2014-2015 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[rdust]

Happy New Year! Filled the belly with ash and oak tonight.

 

[jeff_t]

Happy New Year! Filled the belly with ash and oak tonight.

View attachment 149099

Eight splits. That's more like it

 

[Rossco]

It's official as of MST : HAPPY NEW YEAR to all me fellow BK and wood burners.

Been an up & down year but its ended.

Got the BK cranked and Iam sweating in here @ 24C.

Good luck everyone.

 

[Poindexter]

(Yawn) Another month, another boring update.

1756 heating degree days (base 65) for Dec 2014, second warmest December in recorded history here. The average temp for the month, 24/7/31 as it were was +8dF. Dec 2013 I had 2156 HDD, Dec 2012 2550 HDD, all base 65.

Stove is loafing. I have tried a new load method, one enormous split against the wall on the left and then fill the right side with small and medium splits. My wife works for the University, been home every day for a couple weeks. It gives a nice burst of heat when everyone is up and moving, and then settles down to a moderate glow for the rest of the 12 hour burn cycle with the cat mostly active and the house not too terribly hot.

Supposed to get down to -25dF over the weekend with day time highs in the -10s F. Looking forward to it, I would really like to find out what this stove can do, these positive numbers I am seeing, well, I got more stove than I need and time to figure out how to load it best.

I am keeping 1200sqft of 5 star energy rated at +80dF with ambients at +8dF average, with just enough wood burning to keep the cat active.

Long term forecast for January is "unseasonably warm", I guess we'll see. I would love to say I am burning "x" much less wood than last year, but correcting for the warmer temps makes it kinda iffy. I will take on math like that for the whole season once I get to April, but I got better things to do with my time than headaches like that right now. Seat of the pants, I am carrying less wood to the stove than I was last year, even allowing for the milder winter I am having this year.

I would really like a good solid week at -30dF and colder to get a reading on that consumption before I try to compare this winter to last winter. Off the cuff, 20-30% less wood than I burnt in my 10 year old EPA non-cat is probably about right for the Ashford.

 

[Dieselhead]

I used the ash pan in my ultra for the first time yesterday. I have to say I liked it. I overfilled it (twice) and ashes spilled out into the base of the stove but that's my fault. It beat shoveling the hot ash into my bucket and have the dust fly all over the house. I wore gloves the canister gets hot. i don't have the luxury to let the stove sit for 2-3 days and let the embers burn out. Ash was about as high as the door lip and after 2 fills, there was about and inch or 2 left on the bottom of the stove.

 

[TheBigIron]

Hello all.

I'm new here so go easy Couple of question for you experts. I currently have a wood insert in my fireplace of my home which is approximately 2500 sq ft 2 story home. Located in North Central IL, home was built in the early 1900's with fair insulation. Windows are of the 1980's technology (crank andersons), house has pebble ash for exterior which I don't think its wrapped in Typar paper. Attic insulation is 40". My insert which is located in my family room only heats the room it's in and I lose 50percent of the heat through the chimney chase cause its set back in there.

Question 1; With the blaze King (King) can the flue be vented out the back of the stove? Would this hinder its performance at all. I want to extend my hearth and place the stove into the room and use the same chimney (I would just have to increase the flue size from 6 to 8".

Question 2; I'm also considering an add on wood furnace however I could not hook into my second floor furnace because of my ductwork in the attic is flexible ducting. I would rather have the free standing stove if I ever lost power no issues would come from not having power to the unit.

Help would be appreciated from you experts. Thanks for your time Dave

 

[rdust]

Hello all.

Question 1; With the blaze King (King) can the flue be vented out the back of the stove? Would this hinder its performance at all. I want to extend my hearth and place the stove into the room and use the same chimney (I would just have to increase the flue size from 6 to 8".

Welcome! There is a lot you can learn here.

The BKK is a top vent only, I believe BK recommends a 36" rise before any elbows.

If you're dead set on a rear vent check out the Woodstock stoves.

 

[Rossco]

Going through wood steady. Still having a few 'Negative Pressure' Problems that disappears when I open the basement up while loading wood in.

Severe weather warnings across the valley. 'Warm Pacific air meeting cold Northern currents = SNOW!!'

Currently -15C here with a -27C wind chill brrrrrrrr

The Zone: You wanna rear vent the King? Top Vent only eh.

Edit: rdust beat me too it. Get ya next time partner

 

[jeff_t]

My insert which is located in my family room only heats the room it's in and I lose 50percent of the heat through the chimney chase cause its set back in there.

Is there a block off plate in there?

 

[TheBigIron]

Is there a block off plate in there?

My insert sits in my fireplace and I only get from the glass and the blowers from the front

 

[tigger]

With the temps rising into the 50's today I took the opportunity to run my new sooteater. Came up with about 2 cups worth. I have been running it fairly low for most of the season with the mild winter we have had in New England. It's also my first year running a blaze king. My liner is uninsulated also. I'm guessing that's about where I should be. I have to say I really like the sooteater also. Pretty easy with the insert.

 

[turbojoe]

Time to stretch the legs on my Princess, Cold snap starting tonight in Michigan. I need about 550/600 st to keep the house warm.
How long can you maintain 600 st without touching the stove ?
I need to bump the air a few times or it dies down to 350/400 after 4 hours.

 

[rdust]

Time to stretch the legs on my Princess, Cold snap starting tonight in Michigan. I need about 550/600 st to keep the house warm.
How long can you maintain 600 st without touching the stove ?
I need to bump the air a few times or it dies down to 350/400 after 4 hours.

I have no idea, probably not long enough but I've never tried since it's not needed here. A 400* ST will maintain my temps in this weather. It's gonna be a fun week looking at the 10 day forecast.

 

[turbojoe]

I have no idea, probably not long enough but I've never tried since it's not needed here. A 400* ST will maintain my temps in this weather. It's gonna be a fun week looking at the 10 day forecast.

Sounds like a perfect match, it loves to run 400/450 forever.
I finally have shoulder season, slow and low down pat
Now time to learn how to run her in cold weather.
Not impressed with the TStat at higher temps. Very slow to adjust the air valve if at all.
Still love the stove Chris
Can't wait to take control of the air... I'm a control freak...lol

 

[Highbeam]

Time to stretch the legs on my Princess, Cold snap starting tonight in Michigan. I need about 550/600 st to keep the house warm.
How long can you maintain 600 st without touching the stove ?
I need to bump the air a few times or it dies down to 350/400 after 4 hours.

Rather than try and bump up the stove top temp, kick the fans on. They make a huge difference in output. With a cat stove, the stove top temp is heavily influenced by the cat right there under the top. When you crank up the stat, the firebox also heats up for a bigger heated surface even if the stt doesn't change much.

 

[turbojoe]

Rather than try and bump up the stove top temp, kick the fans on. They make a huge difference in output. With a cat stove, the stove top temp is heavily influenced by the cat right there under the top. When you crank up the stat, the firebox also heats up for a bigger heated surface even if the stt doesn't change much.

Good point Highbeam. I
I generally only use it on low. I think I'm trying to use it like my tube stove that put out tons of convection heat with no blower. It looks like this stove benefits alot from pulling the heat with the blower.

 

[Quentin2]

+1 on the blowers Im running medium to high with our cold temps.
It's been a record over a full calendar year with no below zero. That record ends tonight, -3f at my house and I'm actually glad to see it. Maybe now when a storm rolls in it will warm up and snow instead of rain.

Stoves doing really well, I suspect my home is insulated pretty good compared to some. Stove gets up around 600 in the beginning, but certainly isn't holding that for very long.

 

[rdust]

Good point Highbeam. I
I generally only use it on low. I think I'm trying to use it like my tube stove that put out tons of convection heat with no blower. It looks like this stove benefits alot from pulling the heat with the blower.

Without a doubt you need to use the blower when it's colder. 30 and above I run without the blower when much below 30 I run it on low. I have only a time or two ran it higher than low. Right now blower is on low, t-stat on the line of the normal range(a touch below the n) stove top 575* about 3 hours into the load.

 

[rdust]

Not impressed with the TStat at higher temps. Very slow to adjust the air valve if at all.

T-stat is a simple design, it's not overly sensitive. I think it's fine for a wood stove, a fire doesn't respond that quickly so you have to be careful how quickly you make adjustments or the fire will never have a chance to settle in. It's been discussed many times before, while not perfect I'll take it over not having it. I think it does it's best work early on in a fresh load.

 

[Poindexter]

A burn regime that has been working for me between shoulder season and really cold. Might be worth a try for some of y'all.

Bottom layer is 2 biologs sandwiched between two splits, all laying E-W on a decent bed of coals. Above that on the far left is one enormous split, it was an 8" round, split once into two pieces about three years ago. Filled in on the right with small splits.

It seems like what this is doing for me is a medium warm burn, but plenty of heat at the front end of the burn from all the smalls on the right for sure. But when the smalls on the right get down to coals, the biggun on the left is still putting out vapors for the cat to eat, so the cat temp stays kinda medium high, say a finger width above active, for several hours. Later later in the burn when the smalls are pretty well ash, I can whack the biggun a couple times with the BK provided tool and have a bed of coals for the next load....

 

[Quentin2]

How's your glass looking these days poindexter?
How's everybody's glass looking? I was kinda curious about the newer model but let's see some door closed bk pics.

I experimented with best way to get a realistic pic and I think dark room with flash worked best for me.
If it's just coals no flash.

 

[Rossco]

I will see your 90% clear glass and raise you a 100.



Burning pretttttty dry wood and turned it up during the cold snap.

 

[Quentin2]

Daaamnn, that's better than the fake fire in the brochures
Do you ever clean your glass? I will admit I have not cleaned mine once in 2 years of owning.

 

[Rossco]

Daaamnn, that's better than the fake fire in the brochures
Do you ever clean your glass? I will admit I have not cleaned mine once in 2 years of owning.

Ha thanks allot. I have a draft problem. I.E Voracious at these ambient temps. That's set on the Cold line of 'Norm'

It's my first season with the BK, I only cleaned the PE glass when bored during the summer. I prefer to cleanse it with fire.

 

[Dieselhead]

Time to stretch the legs on my Princess, Cold snap starting tonight in Michigan. I need about 550/600 st to keep the house warm.
How long can you maintain 600 st without touching the stove ?
I need to bump the air a few times or it dies down to 350/400 after 4 hours.

About 14 hrs on my king ultra, 550 is a good temp with fans on low/med to keep my house at 70 when it's about 30 out. Mind you 550 is only above the cat, the top elsewhere is 100-200 deg less typically