2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[Woody Stover]

12 hour reloads are normal here in the winter even though it's not super cold usually....The worst part about reloading by constantly cycling fresh wood on top of a mound of hot coals is it tends to leave you with a huge amount of unburnt coalsfrom previous loads smothered beneath the ashes of later loads.....Coaling probably wouldn't be as much of an issue to you because of the differences in our available wood.

In my little stove I want the coals pretty low so I can get a big reload and crank heat for as long as possible. As you say, in normal weather there's no problem; At the end of the burn I can just open up the air on the coals and keep the stove top up around 300, which is usually enough to hold room temp around 70. This works out well for me because when the coals are low it's easy to swirl a poker through the ash and drop it into the pan, which gives me yet a little more room in the box. When it gets single-digits and windy, I have to add wood on top of a bigger coal bed and keep the cat cranking. Then I'm getting backed up on coals and trying to burn them down in the afternoon, when I don't need as much heat. As you say, they get buried under ashes and just sit there...you're gonna have to stir 'em up a couple times to keep 'em burning down.
+1 about the type of wood; When I load up on Black Locust, it's gonna take a while to burn down those coals! But they really put out some heat while I'm doing that.

 

[Woody Stover]

if it's cold, I throw some pine on top and burn it hot. When the pine is gone, so are the coals.

Yep, it works, but burning Pine kinda creeps me out when I see the black smoke that comes off of it. I keep thinking "do I really wanna run that through my cat?" I guess it's no big deal....it's the only kind of wood some folks burn and they don't seem to have any problems. Maybe they have nothing to compare it to, though. Maybe their cats do end up needing a cleaning sooner.

 

[jetsam]

Yep, it works, but burning Pine kinda creeps me out when I see the black smoke that comes off of it. I keep thinking "do I really wanna run that through my cat?" I guess it's no big deal....it's the only kind of wood some folks burn and they don't seem to have any problems. Maybe they have nothing to compare it to, though. Maybe their cats do end up needing a cleaning sooner.

My cat loves pine. It's a wonderful wood- hot burning, very little ash, no coals, and you can cut it down in the spring and burn it that winter.

The only disadvantages of pine are:

1) No coals (also an advantage)

2) Low BTU content/burn times

3) Everybody seems to have a story about That Guy Who Burned Pine And Then His House Burned Down. Nobody seems to know the guy's name, or how the pine caused his house to burn, so you get tired of hearing about him pretty fast.

 

[edyit]

3) Everybody seems to have a story about That Guy Who Burned Pine And Then His House Burned Down. Nobody seems to know the guy's name, or how the pine caused his house to burn, so you get tired of hearing about him pretty fast.

his house burned down because he mostly burned oak that was only seasoned for a few months just like the pine was, so it burned cooler and left lots of creosote, then when he burned the pine it actually burned instead of smoldering like the oak did, this caught his creosote laden chimney on fire

 

[jetsam]

his house burned down because he mostly burned oak that was only seasoned for a few months just like the pine was, so it burned cooler and left lots of creosote, then when he burned the pine it actually burned instead of smoldering like the oak did, this caught his creosote laden chimney on fire

That is a thing that could actually happen, but if I had to assign blame for that outcome, it would not go to the pine firewood.

That story reminds me of my grandmother. Every year she could not be arsed to cut up her christmas tree, so she would jam the whole thing into her giant stone fireplace and set the year's worth of creosote in the chimney on fire.... Just like a regular chimney sweeping, but with more eye rolling from the fire department.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I have had coaling issues last winter I just eventually gave up and shoveled them out. This year I put in a little more than a face cord of Fir up here it is Balsam fir not Douglas. I have not had to use the fir yet I have never tried burning soft wood in any stove so maybe I will try some Pine next year? if I don't have good luck with the fir. I am in hopes that the for burns well though I need to Patch cut some fir on my wood lot this winter so I will have all the 3-5" fir a man can use in 2 lifetimes.

 

[Poindexter]

Is that how you guys run your stoves in super cold places?

I am currently running 3 loads daily, a 4 hour and then two 10 hour burns. Daytime high was about -25dF.

Just home tonight the stove is "out" but the stove room is at +70dF, oil furnace will kick on at 62dF, the cat probe was up to the N in inactive. I did use a match, had the cat engaged about 15 minutes after closing the loading door, with no heroics.

I'll run high tstat and high fan until the bedtime reload, then medium tstat with low fan overnight, reload in the am and run another 10 hours on med tstat and low fan.

What I find when i get home from work kinda depends on where the wife had the stove adjusted when she left for work.

Looks like a polar vortex weather system is headed for WI and MN over the weekend, I am forecast to have highs in the positive single digits all next week- might be able to back down to 2 burns at 12 hours each.

 

[jetsam]

I am currently running 3 loads daily, a 4 hour and then two 10 hour burns. Daytime high was about -25dF.

If you put my house in that weather, I'd be on 8 3 hour burns per day. ☃

Edit: This thread needs more pictures!

 

[Ashful]

If you put my house in that weather, I'd be on 8 3 hour burns per day. [emoji951]

Edit: This thread needs more pictures!


View attachment 189866

I'd have to set this joint afire to stay warm, in those temps.

 

[jetsam]

I'd have to set this joint afire to stay warm, in those temps.

You can't, it's made of rocks.

 

[Ashful]

You can't, it's made of rocks.

Not the floors, and doors!

 

[Ashful]

I finally got those "women's" gloves so it is definitely easier to load now when it is blazing.

I wear hearth gloves, too. I could load without them, and have on many occasion, but I find I do a better and more careful job of neatly packing the wood into the stove with them on.

 

[Ashful]

Getting back to t'stat and fan settings for long burns, here are two reference points for anyone having trouble:

Photo 1: Ashford 30.1, set for 12 hour burn (red arrow) on 29 feet insulated 6" liner. T'stat set around 4 o'clock, fan set to about 25%.



Photo 2: Ashford 30.1, set for 24 hour burn (blue arrow) on 15 feet insulated 6" liner. T'stat set around 3:30 o'clock, fan set about 10% (which is the same speed as 25% on the other fans... BK isn't real consistent with these).



Points learned:

1. Different stoves can have enormously different burn times (12 hours vs. 24 hours) at almost the same t'stat setting, whether it be due to chimney height or inconsistencies in t'stat assembly/adjustment.

2. Although not demonstrated very well here, because we're looking at two different stoves, a small adjustment in the thermostat can have a huge impact on burn time. Less than 1 hour on the clock dial can be the difference between 12 and 24 hour burns, on either of these stoves.

3. I suggest new burners start experimenting with their t'stat set around 4 o'clock, as they're trying to find the sweet spot for their desired burn times. Resist the urge to make adjustments during the burn, just let it finish and record the time. Tape arrows (mine are colored electrical tape) on the dial help, as they can be easily moved as you dial in on your setting.

 

[volunbeer]

I have had coaling issues last winter I just eventually gave up and shoveled them out. This year I put in a little more than a face cord of Fir up here it is Balsam fir not Douglas. I have not had to use the fir yet I have never tried burning soft wood in any stove so maybe I will try some Pine next year? if I don't have good luck with the fir. I am in hopes that the for burns well though I need to Patch cut some fir on my wood lot this winter so I will have all the 3-5" fir a man can use in 2 lifetimes.

My stove loves the douglas fir - it does not last a real long time, but it burns hot with almost no ash or coals. It is the majority of my stack and I also burn the limbs (collect a huge pile and use the chop saw on them) so you can stuff them around the bigger splits.

 

[kennyp2339]

Burning down my coals today for a full fire box cleaning, I think the last time I cleaned the ashes out was 10 days ago, love the deep belly on this stove, and my coal build up isn't really that bad. A good trick to rack your coals forward on every load. pushing the ashes back into the rear of the firebox.
Last night it got down to 20deg f, inside stayed warm, I'm finding out that I get a ton more heat with the fan running on high (stove is in the basement) also keeping the burn in the low flame range and not smoldering, I'm down to 12hr reloads at these temps, but I'm not complaining, all in all this looks like a great start to the 3rd season of burning with this stove.

 

[rdust]

I think the last time I cleaned the ashes out was 10 days ago, love the deep belly on this stove

One of the best things about the stove. I haven't taken a scoop of ash out all season.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

My stove loves the douglas fir - it does not last a real long time, but it burns hot with almost no ash or coals. It is the majority of my stack and I also burn the limbs (collect a huge pile and use the chop saw on them) so you can stuff them around the bigger splits.

Yes I know what you mean. I ended up with over 2 cords of limb wood from Beach Yellow birch and maple. I too use them to fill the box with.

 

[Deeje]

Hey folks. I just put a new Ashford 30.1 in my house. It replaced an old Buck smoke dragon from the 70s, so this is my first time using anything even sort of modern. My first burn was 5 hours, next one was 8. I'm running it nearly full blast because the house got completely cooled due to an install hiccup.

I'm not seeing the BTUs I got out of my old one. Convective heat is not impressive, but it does warm the room when blowers are on. Can any of you Ashford owners chime in with the square feet you heat with yours? I'm struggling to warm an 1800 sqft farmhouse built like a sieve. Old stove kept us warm but got 4 hour burns and would be stone cold after 5 hours.

Burning ash, which is so plentiful around here due to the ash bore that people will pretty much pay you to take it. Don't know the moisture content yet, but I know it lit easily and burned hot in the old Buck stove. Thanks for any advice.

 

[drz1050]

If it's a leaky house, you're gonna have a hard time hearing the whole place..

My house is about 1300 sq ft, last winter the Ashford at full blast couldn't heat it all on the cold days, and the radiators came on. invested in insulation before this winter came around, and now it's heating the whole place on ~14 hr reloads.

 

[Poindexter]

Plugging air leaks is going to save you $$$ no matter what fuel you use for heat.

I am heating 1200sqft with an ashford 30.0, 2 burns 12 hours each down to around 0dF, easily maintaining 75-80 dF indoors.

@ -25 dF I run one 4 hour burn and 2 ten hour burns to maintain the same indoor temps.

Do you have any window frames or electrical boxes that arent leaking cold air? the degree loss per hour you are describing for your insulation envelope is epic.

 

[Jeff in Maine]

I have a very old house as well I use window kits and try not to run in and out when its cold. But that's hard when you have a Brittney Spaniel they are always on the wrong side of the door.

 

[jetsam]

I have a very old house as well I use window kits and try not to run in and out when its cold. But that's hard when you have a Brittney Spaniel they are always on the wrong side of the door.View attachment 189927

Replacement vinyl windows are cheap and easy to install. If you are using window kits because of old single pane windows, you will not believe the difference a cheap modern vinyl double pane window makes.

Also, I like your stove and your dog!

 

[kf6hap]

Attic insulation is usually the first thing to be done for the biggest bang for the buck. Hot air rises. It is often the easiest thing to do and can be done in stages.

 

[Ashful]

Hey folks. I just put a new Ashford 30.1 in my house. It replaced an old Buck smoke dragon from the 70s, so this is my first time using anything even sort of modern. My first burn was 5 hours, next one was 8. I'm running it nearly full blast because the house got completely cooled due to an install hiccup.

I'm not seeing the BTUs I got out of my old one. Convective heat is not impressive, but it does warm the room when blowers are on. Can any of you Ashford owners chime in with the square feet you heat with yours? I'm struggling to warm an 1800 sqft farmhouse built like a sieve. Old stove kept us warm but got 4 hour burns and would be stone cold after 5 hours.

Burning ash, which is so plentiful around here due to the ash bore that people will pretty much pay you to take it. Don't know the moisture content yet, but I know it lit easily and burned hot in the old Buck stove. Thanks for any advice.

There's a fixed BTU count in 2.5 cu ft of ash wood. There are only three differences between your old Buck and your new Ashford, in this regard:

1. The Ashford puts a larger percentage of those BTUs into your house, and less up the chimney.

2. The Ashford allows you to but at a very low rate, without gunning up your chimney.

3. The Buck may have been able to extract the BTUs from your load of ash at a slightly higher rate, 4 hours, versus the Ashford's 5 hours.

I'd think the difference in efficiency between the stoves would be enough to make up for the 20% difference in burn times, unless your Buck had a much larger firebox, in which case the difference in burn rate was even greater.

Bottom line, 1800 sq ft should be a slam dunk for any BK 30 stove. Your house may lose heat faster than mine! What's the construction?

 

[Jeff in Maine]

Replacement vinyl windows are cheap and easy to install. If you are using window kits because of old single pane windows, you will not believe the difference a cheap modern vinyl double pane window makes.

Also, I like your stove and your dog!

Thanks we like em both too, I do have double pane vinyl replacement windows they still bleed some air where the top sash and bottom sash come together in the middle. We replaced all 24 single pane windows many years ago.
We have Insulated all we can in the walls and 12" in the attic as well. The main issue is this is a two story house and the stairway is a giant passage way for heat as well as people up to the second floor which we do not use often. We have a second bath up there if not for that I would build an insulated doorway to close it off for the winter months. I can get the main house up to 68-72 but that's it.
We have a forced hot air furnace in the cellar for back up in case of a winter trip or something, but keep the thermostat set to 60* so it does not come on too much. We also have a 20x20 addition off the main floor Bedroom bath and walk in closet . That whole area has radiant floor heat,.. we have an on demand gas hot water heather for that system.
So the stove is really the main source of heat for the home really the radiant heat is good but the stove helps it a bunch I think, keeps it from running too much.
Another issue is the cellar it is not heated and some of the cold seeps up into the main house above. It would benefit from spray foam but with all the wiring and plumbing on the cellar ceiling not sure how that would all work out... Ya know burying all that under insulation and all.