2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)
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Long time reader never post much.
I’ve got a small 1000 square foot cabin with an old pacific energy avista that worked pretty good this fall but now that the temps are dropping it’s just not putting out enough heat. It looks like from everything I read the blaze king seems like it will be my best option for a new stove. Looking forward to go see em in person this Saturday but got a couple questions.
I’m looking at the princess or Ashford 30 are there any big differences between them besides the looks? Like heat output or one burn better then the other. Anything that would sway me to one or the other. Should I get the fan or is it not really needed? I’ve had fans on previous stoves and run them but wife usually turns them off.
My only problem with blaze king is the closet dealer is 60 miles away which isn’t that far but he won’t travel that far to install it. I don’t have a problem installing it just figuring out how to move it into place. But I haven’t found another stove at the local dealer that will do what blaze king will so I’m determined to get one somehow.
I’ve got a small 1000 square foot cabin with an old pacific energy avista that worked pretty good this fall but now that the temps are dropping it’s just not putting out enough heat. It looks like from everything I read the blaze king seems like it will be my best option for a new stove. Looking forward to go see em in person this Saturday but got a couple questions.
I’m looking at the princess or Ashford 30 are there any big differences between them besides the looks? Like heat output or one burn better then the other. Anything that would sway me to one or the other. Should I get the fan or is it not really needed? I’ve had fans on previous stoves and run them but wife usually turns them off.
My only problem with blaze king is the closet dealer is 60 miles away which isn’t that far but he won’t travel that far to install it. I don’t have a problem installing it just figuring out how to move it into place. But I haven’t found another stove at the local dealer that will do what blaze king will so I’m determined to get one somehow.
MissMac
Minister of Fire
58 seconds after reload - i think my wood is good. Really enjoy the load and go of this stove.
MissMac
Minister of Fire
How is the cabin insulated/sealed/window condition/quality etc? Many cabins are done rather poorly! Are you going to be there for days on end or just pop in for Fri night through Sun. AM? Is there supplemental heat installed already? Just some things that may affect a recommendation or two here.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Plenty of people are happy with both stoves. The Stove Fashion Police will be along as soon as they're done knitting their doilies to inform you that the Princess violates Important Fashion Standards, if you care about that.... stuff.
Not everyone uses the fan kits, but you should get it. Better to have it and leave it off most of the time than to spend that one super cold day wishing that you had it. Some people find that a cheap box fan does fine for them.
I second what moresonow said. We need more info on how it is used to know how to help you best.
In the winter my house is ~950 SqFt and the Ashford does a great job of fanless heating. Well, almost fanless as I do have of those thermoelectric jobs sitting atop the stove blowing it's faint drift of air into the kitchen. It does help spread the heat.
The cabin is older so so insulation and windows, it is insulated but not great. There is electric baseboard heat so wood is primary heat source. The wind doesn’t blow thru it but a few air leaks. I’d do more to fix it but intend to remodel and add a second story and at that time would have new windows and insulation. The cabins about 950 square feet on one level with the wood stove in about half consisting of an open room with kitchen and living room the other half bedrooms.
For usage the wife’s been up all fall and I go up 4 or 5 days at a time. We’d like to use it all winter if we can. What I like about the blaze king is I could probably fill it twice a day, the Little PE avista takes little pieces of wood every three hours all night. The other thing would be nice is the ability to turn it down in spring and fall, the Little Avista can roast you out of there when it’s 30 or 40 out but struggles when it’s down 15 or 20. We do see temps of -10 to -20 or more during the winter so looking for something’s that may be a bit of overkill and throws out some heat.
Right now from reading I’m thinking the princess or ashford 30 would fit. Will go look at them on Saturday. Looking at pictures the wife doesn’t mind the princess so that is an option. I’ve got a price on the princess, I’m asumming the ashford is a bit higher, didn’t ask the price on that one.
I’m open to any thoughts, suggestions or advice want something to heat it now and when I add on a second story it would be about 1900 feet on two levels with stove on lower level but good windows and insulation.
For usage the wife’s been up all fall and I go up 4 or 5 days at a time. We’d like to use it all winter if we can. What I like about the blaze king is I could probably fill it twice a day, the Little PE avista takes little pieces of wood every three hours all night. The other thing would be nice is the ability to turn it down in spring and fall, the Little Avista can roast you out of there when it’s 30 or 40 out but struggles when it’s down 15 or 20. We do see temps of -10 to -20 or more during the winter so looking for something’s that may be a bit of overkill and throws out some heat.
Right now from reading I’m thinking the princess or ashford 30 would fit. Will go look at them on Saturday. Looking at pictures the wife doesn’t mind the princess so that is an option. I’ve got a price on the princess, I’m asumming the ashford is a bit higher, didn’t ask the price on that one.
I’m open to any thoughts, suggestions or advice want something to heat it now and when I add on a second story it would be about 1900 feet on two levels with stove on lower level but good windows and insulation.
If the wife does not mind the looks of the Princess I would go with that, bigger stove. You will need it in -20. You will have to run it hard like a non-cat stove along with the electric baseboards to bring the cabin up to comfortable temps. Once that achieved, the stove should have no problem maintaining the desired temp.
I own a princess and bought it before the ashford was available. If I was to replace my princess today I would choose another princess unless the looks are just the most important thing. The ashford has a nice front but a plain sheet metal back end that is not cast but just painted sheet metal. The ashford is less efficient, smaller, requires the more expensive steel cat, and does not have the deep ash belly. You may as well know now before you read about it later that there has been a history of smoke leaking past the door gasket that may or may not be resolved. Both require the same 15' minimum chimney. That's effective chimney height and bends cause restriction that add to the required height.
Either stove is excellent. The above are just differences. The rest of the stove world is way behind with developing a stove offering such a wide range of outputs.
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lsucet
Minister of Fire
It drooped to 14 degrees this morning. Keep the stoves on low all night like always but the house dropped between 68 and 64 some rooms. Is okay, was just me plus i was leaving to work. didn't touch anything. At least the day will be sunny and i have a good sun gain during the day.
There haven’t been many members who have actually burned both stoves, but there have been a few, I think @webby3650 was one of them.
All reports are that they are more similar than different, but the Princess does have a slight edge on raw horsepower. People who talk about there being a big size difference are ignoring that they are listed at 2.65 and 2.75 cu.ft., an almost immeasurable 3.5% difference on size. The advantages of the Ashford 30 are obviously the looks of it, the ability to keep the glass clean, and the more convective design (if that’s what you desire). The Princess is known to have mighty black glass.
Really, the biggest difference between the two is that the Ashford is more convective (cast over steel) and the Princess is more radiant (all steel). In some situations, like exposed masonry construction (chinked logs?), this can make an enormous difference. However, in most normal construction it doesn’t matter so much, other than the heat off the Ashford is likely “softer” and the Princess likely more searing, for a given burn rate.
Again, when considered purely in light of the job for which they’re aimed, they are much more similar than different.
The Princess stoves in my group really shine. They can throw some real heat. They can also idle way back nicely. I don't have personal experience with the Ashford. My 2 cents.
sprawlnstall
Burning Hunk
Can anyone explain why running the fan on a princess it is harder to keep the stove in the active zone during slow burns? Also does the stove become less efficient or burn faster when the fan is on?
lsucet
Minister of Fire
It is easy, the fans are blowing over the cat probe causing a false reading. but actually cat is active. you can shut down the fans and see how it will be back into the active zone.
wood consumption with fans on is a normal condition cause the fans are stripping heat away from the stove causing the tstat to open more frequent or staying open at certain settings of the dial. you also can dial it down a little more and compensate a little but always will consume the wood a little faster but same heat going into the house, just at different rate.
The big, deep, ash belly of the princess is a big difference. The ashford has a big difference in price up front and every 10,000 hours with the more expensive steel cat.
Good point on the glass being dirty on the princess. It's always clear enough to see the fire but definitely is partially ambered out.
Good point on the glass being dirty on the princess. It's always clear enough to see the fire but definitely is partially ambered out.
ratsrepus
Minister of Fire
Im one of those guys that run both the princess and and ashford 30. The deeper belly of the princess and a big plus. I think over all the princess wins in most areas. burn times are about the same, it takes the ashford longer to come up to temp than the princess. In the beauty dept, the ashford wins hands down. The princess comes up on the cat sooner and stays hotter and more consistent through out the burn. Ive had Jotuls, vermont castings, and many other stoves, and I can say either the princess or the ashford is miles ahead of anything else Ive had.
I've got a number of hours on the Ashford insert now and have noticed I still can't turn down the thermostat to 30% or below without getting a creosote/smoke smell. I am running the fans on it on low, have ~24' insulated liner. I have even noticed this smell when the fire has been going for a long time on high/med and is down to a large coalbed before i turn the tstat down. The smell is faint but it is noticeable.
I am wondering if the exhaust temp is dropping too much? Also thought maybe its the door gasket but I have checked it and no issues that i can tell. Maybe its worth having BK send me out the thicker one? I was thinking this might be a wood issue but this happens even well into a burn where there should be no moisture left to cause issue.
I am wondering if the exhaust temp is dropping too much? Also thought maybe its the door gasket but I have checked it and no issues that i can tell. Maybe its worth having BK send me out the thicker one? I was thinking this might be a wood issue but this happens even well into a burn where there should be no moisture left to cause issue.
Oh, the ashford insert is not the same as the ashford freestander. Often companies will just add a surround to their freestander and call it an insert but the whole thing is a different for BK. Can't say in a good way either, the on/off cat gauge for example.
I've called a few dealers now about the princess and one asked me about my chimney which is about 16 feet 8 inch diameter but is reduced down to 6 inch from the 8 foot ceiling down to the stove. He said the 6 inch flue on the princess would not work properly and suggested moving to the King and running 8 inch all the way up or replacing the chimney or another stove.
lsucet
Minister of Fire
I think he is right. That will save you a lot of trouble in the future unless you want to go all the way up with 6".
ratsrepus
Minister of Fire
ashfull, you probably know this, how think of steel does BK use on the inner portion of the ashford? I believe the princess is .250.
8" flue can be sleeved with an insulated 6" stainless steel liner. Works great. Super insulated to boot. Keeps the flue nice and hot all the way up. All of my original stoves were 8".
You'd better measure, the princess uses really thin metal. Kinda silly thin but seems to hold up. Even the top doesn't seem to measure up to 0.250"
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