2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)
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jetsam
Minister of Fire
It may not go active agan, if the cat has really gone inactive. In that case, I would say that you're set lower than your lowest burn, since the cat fell out on its own after only a third of a burn cycle.
It's good to get this stuff figured out. You won't care all winter, but you'll use the knowledge again in the spring.
DuaeGuttae
Minister of Fire
I could see the floors much better in the second picture. They look nice, and I’m glad to hear of in-floor heat. I see that you’re still working on running water and septic, so obviously a work in progress (and a stunning one at that). I agree that you could go either way with a hearth. The one advantage to it to my mind would be that it creates a clearly defined space that you can tell your children not to touch. Of course, you can just teach them not to touch the stove, but we teach ours that they can’t sit or stand on the hearth. (Can you tell that I’m a mom and look at stove areas from the point of view of children?)
We don’t have a stove since we’ve moved to Texas (though we’re working on it slowly). We did have to use heat this week, though. We went from a high of 85 last Sunday (using air conditioning) to two days of wind and rain from the north and highs in the 40’s. Nothing like Wisconsin, but it made us chilly.
If there is no smoke the cat could fall back to inactive while the stove is still hot. Shouldnt hurt anything. But it really depends on draft as well. I have enough draft that my stove is either full open when heating up or full closed... I never really need it above closed because I get more then enough heat.
I just did basically that. Light and load both stoves, then ran out and emptied six months' worth of chit out of my wife's car. The worse news is that she's going to be driving one of my cars this week. No deer on the road, nor my upholstery, are safe.
"I know it's just a space heater, but the space I want to heat is my house." -- Brother Bart, ca.2011
No, once it is set, I never touch it. If I wanted to fiddle with my stove all day long, I'd have bought another Jotul, or a Vermont Castings product.
If you find your stove falling out of active, then you simply set it to low. Consider that you "no go" region, at least in this weather. As temperatures drop, and draft improves, you may be able to push a bit lower.
I run each of my stoves in the middle of the of the "swoosh". Right around 40% on the swoosh gives me a 24 hour burn, and 60% gives me 12 hours.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
I’ll always adjust my air, before loading I’ll set it to max, I’ll load a new load of wood and keep it at max until I get a vigorous fire and positive needle probe movement (hot reloads) once the needle starts moving I’ll turn the air knob down a little less then 3 o’clock, I’ll return to the fire after 20 min and check on it, usually turn it down a little more, I try to just have little candle flames coming off the wood, that keeps the cat prob needle around noon 1 o’clock for my setup, once I got that it’s set it and forget it for 12-15 hrs. In the winter when I need more heat I’ll turn the air (bump) a little higher, in a warmer fall day it gets bumped a little lower. It’s not complicated once you figure out how the stove reacts and your heating envelope needs. Everyone is different here with that, different wood, draft, home layouts.
ratsrepus
Minister of Fire
I just did basically that. Light and load both stoves, then ran out and emptied six months' worth of chit out of my wife's car. The worse news is that she's going to be driving one of my cars this week. No deer on the road, nor my upholstery, are safe.
"I know it's just a space heater, but the space I want to heat is my house." -- Brother Bart, ca.2011
No, once it is set, I never touch it. If I wanted to fiddle with my stove all day long, I'd have bought another Jotul, or a Vermont Castings product.
If you find your stove falling out of active, then you simply set it to low. Consider that you "no go" region, at least in this weather. As temperatures drop, and draft improves, you may be able to push a bit lower.
I run each of my stoves in the middle of the of the "swoosh". Right around 40% on the swoosh gives me a 24 hour burn, and 60% gives me 12 hours.
I know what you mean when you say fiddling with the stove all day, I had both stoves you mention
MissMac
Minister of Fire
Had some company over last night, and we got talking about shoulder season burning. They commented on how they've had a few fires in their Jotul, and I said i've had my BK going for almost a month now. To which they replied "but not now I guess eh", as they stared at the black lifeless box. I said "oh ya, there's a load going" and then we got into discussing the awesomeness of my stove. That load of Pj ran for 17 hrs with no fans running. I'm into some bigger rounds now, and it's making a difference in fire behaviour, smoke out the chimney and burn times for sure.
chemie
Feeling the Heat
Thanks for all the feedbacks. I have been using mostly irregular shape and size of thick but short pine firewood mixed with a little with oak pieces on the shoulder season(trying to save my oak for the winter).So they are not perfectly snug and sometimes there are considerable amount of air gaps. Could this also be contributing factor besides setting the swoosh may be too low? I have a few more questions as I’m still trying to figure out the stove:
Do you all load it full and airtight to get longest burn time ( Too obvious question? )
What is the best way of loading it to the full? All 16” pieces N\S or mixed with E/W on top? Or it doesn’t matter with BK stoves.
Does the thickness or size of the splits make considerable amount of contribution to the long burn time? What is a good size ( of a split)?
Type of wood determines BTU output but does it affect the burn time? Like you get longest burn time with oak or any other good hardwoods but not with soft woods?
Yesterday was our coldest weather so far with strong wind. Other than cat stalling after 8 hours, heat output was great and even. I had to “fiddle” the swoosh to get extra 3 more hours from the same load after cat stalled.Main floor was at 72 and upper floor was at 68 degrees without gas furnace on. Fan was on half of the time and I ran it high at the first hour of the load.
Do you all load it full and airtight to get longest burn time ( Too obvious question? )
What is the best way of loading it to the full? All 16” pieces N\S or mixed with E/W on top? Or it doesn’t matter with BK stoves.
Does the thickness or size of the splits make considerable amount of contribution to the long burn time? What is a good size ( of a split)?
Type of wood determines BTU output but does it affect the burn time? Like you get longest burn time with oak or any other good hardwoods but not with soft woods?
Yesterday was our coldest weather so far with strong wind. Other than cat stalling after 8 hours, heat output was great and even. I had to “fiddle” the swoosh to get extra 3 more hours from the same load after cat stalled.Main floor was at 72 and upper floor was at 68 degrees without gas furnace on. Fan was on half of the time and I ran it high at the first hour of the load.
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Q1: Do you all load it full and airtight to get longest burn time ( Too obvious question? )
A1: Yeah, duh! For me, it’s more about how many pounds of wood I can stuff into the stove, than minimizing gaps. But I’m sure both issues factor in.
Q2: What is the best way of loading it to the full? All 16” pieces N\S or mixed with E/W on top? Or it doesn’t matter with BK stoves.
A2: I just load everything N/S. It’s a Tetris-like game, of choosing the right split for the right gap, as I’m loading. I aim to get within 1/2” of the combustor and damper frames (same height, in my stove), all the way across.
Q3: Does the thickness or size of the splits make considerable amount of contribution to the long burn time? What is a good size ( of a split)?
A3: I split everything 4” - 6”, and that seems to be a good size. Yes, I’m sure split size (surface/volume ratio) has some bearing on burn time, although the thermostat will try to compensate for this, to keep the desired temperature.
Q4: Type of wood determines BTU output but does it affect the burn time? Like you get longest burn time with oak or any other good hardwoods but not with soft woods?
A4: Yes, it definitely does. Thermostat tries to maintain a given temperature, but you can maintain that temperature for longer, with more BTU’s in the box. I’m not saying that the burn time is a direct linear 1:1 function of BTU content, as you’re getting down into stall territory when going for max turn time, but there is a definite dependency.
It’s possible the cat stalled, but depending on fan speed and burn rate, it’s also possible one of two other things happened:
1. If fans were running at a higher speed, it will make the cat probe read falsely low, on some models.
2. It’s possible the wood was just burned down to where there were no longer enough volatiles to support secondary combustion. It is normal for this to happen in the latter part of the burn cycle.
Of course, if you can turn it up and it goes back into the active, this was a stall.
While we are talking about efficient operation.
When starting from cold stove, between the time I shut the door close and engaging the cat I get quite a lot a smoke, should I let the door cracked longer? when I shut it, the fire is roaring and I get a few sparks out the flue but it is smokeless.
When I engage the combustor, it turn glowing red, and the flow out the flue is reduced and the smoke seems thinner, but there is still more smoke than on low burn, which is none. Can I finish the charring on medium high burn instead of full blast?
Just trying to be a good neighbor
When starting from cold stove, between the time I shut the door close and engaging the cat I get quite a lot a smoke, should I let the door cracked longer? when I shut it, the fire is roaring and I get a few sparks out the flue but it is smokeless.
When I engage the combustor, it turn glowing red, and the flow out the flue is reduced and the smoke seems thinner, but there is still more smoke than on low burn, which is none. Can I finish the charring on medium high burn instead of full blast?
Just trying to be a good neighbor
lsucet
Minister of Fire
With the bypass open it is normal to get all that smoke cause everything is going straight from the firebox up thru the flue. Here is where the top/down method works great once you learn to do it. that minimized the amount the smoke on cold starts and heat quicker the cat and flue.
MissMac
Minister of Fire
I don't know what the other more seasoned fellows on here will tell you, but i'm on my second season with the stove, and I can tell you that one of the most important things I've figured out is that it's really important to run your stove on high at first as per your manual to prepare your wood for the long dial-down, or whatever you choose to do. Letting it rip at the start will ensure that you can get the most out of your stove and your wood. I'd leave it on high personally, as per your stove manual. I run my loads on high anywhere between 25 minutes to 50 minutes, depending on the load, how it takes off etc.
My bk smokes like a freight train during warmup and for about the first 5 minutes after cat engagement. Always has. Same fuel is smoke free within just a few (5?) minutes if ignition in the noncat.
Honestly, I prefer to start bk fires after dark.
Not sure if it’s the direct path to the flue on the bk, the lack of secondary air, lack of insulated baffle, or what.
Honestly, I prefer to start bk fires after dark.
Not sure if it’s the direct path to the flue on the bk, the lack of secondary air, lack of insulated baffle, or what.
My BK also smokes like a freight train on start up. And once the bypass is closed with air fully open. When I dial it down to say 2 o’clock, cat very active sitting around 1 o’clock I still see some smoke (on and off).
The VC definitely smokes less.....and I was not going to compare......
The VC definitely smokes less.....and I was not going to compare......
I know its way to early for me to judge anything i have had the princess in 2 weeks now and i do like it. But i am not seeing any wood savings at all infact i am pretty sure i have used more wood than i would have with the regency in this weather.
Granted the house is a much more consistent temp but instead of having one small fire a day when the house gets chilly the stove is burning all the time. Yes i get really long burn times but in this weather it is still more often than i would be with the 3100. Now i am sure it will change as things get cooler. Again i like it just giving my experience so far.
Oh and compared to the regency it is a pita to start cold. Luckily you dont have to donit often
I don't have anything to compare it to but mine has never been hard to start.
I do use a torch tho....... And I leave the door cracked till its burning really well, but I have always had sub par wood do to my limited storage area.
I do use a torch tho....... And I leave the door cracked till its burning really well, but I have always had sub par wood do to my limited storage area.
I also find it more difficult to start. I have been using 1/8 of that starter puck BK provided on cold starts. Using paper it was a mess. The house is extremely tight and that does not help.
I wouldnt say it is nessecarily hard to start. But absolutely harder than the 3100. It just doesnt seem to give as much air when wide open as the regency did.
Ahhh that might be true.. Like I said I have always left my door cracked a little when cold starting. If I didn't it would go out. Again tho my wood is not the best so I thought that was part of it. Best I have is oak that was split and stacked just over 1.5 years.
The stuff i am using is 2 yr old ash. In the regency before i switched them out it took a couple peices of paper and a little cardboard. The fill the box and light the paper. In 15 to 20 mins come vack and shut the air back 1/3. 5 or so more mins another 1/3. Another few mins and shut the rest of the way. I need to use a fair ammount of kindling with the bk
yea. I use a little kindling the torch get it going then after 5-10 minutes close the door all the way, then another 15 minute close the bypass and turn the air all the way down. This seems to work best for me with the stove and chimney setup I have.
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