm. It's now 7:30am and my stove is running with the draft completely shut as it was at 10:30pm when I went to bed. It's 74f in the stove room and as I peer through the dirty glass I see some wood in there that looks like I could take it out and put it back in the stack! Loving it!

I added this since I'm getting my best burn yet and noticed you live north of me. We're having similar weather due to the Artic Vortex or Not Artic Vortex.

 

[firefighterjake]

So chimney size matters? sorry....

Lord forgive me for this one . . . but this was just too easy . . .

Size always matters . . . no matter what they say.












And yes . . . I'm talking about chimneys.

 

[BKVP]

How much of the cat's heat affects the Tstat versus if you run the stove on bypass mode the entire time. I didn't close the bypass last night but had the tstat on very lowlow. That sucker was still burning a nice low heat this morning and actually put out what felt like 'more heat' throughout the night. Not sure why, but curious to learn more. obviously heat was being lost, but didnt' feel like it and stove was still 350 in the morning with cat well in the active zone ironically.

The thermostats do not know if the by pass is open or closed. They respond to the temps inside the firebox. I should note that running with the by pass open will cause more accumulation inside your chimney. Second, running without the cat would be a Federal violation. (Just saying).

 

[jeffsk7]

Sir, you need more draft to take advantage of the full burn opportunities for your stove. The "below 40" is because the stack effect is "fixing" the lack of draft. But once temps go up, your chimney will not allow full burn range.

Chris

Thanks for all the information. I should explain that on warmer days around 45-50f I can burn my stove to completion, but the t-stat is around or just a little below 2. It gets pretty touchy as to what position will kill the cat. Bkvp are you saying I should get longer burns than 12-13 hours in temps around 32f? I know there are lots of variables to this, but on average with a sr30 burning fir at 32f how long will it burn? I don't want to fix my draft if its not a real problem. From what I've read about burn temps when the stove is cruising I am right around 450-300 for about 12 hours. Heck I'm happy with the stove, but want to make sure I'm getting all the benefits of long burns.

 

[BKVP]

Thanks for all the information. I should explain that on warmer days around 45-50f I can burn my stove to completion, but the t-stat is around or just a little below 2. It gets pretty touchy as to what position will kill the cat. Bkvp are you saying I should get longer burns than 12-13 hours in temps around 32f? I know there are lots of variables to this, but on average with a sr30 burning fir at 32f how long will it burn? I don't want to fix my draft if its not a real problem. From what I've read about burn temps when the stove is cruising I am right around 450-300 for about 12 hours. Heck I'm happy with the stove, but want to make sure I'm getting all the benefits of long burns.

So long as the cat stays active (check with fans in off position if you have them), and wood burns to completion and you are happy, 13 hours is fine for softwood with colder temps.

 

[jeffsk7]

Bkvp do you think I would benefit from 3 more feet of pipe? I'm not sure how well it would help my burns in colder weather. But when its warmer maybe I could extend my burns? Although, again on average with fir and the stove cruising what temp should the stove hold at and not kill the cat? Thanks again.

 

[BKVP]

I would leave it be. As for exit gas temps on th eback side of the cat, your stove came with a probe, we use thermocouples which are vastly a better indicator. Exhaust temps should be above 550F and below 1,200 during NORMAL operating conditions.

 

[jeffsk7]

Thank you! When you say exhaust temps are you talking on the outside of the single wall pipe directly above the stove?

 

[AlaskanChick]

What stove do you have? This happened on my BK Ashford, earlier in the thread I posted the fix for my stove. For setting and securing the thermostat on the BK Ashford, quoted from BKVP :
"Turn the rod clockwise until the rod will turn no more and comes to a natural stop. This may require a small pair of pliers depending upon hand or grip strength.
Now turn the knob clockwise until the white line is pointing straight down to the 6 o'clock position. Tighten the hex screw using your allen wrench.
Our apologies for this having come loose. It doesn't happen very often at all but it does a few times each year."

thanks this really helped. yes i did fix the problem. yes i do have a BK Ashford.

 

[BKVP]

Thank you! When you say exhaust temps are you talking on the outside of the single wall pipe directly above the stove?

It's the exhaust temp of the combustor. Your cat thermometer probe measures the Temps as gases exit the combustor.

 

[AlaskanChick]

AlaskanChick, have you corrected the problem with the thermostat knob or figured out another way to turn it yet?

Yes, I did fix my BK. The temp is good, now I don't have to worry about my house getting cold. I followed what Shane Collins quoted from BKVP. It really helps. Kind of struggled at first then i got the hang of it then fixed it.