Blaze king king problem

[Mr.real]

Hi and thanks for stopping by. I am having low heat output from my stove. This may get long winded but I am running out of things to try. Dec 2015 I installed a blazeking king wood stove in my basement. 8" chimney goes straight up 22' interior to the house. The stove pipe it double wall with 2 45s. The stove worked great. Heated my house and didn't have to use the oil furnace once. 2016 winter was the same. Load the fire morning and night, maybe a third time if it was -20c for a period of time.

This fall when I checked the catalytic converter to see if it needed cleaning it looked pushed out at the bottom and was cracked along the bottom. I took pictures and hoped to get through the winter before I tried to collect warranty on this cat. Through the winter we've been very cold. Low heat output and seemingly erratic fires. Some time in January I took the cat cover off to see how it looked and parts of the cat fell out making a hole through it. After that I couldn't have a fire. Took pictures to the company I bought it from to see what's up. I was promptly told that I had over fired my stove and no warranty. After some harassment I got them to warranty my cat. I was told I over fired my stove and this is a one time deal on the cat replacement.

After installing the new cat. At which time I deduced the stove wasn't warped anywhere that I liked see, I still had low heat output. At -1 c I could put a full load of maple in the stove and just maintain heat in the house. I've swept the chimney (fine) run the stove with the window cracked, taken the cover off to check the automatic air control operation (seems fine). My wood was under 20% moisture back in October. With the new cat installed it seems to barely heat up (glow) at all. Before it would turn orange over the entire surface.
So my question now is what else can I try to make it work ok?

 

[Highbeam]

Hi and thanks for stopping by. I am having low heat output from my stove. This may get long winded but I am running out of things to try. Dec 2015 I installed a blazeking king wood stove in my basement. 8" chimney goes straight up 22' interior to the house. The stove pipe it double wall with 2 45s. The stove worked great. Heated my house and didn't have to use the oil furnace once. 2016 winter was the same. Load the fire morning and night, maybe a third time if it was -20c for a period of time.

This fall when I checked the catalytic converter to see if it needed cleaning it looked pushed out at the bottom and was cracked along the bottom. I took pictures and hoped to get through the winter before I tried to collect warranty on this cat. Through the winter we've been very cold. Low heat output and seemingly erratic fires. Some time in January I took the cat cover off to see how it looked and parts of the cat fell out making a hole through it. After that I couldn't have a fire. Took pictures to the company I bought it from to see what's up. I was promptly told that I had over fired my stove and no warranty. After some harassment I got them to warranty my cat. I was told I over fired my stove and this is a one time deal on the cat replacement.

After installing the new cat. At which time I deduced the stove wasn't warped anywhere that I liked see, I still had low heat output. At -1 c I could put a full load of maple in the stove and just maintain heat in the house. I've swept the chimney (fine) run the stove with the window cracked, taken the cover off to check the automatic air control operation (seems fine). My wood was under 20% moisture back in October. With the new cat installed it seems to barely heat up (glow) at all. Before it would turn orange over the entire surface.
So my question now is what else can I try to make it work ok?

So your brand new cat isn't glowing? Is the cat temp very high on the cat meter? What thermostat setting are you using when you're trying to get heat? Are you running fans? Do you have a screen in your chimney cap? How are you checking your wood moisture content today?

 

[Mr.real]

So your brand new cat isn't glowing? Is the cat temp very high on the cat meter? What thermostat setting are you using when you're trying to get heat? Are you running fans? Do you have a screen in your chimney cap? How are you checking your wood moisture content today?

It glows slightly and usually only on part of it. Thermostat is on wide open and I can sit in the room and it is almost chilly when it should be heating me out of the room. There is no fan on the unit just a fan in the room. The cat thermostat is broken and dealer wants 100 bucks for a new one so can't say on that, but it can't be that hot as it won't heat up. I've run this stove for 2 years and know how it operates that's why the cat thermostat hasn't been the end of the world for me. I haven't checked the wood moisture since fall. Wood has been covered and the odd piece gets moisture out the end but not much. No screen on the chimney cap and I just swept it today and took it all apart. Maybe a cup of dry flakey powder after the sweep.

 

[rdust]

What are the stove top temps?

Plenty of other places to buy a cat probe that is much cheaper. http://www.condar.com/Catalytic_Thermometers.html

 

[Tar12]

The odd piece gets moisture out the end? That tells me your wood is to wet...all of it. Try burning some 2x4s or bio bricks or something that you know for a fact is dry.

 

[webby3650]

So your brand new cat isn't glowing? Is the cat temp very high on the cat meter? What thermostat setting are you using when you're trying to get heat? Are you running fans? Do you have a screen in your chimney cap? How are you checking your wood moisture content today?

The cat probe would give you an idea of how the cat is responding. It's kinda like not having a speedometer and saying your car seems slow..

I'd also be interested in how you are measuring the moisture content. How do you source your firewood? This situation is screaming wet wood to me. Sorry. New cat, tall chimney. Doesn't really add up.

 

[jetsam]

This fall when I checked the catalytic converter to see if it needed cleaning it looked pushed out at the bottom and was cracked along the bottom. ... Some time in January I took the cat cover off to see how it looked and parts of the cat fell out making a hole through it.

The stove having bad heat output with a destroyed cat sounds normal. The cat losing structural integrity like that is not normal. Either it is being subjected to regular thermal shock, physical abuse, flame impingement, or it had some kind of severe manufacturer's defect.

Physical abuse isn't likely since you had the flame shield on.

I don't know the King well enough to say if you can drown the cat in direct flame if you load it a certain way- maybe a King owner can chime in?

Thermal shock seems likely to me. Do you always bypass the cat and wait a couple minutes before opening the door? Have you run the stove with the door cracked and the cat engaged? How about someone else in the house, maybe someone who was used to using the door as an air control on an old stove?

Took pictures to the company I bought it from to see what's up. I was promptly told that I had over fired my stove and no warranty.

The company you bought the cat from or the stove from? The above made it sound like it was the original cat that came with the stove.

After installing the new cat. At which time I deduced the stove wasn't warped anywhere that I liked see, I still had low heat output.

Do you have smoke that smells like woodsmoke coming out of the pipe after the first few minutes when the stove is cruising on a regular burn? Bypass problems or gasket problems. Otherwise, probably wet wood.

I would first check with everyone who runs the stove to make sure they understand how to use the bypass and when it's OK to open the door.

Next check smoke output to see if the bypass is ok.

Next bring a couple typical splits inside for a day, split them again, and measure the MC on the fresh split face.

 

[Highbeam]

Next bring a couple typical splits inside for a day, split them again, and measure the MC on the fresh split face.

All signs point to wet wood for this thread. Max throttle, no screen, plenty of flue length, fresh cat, the stove should be working well and this operator is experienced enough to not be making a silly operational mistake like forgetting to close the bypass. Please test the MC and report back. You should never see any water bubble or hiss from the ends of seasoned wood that you are trying to burn in a modern cat woodstove. In an emergency, sure, gotta stay warm and in that case you would split it all small and load the fuel loosely.

Wet wood will also cause thermal shock and can damage the cat. Leaky door gaskets will allow cold room air to hit the hot cat and cause thermal shock to damage cat. Overfiring your stove is an unlikely scenario for the damage you describe but dealers often jump to that because some of them are just ignorant to how their products work and overfiring seems to be a catch all warranty avoidance scheme.

I recently replaced my catalytic meter on my stove and bought from condar who make the OEM BK meter. 30$ delivered to my door and it works great. I only replaced my original meter because I wanted numbers! Call condar directly and order it. They are English speaking from the US.

 

[weatherguy]

One of the cats in my princess was cracked and crumbling after year 3, the culprit was a leak from the door. I found I had to be diligent checking the tightness on the door.

 

[Highbeam]

A cracked cermamic combustor is fine and normal. Little chips falling out is even normal but when it falls apart or large holes form you really ought to consider the cause. Door gasket leaks kill 95% of cats according to BK but it takes a while.

 

[Mr.real]

Wow all the replies and input is great. I'll try to cover all the suggestions and comments. I am currently burning a full load of 2x4 in my stove to see if it is my wood that is the problem. The flu temps are sitting at 400f. Top of the stove is 704f. It's been running on wide open for 25 min right now and the cat still has dark spots on it and I am sitting 3 feet directly in front of it.
My wood I cut myself and it was stacked and split last May. I have a moisture meter that I checked it with early season. I went to check the moisture content the other day but the battery was dead. This is why I am burning 2x4s. It is definitely outputting more heat with the 2x4 than with my wood.
I have done the dollar bill test on my door gasket and it has been tight every time since the initial break in period.
End of last season I ran out of wood and bought some crap wood with a ton of moisture. That may have killed my original cat.
My wife loads the stove periodically and I think her method is to open bypass, open door, load wood, close bypass walk away. Is that going to effect the stove and cat?
Stove top temp is now 770f after more than 30 minutes. Big circle in the centre of the cat is dark and it is lit around the edge.
I'll get a new battery and check the moisture of my wood. the gasket on the bypass doesn't appear to be damaged and it looks to be seating all the way along.

 

[Mr.real]

I am now thinking my wood is the culprit. Turned the air down to two on the dial. Appears to be working as it should now. No flame, glowing coals and a fully lit cat

 

[Highbeam]

I am now thinking my wood is the culprit. Turned the air down to two on the dial. Appears to be working as it should now. No flame, glowing coals and a fully lit cat

Good. I can add that at max stat setting I seldom get the full cat glowing. Only once the stat starts to close and the fire produces more smoke does the cat glow brightly. Until then, the fire is burning pretty clean on primary combustion alone.

 

[Mr.real]

So now I am really bummed. After my fire the other day I had a look at my cat and it is cracking the same as my other one did. This thing hasn't even seen any real action. My stove must be warped or a lemon. Anyone have any input? I can post a pic but they don't show the cracks. It is cracked along the bottom of the cat and one of the slots is broken off

 

[weatherguy]

Sounds like there might be an air leak, that will wear a cat super quick.

 

[Rickb]

Also after a reload you really want to let it burn for a few minutes to burn off any water before you close the bypass again.

Also cracks are not the end of the world mine has had a couple since season 1. Its on season 4 now and still running great.

 

[Mr.real]

My first cat went from having cracks to disintegrated nov-Jan of this year. New cat in, in feb. it's been warm and haven't had too many fires. My cat looks almost like it did in November of this year crack wise. Is my stove somehow screwed. I have a new cat thermostat as of today. It is ten Celsius outside. I currently have a fire going thermostat is on the higher side of normal. Where it has always been. For over 3 hours it's been on, and it is chilly in the fire room. My chair is 3 feet from the fireplace and I was chilly sitting there. What the hell? Oh and I checked the door gasket before I lit the fire with the dollar bill test, and I couldn't pull the paper out anywhere. I need to get this sorted out before it gets warm out so I can do something before next winter comes if I have to. Burning oil it terrible. Please make some suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mr.real]

Also the draft seems crappy. I have been getting smoke with the door open. I crack it a bit then open it and smoke wafts out into the room. It never used to do that. I swept the chimney this week and have a window cracked

 

[webby3650]

Smoke coming out of the door is a sign of plugged up cap or dirty liner. Have you checked both of these? Do you have a block off plate above the fireplace insert? Or at least is the liner blocked off at the top with insulation around the liner? It just doesn't add up. Blowing through cats, good gasket, but making very little heat. ? Have you tested the moisture content properly recently? Or are you still burning 2x's?

 

[Highbeam]

Sure hope you didn't go back to the wet wood.

 

[Dieselhead]

Post some pics of your stove and chimney setup

 

[jeff_t]

Big circle in the centre of the cat is dark and it is lit around the edge.

Not sure how you brush the pipe, but if you do it from the top do you take the connector pipe off and clean behind the cat? Stuff can pile up behind there quickly, especially with the 8" flue collar of the king. It falls between the bypass and the back side of the cat.

Have you checked the glass gasket? Palm on both sides and see if there is any movement. It should be tight.

 

[jetsam]

I am now thinking my wood is the culprit. Turned the air down to two on the dial. Appears to be working as it should now. No flame, glowing coals and a fully lit cat

Wet wood causes poor heat output, but it doesn't crumble cats.

Thermal shock does crumble cats though, and wet wood could contribute to that.

You may be looking at two issues- either a problem with how the stove is operated or a problem with the stove, and wet wood.

 

[webby3650]

Smoke coming out of the door is a sign of plugged up cap or dirty liner. Have you checked both of these? Do you have a block off plate above the fireplace insert? Or at least is the liner blocked off at the top with insulation around the liner? It just doesn't add up. Blowing through cats, good gasket, but making very little heat. ? Have you tested the moisture content properly recently? Or are you still burning 2x's?

I see now you have a King, not an insert. Sorry, I got off course somewhere...

 

[Marshy]

@Mr.real, have you looked through the troubleshooting guide provided by BK? I tend to agree that you might be having more than one issue. Wet wood explains the low output of the stove. You can find a free manual online at BK's site of you don't have yours. I believe the cat could be over heating if at any time you are operating the stove with the cat engaged and the door open. Double check with your wife she is using the proper methods. Also, check all around the door with the dollar bill, not just the latch side. Good luck.