Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
That's the intake, yes. Once it gets inside, where's the outlet? Usually there's tubes for an air wash system. I don't see any tubes.
2016-17 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)
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Highbeam
Minister of Fire
The tubes are not like the tubes in a non-cat. The tubes are those two big (maybe 2"?) diameter pipes that run north/south across the roof to bring air from the rear of the stove to the front. The tubes are not perforated like in a non-cat. When you open the loading door, look at the very top corners and you can see where the tubes dump combustion air into that area at the top of the loading door. You can see them in the firebox way up near the top beside the cat chamber on either side. Heavy wall steel.
Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
My lopi has them. Part of the airwash system. I know what they look like. No tubes. This is the princess insert. It must just come out in the lower fron,t below the door, and behind the firebricks. I've looked at the online manual, and don't see anything, including pics of any tubes.
I've also noticed there's also metal "tabs" on both sides of the cat. I don't see any info on those either in the manual. What the manual does talk about is different "tabs" that's helps hold the cat into place. These are on the other side of those. Some sort of air diverter, or blocker I guess. It's thin metal, not attached to the top, so it wiggles if you touch it.
I've also noticed there's also metal "tabs" on both sides of the cat. I don't see any info on those either in the manual. What the manual does talk about is different "tabs" that's helps hold the cat into place. These are on the other side of those. Some sort of air diverter, or blocker I guess. It's thin metal, not attached to the top, so it wiggles if you touch it.
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The extension on those tabs on each side of the cat also hold the back of the bypass damper in place. I found that out when I shut my bypass with them out. Without them the damper will raise up out of its slots
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Mr. Jones
Feeling the Heat
I figured out where the tubes are. It's more of a false wall on both sides with a tube on the inside of the false wall. The left side is for the blower fan. The right side is the air intake. It goes up the front right corner, and then comes out in a space about an inch tall, and as wide as the glass right above the glass. It's basically just hidden better than tubes out in the open.
mwhitnee
Minister of Fire
Can someone please lead me to the link to lubricate the air control on my King? I have the fans.
Stove pipe is all painted andI don't want to reinstall it without doing this. Thanks!
Stove pipe is all painted andI don't want to reinstall it without doing this. Thanks!
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Ho ho! Scouts at the National Weather Service have sighted our first stove night here!
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2nd burn of the season. 6 small splits. Kind of a minimum load, just enough to get the cat active and take the chill off.
42....that's a nice summer night. No need for a fire, just snuggle up with the Mrs.....I am just jealous. We have a rule to only start a fire when it dips into the 30s. Looks like it's a ways off for me!
Woody harrelson
Feeling the Heat
I have the princess so I'm not sure this will work for you but it's very simple. In between the two fans is the thermostat housing. Mine had a sticker on it saying do not remove this cover. It's held on by 2 screws and possibly a blob of silicone. Pull that off and lube where the shaft rotates with nickel anti-seize. If I remember correctly I used a little acid brush. I was told don't worry about reapplying any silicone when you reinstall it. Btw nice swoosh sticker
Woody harrelson
Feeling the Heat
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...rformance-thread-everything-bk.145814/page-66 Post 1635 is where it's at
Pic of the new steelcat. I'm going to hold out judgment on it NOT having a gasket for now. The only instructions is "do not use a gasket, just put it in leaving room for expansion." I found that I have about 1/4" gap between the top of the cat and the stove but after an e-mail inquiry was told that was fine.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
I feel that, under these sad and stoveless circumstances, 42 is clearly in the 30s.
I wonder what the "official" recommendation is on the cat gasket? To use or not to use? Today I made a pyramid of small splits 6" high and 8" wide in the center of the stove for a short fire. After 12 minutes ,when the flue hit 400, I rolled the damper over with the cat thermometer pointing at "I" on inactive. Two minutes later the Cat thermometer was in the active zone bellowing heat. I guess this amazes me because my previous stove was a "downdraft" type burner and required at least 20 minutes before damper rollover. An early rollover would result in a cat ignite failure and a lot of smoke at the flue cap. Eventually I purchased an electronic cat thermometer so start-ups were not done blindly. A mechanical thermometer could not be used as it was inserted at the rear of the stove. I was not happy with that situation at all.
mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
You might be able to convert that cat thermometer to monitor your flue temps with a new thermocouple, unless it is the Condar one, I would just sell it.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
My steel cat came with a new gasket. I would acquire the required gasket and think that this is another case of a dealer more concerned with profit than making it right. The cat does look like durafoil though.
Agreed, I will get a gasket but am going to try it without just from curiousity. I don't see it expanding to the point of closing that kind of gap but only one way to find out.
The sides are fairly snug but since they advice not to use a gasket I think at least putting a lip across the top of the cat would have been better.
Woody harrelson
Feeling the Heat
I ordered a steelcat from them too. It will be here Monday. I will see how mine fits. I read that no other gasket is needed
Yes it is the Condar unit that indicates in 50F steps. I do have a Condar probe mechanical unit in the flue. The silly electrical unit turns itself off every 2 minutes. Quite a nuisance to keep pushing the on button. Any cat stove that does not come with a cat thermometer is questionable in my book.
mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
At one time they sold an AC adapter for those older units, looks like they have ditched all reference to the old one in favor of the new watchmen unit. I think on AC power the unit stays on.
Most of us got the Auber AT-100 which is a lot better. Digital Cat Probe
Wonderfully, the BKs use the elegantly simple and reliable mechanical indicator. The go/no go scale is great. Could not be easier to use.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Some of us have intimate knowledge of combustion. Many burners do not. The "increment less" dial permits most anybody to operate the stove with excellent results by just following the manual. Like the thermostat swoosh, having no increments avoids a lot of unnecessary operational questions induced by so-called experts that only result in improper stove operation. Then again, some people will use the manual to start the fire and condemn the stove as no good. If you are an inquisitive combustion tech, replace the thermometer with one that has marked graduations and analyze away. Ask all the questions you want. Just do it here, where the true experts will actually reside.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Ditto, on that. Mine was a Jotul F12, and I got used to it, because I didn't know any better.
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I can't wait to hear your review on the steel cat, especially since it doesn't need a gasket! Where did you get it and how much did you pay?
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