2012-2013 Blaze King Performance Thread(everything BK)

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My Princess will spill smoke(not serious though just a wisp) if I'm not careful in the warmer weather and others have reported the same. I definitely can't toss the door open like I could with my Endeavor. The key is to get these things down to coals so there is no smoke in them when you open the door.

If you have any issues take a look here, we helped billsws a while back with his. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/puffing-princess-pd-partner.102449/
Thanks rdust.That site was very interesting.The thing with the liberty is even when I turn it down the wood still burns to fast.It's not giving me 6 hours of heat at it's highest setting just a combination of burning high for a half hour then turning it down.I'd like ten hours of usable heat which I'm thinking the Princess should give.I was hoping with the Princess going into my set up the spillage wouldn't happen.That would be a deal buster if I still get spillage.Are you hooked up to specs ?Double wall pipe etc?If so why is it still spilling?I think I'll contact the Blaze King folks to see how to prevent spillage before I make a move.Maybe I'll have to go for another Mansfield which I'm totally happy with.
 
Are you hooked up to specs ?Double wall pipe etc?If so why is it still spilling?

27' worth of insulated liner, about 3' of double wall inside. I think my issue is partly from not having the recommended rise off the stove before a 90*(30 inches vs 36 inches).

With that said BillsWS has 30' of class A, Highbeam is straight up 15' and he still has issues. Highbeam and myself never had issues with spillage with our non cats.

I think the main issue is the low flue temps these burn at allow the flue to cool off a bunch and slow the draft. With the tips posted in the other thread by all the BK users you should be able to do just fine with minimal spillage.

YMMV some people have no issues and mine are pretty minimal unless I get impatient when I'm loading the stove on warmer days. Even when I let a wisp out it's gone in short order.
 
Spillage <> Applicable especially to folks with an OAK -
I finally have a procedure that works for me, but counter to all the instructions.
Prior to this I tested the draft and it was always very high (>.1wc)

I forgot to state that this process is done while using the bypass as directed! I never open the stove door without the bypass being open!

Open a door or window in the house
Open the bypass! (Close off the Cat)
Turn thermostat to zero
Open stove door 1/2 inch (I rest it against the latch)
Wait a minute or 2 at gradually increasing door openings (might get a good flame going again)
Open stove door completely
Add the full load of wood
Close stove door and turn thermostat up full
Close the bypass(enable the cat)
Close the house door or window

Air supply from the open door keeps the smoke in as long as there is a good supply from an open door in the house.
Try it, your mileage may vary ;)
 
Spillage <> Applicable especially to folks with an OAK -
I finally have a procedure that works for me, but counter to all the instructions.
Prior to this I tested the draft and it was always very high (>.1wc)

Open a door or window in the house
Turn thermostat to zero
Open stove door 1/2 inch (I rest it against the latch)
Wait a minute or 2 at gradually increasing door openings (might get a good flame going again)
Open stove door completely
Add the full load of wood
Close stove door and turn thermostat up full
Close the house door or window

Air supply from the open door keeps the smoke in as long as there is a good supply from an open door in the house.
Try it, your mileage may vary ;)

That's close to my process minus the open door or window and I don't leave the door cracked for so long, just long enough for the air movement in the stove to settle.
 
Seems as though I need to take quite some time for the draft to keep the smoke in, thus my slower door operation. It is bizarre that even with a high draft I still must play around to keep spillage at a minimum. I have 15 feet of double wall before a single 45, then 3ft and another 45 out the roof. Always had too much draft. I can run with the key damper closed completely (I don't) and there is still .03 to .05 plus draft. The smoke spillage from this stove is baffling, but at least I have been able to mitigate it with the above procedure.
 
Seems as though I need to take quite some time for the draft to keep the smoke in, thus my slower door operation. It is bizarre that even with a high draft I still must play around to keep spillage at a minimum. I have 15 feet of double wall before a single 45, then 3ft and another 45 out the roof. Always had too much draft. I can run with the key damper closed completely (I don't) and there is still .03 to .05 plus draft. The smoke spillage from this stove is baffling, but at least I have been able to mitigate it with the above procedure.

Low flue temps, big door and too small of a bypass opening. The fact these stoves don't coal like other stoves doesn't help either. If I turn the t-stat up near the end of the burn that also helps, I end up with less chunks of wood that still create flames.
 
Spillage <> Applicable especially to folks with an OAK -
I finally have a procedure that works for me, but counter to all the instructions.
Prior to this I tested the draft and it was always very high (>.1wc)

Open a door or window in the house
Turn thermostat to zero
Open stove door 1/2 inch (I rest it against the latch)
Wait a minute or 2 at gradually increasing door openings (might get a good flame going again)
Open stove door completely
Add the full load of wood
Close stove door and turn thermostat up full
Close the house door or window

Air supply from the open door keeps the smoke in as long as there is a good supply from an open door in the house.
Try it, your mileage may vary ;)
Sounds Like a plan.
 
Spillage <> Applicable especially to folks with an OAK -
I finally have a procedure that works for me, but counter to all the instructions.
Prior to this I tested the draft and it was always very high (>.1wc)

Open a door or window in the house
Turn thermostat to zero
Open stove door 1/2 inch (I rest it against the latch)
Wait a minute or 2 at gradually increasing door openings (might get a good flame going again)
Open stove door completely
Add the full load of wood
Close stove door and turn thermostat up full
Close the house door or window

Air supply from the open door keeps the smoke in as long as there is a good supply from an open door in the house.
Try it, your mileage may vary ;)

This is pretty much what I do as well and haven't had any smoke issues in a couple months. Ive also been opening the t-stat full for 30-60 minutes prior to reload which also improves the draft.

18' chimney, 3' horizontal, 2 ea 45's and 20" vertical double wall pipe.
 
Can you add wood to a existing burn cycle to get it to fit your schedule?
 
Burn cycle?
I can make a statement that the BK generates so much heat for so long that I have never had to perform a partial load. In fact, the BK is the only reason I am still a wood burner. My experience with wood in the past has lead me to this web site and some of the nicest, most experienced folks in the wood burning world. Then I bought the BK Princess Ultra and I could not believe how easy it is to heat my home with wood. I just don't mess with it. If you only need a little heat, use half a load and keep the stat down. Shoulder season burns have low heat output for more than 24 hours with a full stove. Other stoves drove me batty (more than usual) and could not maintain low heat output. They would also coal up too much when demand came, leaving me a big pile of coals and no heat output.

Also, shoveling ash into a bucket is a joke after using the Ultra's center plug, rake the ashes in and close the cover - Never had an easier stove to maintain. Can't say enough good about the BK - sure it has it's foibles, but WTH, what stove lacks them?

A caveat - you MUST have good dry wood, can't get away with part green wood cut the same season. Some old timers like to use that stuff -
No , I am not a BK dealer - just a worn out old wood burner who is happy now -
 
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I asked this on another thread, but didn't get an answer:
Anyone know why the efficiency specs for the new Blaze King 30's [81/75] are so much lower than the basically same size Princess [88/81].
Does it have to do w lower emissions .......30's - 0.97......Princess - 2.42?
Thanks
 
I asked this on another thread, but didn't get an answer:
Anyone know why the efficiency specs for the new Blaze King 30's [81/75] are so much lower than the basically same size Princess [88/81].
Does it have to do w lower emissions .......30's - 0.97......Princess - 2.42?
Thanks

Not sure any of us will have the answer, start a conversation with BKVP he may be able to explain it.
 
I asked this on another thread, but didn't get an answer:
Anyone know why the efficiency specs for the new Blaze King 30's [81/75] are so much lower than the basically same size Princess [88/81].
Does it have to do w lower emissions .......30's - 0.97......Princess - 2.42?
Thanks


Easy:

Improved alien technology.
 
Wasn't Blaze King working on offering a cast iron stove?
 
Just wondering how low and slow can you run a BK? Looking at the chinook 20 to replace our small waterford ashling. We live in the northwest and the winters are very mild, the stove was used as additional heat but mostly for the flame factor. Our house is well insulated and our main floor is 800 sq ft.
Our problem is we have a small brick alcove and can't put a large stove in it. The wood mantel is too close to pass code but we always burned a small fire. I have not seen a BK burning so I am wondering if there is any flame on the low setting? Our other option is to get a T4 which is about the same size as our old stove. Thank you for any replies.
 
I have not seen a BK burning so I am wondering if there is any flame on the low setting?

In my experience there are no flames on low, low output with flames is probably difficult to achieve.
 
Most of the time, I only see the cat glowing and a bunch of charred, black splits. Even if I can see through the glass.
 
Thank you. I have been reading this forum for the last couple months and find it very informative, that is why I asked about the stove. BK makes a great heat machine but at this time we are more interested in a flame with heat. Long burn times are not really necessary here on the west coast.
 
I just purchased a Princess Ultra and find this forum quite informative.My stove will have a convection deck and be hooked up to outside air.The stove obviously brings in the outside air to the thermostat assy.which has that bi-metal spring to sense temp.Seems like if the outside air is cold,like 0 deg. and colder,it would affect the thermostat.Has anyone experienced a problem with this?
 
I just purchased a Princess Ultra and find this forum quite informative.My stove will have a convection deck and be hooked up to outside air.The stove obviously brings in the outside air to the thermostat assy.which has that bi-metal spring to sense temp.Seems like if the outside air is cold,like 0 deg. and colder,it would affect the thermostat.Has anyone experienced a problem with this?

No problems. The spring senses stove temps not intake air temps. Very little air flows into this stove.
 
Does anyone have a pic of their low and slow setting? Most of the time we need more flame than heat.
I dont think you can get one without the other, if its low theres not going to be flames and if you turn it up just enough to get flames your going to get more heat, just the way it is. Maybe try just 2-3 splits?
 
Right now I am putting in 3 splits in our temporary regency 3100 stove. Small volume for such a large firebox but we have it in a little alcove that was really meant for a smaller stove. We need a stove about 28" high( to keep it from being too close to the mantel). The bk is 33" high, I am worried about producing too much heat.
 
Spillage <> Applicable especially to folks with an OAK -
I finally have a procedure that works for me, but counter to all the instructions.
Prior to this I tested the draft and it was always very high (>.1wc)

Open a door or window in the house
Turn thermostat to zero
Open stove door 1/2 inch (I rest it against the latch)
Wait a minute or 2 at gradually increasing door openings (might get a good flame going again)
Open stove door completely
Add the full load of wood
Close stove door and turn thermostat up full
Close the house door or window

Air supply from the open door keeps the smoke in as long as there is a good supply from an open door in the house.
Try it, your mileage may vary ;)
In my case I noticed if you open the bypass and leave it open 1 minute absolutely no smoke spillage ,if you forget and get in a hurry you might get some albeit minimal.
 
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In my case I noticed if you open the bypass and leave it open 1 minute absolutely no smoke spillage ,if you forget and get in a hurry you might get some albeit minimal.
Thanks, I forgot to mention that I always open the bypass before starting the load cycle. I hope most folks who operate these stoves made that assumption. What is strange with our installation is that sometimes if it is windy outside, even with the "low smoke" procedure we will get a gust blasting into the OAK causing a puff, even with the thermostat shut completely. Kind of turbo charged air inlet on windy days. I may try to build a better shield around the OAK intake to alleviate these symptoms - At this time it looks like a dryer vent without the flap -
 
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