Too Much Smoke

[Monosperma]

I recently installed a big ol' Blaze King. Just tried burning in daylight, and I am noticing a good bit of smoke (yes, smoke not steam) coming out of the chimney. This is an hour after starting the burn, the stove is hot, the cat probe thermometer is at 1600*, the stack thermometer is down to 250*. It seems to me that I should be in the zone, but the visible smoke exhaust says otherwise. While I have no complaint about the output of heat, I feel I am not running as efficiently as I could and should and, more important, I may be coating the inside of my flue needlessly. My firewood is definitely dry and seasoned. The draft is good. I am burning in a Blaze King KEJ 1101. It was a cheap find on Craigslist, age unknown, age of combustor also unknown. What might the causes and, more importantly, the remedy be? I know the cat is engaging (due to the measured temps) and it is glowing. Maybe it's long in the tooth and needs replaced? I don't know what else it might be, but I thought it might be good to engage wiser heads than mine.

 

[fire_man]

The strange thing is you say the combustor is glowing and you have a good probe temperature. It sounds to me like you have smoke bypassing the cat. Is there a gasket that could be worn?

 

[Monosperma]

... Is there a gasket that could be worn?

There is a gasket. I looked at it prior to the install and it looked good to me before the install, but it wouldn't be the first time I've been fooled.

 

[clemsonfor]

I have some smoke too, and i will get high temps and glowing cats. I suspect after fireman says that i may be getting smoke around the cats as the gaskets look old and crumbling.

 

[Monosperma]

To clarify, I put a brand-new gasket around the combustor element at the time of the install, and I inspected the gasket on the bypass door.

Is the smoke supposed to mostly vanish upon or soon after the engagement of the cat? What if there is a whole lot of offgassing from a fresh reload, more than the cat can burn?

 

[fire_man]

On a cool, crisp day (temps below 40F with low humidity) I will see just white wisps of smoke that quickly dissipate (a couple seconds after leaving flue). On warmer and more humid days, the smoke tends to be grayer and lasts longer, I think because the draft is worse and the cat just does not get enough smoke velocity to fuel it.

But in your case you have a glowing cat, good wood, and a high probe temperature.
I guess at this point it might be worth a call to Blazeking. I hear they have excellent customer service.
There are lots of Blazeking owners on this site, I'm sure you will get some good suggestions.

 

[BrowningBAR]

What setting are you burning on? Are you on a really low burn when you see the smoke?

I remember another member reporting an issue like this on their BK a season or two ago. I think it was when they were doing a really low burn. But, I can not be sure.

 

[Monosperma]

What setting are you burning on? ...

For me, high end = more smoke.

Say, is your screen name based on the Browning automatic rifle? Have you a military background?

 

[clemsonfor]

I have heard some on her recently say that on a high burn you get more smoke cause there is so much of it that and its going so fast that it cant all burn off. From my experience with my cat it will slowly die down after engageing cats. I will engage and walk outside and look up and withing a few minutes its as clean as it will get.

I assumed BAR was for Browning Automatic Rifle.

 

[BrowningBAR]

For me, high end = more smoke.

Hmm. How high are we talking about? At what point do you need to turn it down to eliminate the smoke?

Say, is your screen name based on the Browning automatic rifle? Have you a military background?

It is and I do not. Firearms is a hobby of mine. Some golf, I like to hit targets from far away.

 

[BrowningBAR]

I assumed BAR was for Browning Automatic Rifle.

Correct. I like guns, motorcycles, and fire.

My knuckles tend to drag on the ground due to my lack of evolution.

 

[remkel]

Correct. I like guns, motorcycles, and fire.

My knuckles tend to drag on the ground due to my lack of evolution.

A fine combination of interests. Minus the motorcycles for me, but I do app image them.

 

[firecracker_77]

A fine combination of interests. Minus the motorcycles for me, but I do app image them.

I like your interests. I have but do not ride a 650 suzuki. Thing scares me too much...not so much the motorcycle but all the morons on the road.

 

[jeff_t]

I see some smoke at higher settings. I think there is just too much air moving the smoke thru the cat too fast for it to be all burned. Cat stoves are supposed to be less efficient at higher burn rates, right?

I think the 1101 has a smaller round (oval?) cat than the newer models. Perhaps that contributes as well.

 

[Monosperma]

I am also noticing that the species of wood affects this issue. Ponderosa pine puts out considerably more visible smoke, while juniper much less, given similar burning conditions.

 

[Treacherous]

Cat stoves are supposed to be less efficient at higher burn rates, right?

That's what I've been told.