2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

[BKVP]

There is a shoulder washer that goes through the assembly. You said it felt loose and now it won't move?

 

[BKVP]

I found these in garage left from previous owner. Should I use them to give me lubrication to the handle?View attachment 237403

No!

Feel free to call me at 509-522-2730

 

[chazcarr]

Check the set screw on the knob and make sure that it is actually turning the shaft. Does the knob rotate freely or does it stop turning normally?

From looking through the grate, it appears the shaft does move. it stops turning at the high and low points.

 

[maple1]

I found these in garage left from previous owner. Should I use them to give me lubrication to the handle?View attachment 237403

Hard to tell without actually being hands on, but I am thinking that if you can't turn that hex screw/bolt out, it's not a simple lube problem. That sounds like something galled, which might need drilled & tapped. If you REALLY can't get it out - subject to it not being something as straight forward as the simple bolt that it looks like. What is your tool situation? How hard are you able to really try turning it out? Big difference between a little allen key, and a hex bit in a ratchet.

I wouldn't think it would hurt to try a little lube though.

EDIT : Just saw last posts before posting. Wrenching would likely spin that sleeve/shoulder washer...

EDIT^2: Well, maybe it shouldn't. Looking again. Should still just be a simple bolt, into the door frame?

 

[kf6hap]

Should I use WD-40 or some lubricant?

Water Dispersant #40 is not a lubricant. It was designed to prevent rusting of items stored outside for short term. Use a high temp anti seize.

 

[Highbeam]

Water Dispersant #40 is not a lubricant. It was designed to prevent rusting of items stored outside for short term. Use a high temp anti seize.

Boo. Water is a lubricant. Different lubes have different properties and wd40 isn’t great in some ways but fine in others.

 

[chemie]

View attachment 237404

There is a shoulder washer that goes through the assembly. You said it felt loose and now it won't move?

Yes, yesterday the door handle was feeling/moving jiggly. Then in the night and this morning I could hardly open and close the handle. After some try with an impact driver I could lose the allen bolt. I unscrewed and screwed the whole thing and put it back. It looks fine now. I loaded it stove with some kindling to see if there is any some coming out from the door. So fat it seems good.
Now I/we got your number expect calls from all over North America
Thanks all for the help.

 

[Highbeam]

View attachment 237390View attachment 237391

I took the pictures of the door handle in the morning.
It is so stiff. I could hardly open and close the door. I loosened the marked hex nut but didn’t help. I dont see any creosote build up or anything that could make it stiff.
Should I use WD-40 or some lubricant?

The good news is that if all else fails you can just remove the entire door handle assembly and replace it. Just those two nuts.

 

[pjohnson]

I wonder if any other stove can match a King? Wife loaded it up before she left the cabin I came back 48 hours later, two days. I was expecting a cold cabin, it was 67 the stove was still at 200 degrees and nice bed of coals. Threw a few splits in and off and running again. Here’s a pic of stove after 48 hour burn.

 

[MN~Nice]

Random question, but is a princess gonna be enough stove for my 2400sf split level home? Stove will be in basement

 

[AlbergSteve]

Random question, but is a princess gonna be enough stove for my 2400sf split level home? Stove will be in basement

Hard to say, it's always hard to heat the upstairs from the basement. Need more info on the layout , stair location and stove location. I'm heating 2400 feet but it's all on one level and relatively open plan.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Just sent a message to my dealer and hopefully this won't be a big issue, but my stove keeps having an issue where it won't turn down.
Here is the the stat setting:
View attachment 237393and this is the firebox:View attachment 237394
With the fan on as high as it goes, this is the cat temp:
View attachment 237395

It stays like this for about 30-60 minutes before it starts to calm down. Otherwise it just rages. There is no clinking sound on the turn down like normal, and no whistling noise. It is like the knob does nothing. Moving it up or down does not change the fire intensity.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do, thank you.

That's not right, t-stat should shut the fire down in less than a minute. Get your dealer on it.

 

[sprawlnstall]

MN Nice

I have a princess in my 2500 square feet northern Minnesota home. I have a fairly open floor plan and the princess gets the job done when it's above zero. Once it gets below zero if I shut my bedrooms and bathroom door it is comfortable in the living room area. When it was -24 below on New years eve I did manage to get the house to 76 degrees but it took the best quality oak that I have been saving. I can get by when it's -30 but I have to add wood often and run the stove wide open. I think you would lose some heat with a basement install. On most days I can load the stove at 7:00 AM and come home at 4:00 to a bed of coals. The house is cooling off but it warms up fairly quickly after a reload.

 

[MN~Nice]

Hard to say, it's always hard to heat the upstairs from the basement. Need more info on the layout , stair location and stove location. I'm heating 2400 feet but it's all on one level and relatively open plan.

The upstairs is a fairly open layout. Downstairs is fairly sectioned off with the stove being located in the mechanical room roughly 15’ from the stairway. Also the stairway is open with no doors.

 

[Highbeam]

Random question, but is a princess gonna be enough stove for my 2400sf split level home? Stove will be in basement

I would guess not enough for 100% of your heat, especially not if it is the insert model, but if you're willing to run your furnace when the stove can't quite keep up then the princess could be a good stove.

 

[MN~Nice]

The upstairs is a fairly open layout. Downstairs is fairly sectioned off with the stove being located in the mechanical room roughly 15’ from the stairway. Also the stairway is open with no doors.

Currently I am running a old Kuuma 1 wood furnace, just running it wild as I didn’t want to put it back into the ductwork after I had my AC coil installed. It works ok once the basement heats up but the burn times are garbage, roughly 4 hours on a full load. And of course it’s a pain dealing with the soot buildup in the stove pipe, hence the desire for a BK

 

[MN~Nice]

I would guess not enough for 100% of your heat, especially not if it is the insert model, but if you're willing to run your furnace when the stove can't quite keep up then the princess could be a good stove.

Yes, definitely not planning to use as primary but more for supplemental and I enjoy the wood heat especially in the fall and spring

 

[ratsrepus]

Did mid season stove maintenance on the Ashford today, took the cat out cleaned it with the shop vac, not much in it at all, much better than I would have thought. cleaned the bypass chamber, not much in there either. lubed the bypass linkage with high temp anti seize. machine oiled the air flapper. Oh installed new gasket. It appeared the ashford only has the gasket on the bottom, is that correct? Anyway I put a new one all the way around. Cleaned up my mess before the warden got home. loaded her up, good for the rest of the season. Didnt have squat in the chimney. a coffee cup at most.

 

[MN~Nice]

MN Nice

I have a princess in my 2500 square feet northern Minnesota home. I have a fairly open floor plan and the princess gets the job done when it's above zero. Once it gets below zero if I shut my bedrooms and bathroom door it is comfortable in the living room area. When it was -24 below on New years eve I did manage to get the house to 76 degrees but it took the best quality oak that I have been saving. I can get by when it's -30 but I have to add wood often and run the stove wide open. I think you would lose some heat with a basement install. On most days I can load the stove at 7:00 AM and come home at 4:00 to a bed of coals. The house is cooling off but it warms up fairly quickly after a reload.

I burned almost a pickup load of oak between New Year’s Eve and day. Iron range weather can be brutal. How often would you say you had to load? 4-5 hours? How many splits at a time?

 

[Highbeam]

Currently I am running a old Kuuma 1 wood furnace, just running it wild as I didn’t want to put it back into the ductwork after I had my AC coil installed. It works ok once the basement heats up but the burn times are garbage, roughly 4 hours on a full load. And of course it’s a pain dealing with the soot buildup in the stove pipe, hence the desire for a BK

I've been burning my princess for almost 7 years now after replacing a modern noncat stove on the same chimney. I can honestly say that the BK makes a much dirtier chimney than the noncat did. Running so efficiently and at such low burn rates (for long burn times) the flue temperatures stay pretty low so debris builds up. Now, I burn 9 months of the year and only sweep once per season so it's not a super creosote machine but I wouldn't go to a BK just for a clean chimney. Do it for the highest efficiency and longest burn times.

 

[sprawlnstall]

Maybe some veteran wood burners could answer this one. What would happen if a King stove was hooked up to a 6 inch flue? I understand the outcome would be different in each setup. Is not getting a good enough draft the biggest problem or is their a safety issue? I'm sure someone has done it and I'm just curious. I have a homemade wood stove in my shop and I'm willing to bet it has at least a 5 cubic foot interior. It will handle a 25 inch log easy. The stove is hooked up to a 6 inch flue. I've only fired it up a few times but it ran great on 6 inch flue and a 20 foot chimney.

And no i'm considering a King in my house. But it would be nice.

 

[Highbeam]

Oh installed new gasket. It appeared the ashford only has the gasket on the bottom, is that correct? Anyway I put a new one all the way around.

Your ashford cat gasket was supposed to go all the way around. Glad you fixed it. You should be able to access everything from the flue outlet without removing the cat.

 

[Highbeam]

Maybe some veteran wood burners could answer this one. What would happen if a King stove was hooked up to a 6 inch flue? I understand the outcome would be different in each setup. Is not getting a good enough draft the biggest problem or is their a safety issue? I'm sure someone has done it and I'm just curious. I have a homemade wood stove in my shop and I'm willing to bet it has at least a 5 cubic foot interior. It will handle a 25 inch log easy. The stove is hooked up to a 6 inch flue. I've only fired it up a few times but it ran great on 6 inch flue and a 20 foot chimney.

And no i'm considering a King in my house. But it would be nice.

I was scolded by BK for even asking if I could do this. Supposedly there is not enough draft strength in a 6" to keep the smoke in the stove. I have definitely seen it done and those users were happy. Since the manual prohibits a smaller flue than 8" you would be "illegal" if you did it anyway and void your insurance.

The large wood furnaces are much bigger than the king and still use a 6" flue. I'm thinking it's while you're using the low burn rate that problems arise.

 

[sprawlnstall]

I burned almost a pickup load of oak between New Year’s Eve and day. Iron range weather can be brutal. How often would you say you had to load? 4-5 hours? How many splits at a time?

I only have to keep the stove packed with wood when it's really cold. I would guess -20 below. After a couple reloads when it's really cold its hard to get more than a few splits in the stove because it's already full of HOT coals. I'm guessing the stove is not supposed to run this way but when it's really cold outside it's what I have to do.

 

[sprawlnstall]

Blaze king says a fully packed stove will burn for 10 hours when running the stove on high. I believe this to be true under ideal conditions. In my situation running the stove on high will give my a good 5-6 hours of heat when it hits -20. Hot coals don't put out enough heat when it's really cold out. I considered a drolet ht200 but am happy with the princess. When it's 10 degrees or warmer the stove is amazing. If my house was smaller the princess would be perfect.