Just came inside from fixing a tractor, and fired a cold stove at 11:30p. Was fully engulfed by 5 minutes after match, cat engaged at less than 10 minutes, thanks to several scraps of framing lumber + two splits of cedar under the load to get it going quick. Already done 20 minutes on high with active cat, 30 minutes after lighting. Time for bed!
Aren’t all fires big?
It was just a normal top down fire.
It normally takes me a little longer, as I don't usually run huge flame in the box when I'm burning in a new load. I figure that "flooring" the stove with the air wide open will cause different part of the stove to expand at different rates, accelerating wear and tear.
Probably, and after you cut the air it may have quit burning the creo..may still be more that will only burn off at higher temps.
That's why I asked webby to compare the two, stone and steel. He only answers about 1/4 of the questions I ask him, though, so we'll see.
OTOH, "fooling with it" can be a lot of fun.
I don't have the law looking over my shoulder, though..I found the Fireview was really responsive and the fired up really quickly, it was a ceramic cat that was in its first season though. I had a totally different experience with my hearthstone, if it went cold it took forever to build any heat out of it. The Woodstock did not seem to have this struggle for me. I feel like the BK and the Fireview were up and running in about the same amount of time, not a huge difference anyway.That's why I asked webby to compare the two, stone and steel. He only answers about 1/4 of the questions I ask him, though, so we'll see.
I have read somewhere that wood can be too dry, should be 20% or more, and there are posts about it here if you use the forum search. But I think that the 16-18% that is the equilibrium moisture content for the majority of the country isn't so far off that it will be much of an issue. And wood at that level seems to get going quicker that say 20-22%. I have to burn in the load more to get the cat lit off with only that much more moisture so I guess it's six of one, half dozen of the other, in the amount of unburned creo going up the flue.
Different species of wood have different compounds in them. Some are aromatic and others really stink when burning and combustion is incomplete. Locust is one I think is this way.
I'm sure you're right, but with this simple welded steel box, I don't suspect I'll have any issue within the anticipated lifetime of the product. Now if it were a more fragile soapstone stove...
I'm not worried about the stone itself, but yeah, any seamed stove is gonna need maintenance at some point. But a stove made of pieces can have just the affected parts replaced if you get 'em too hot. Still, I got my SIL a simple stove with a welded steel box, and I anticipate a long, trouble-free life from it. Now, if you do over-fire a welded steel box, it might be scrap. You likely don't have to worry about that with your BK; They don't get all that hot.I'm sure you're right, but with this simple welded steel box, I don't suspect I'll have any issue within the anticipated lifetime of the product. Now if it were a more fragile soapstone stove...
They don’t get “all that hot” because it’s under control. I love that! Especially after reading about all the little tricks people have to do to keep these high end non-cats from going nuclear. My BK is down in the basement, I love knowing that I can leave it on high without worrying about it running away and damaging anything. 800 degree stove top is all that hot by the way!You likely don't have to worry about that with your BK; They don't get all that hot.
But that 800 is only in one small spot.They don’t get “all that hot” because it’s under control. I love that! Especially after reading about all the little tricks people have to do to keep these high end non-cats from going nuclear. My BK is down in the basement, I love knowing that I can leave it on high without worrying about it running away and damaging anything. 800 degree stove top is all that hot by the way!
Yes, stovetop. Some people want to act like they are all low and slow, that’s simply not true.
In my experience they simply don't have near the btu output of other similarly sized noncats. And no the hot spot is pretty small on the princess at least it is not the whole top at all
We all know, this has been beat to death. Of course the whole stove isn’t 800. If it were, it would be pretty hard to fit into most homes. If it were, the burn times would match that of the nearly uncontrollable and often unpredictable high output noncats. Controlled heat, that’s more my style and the others that follow this BK thread.
A properly setup non cat is not uncontrollable or unpredictable at all. I ran my 3100 on a 36' chimney and never had it out of control or do anything unpredictable. Because I set it up so I could control that excessive draft.
The way the T5 is set up, we end up cruising with the air down all the way and the highest I've seen is right around 700 or a little over, even with some of the small wood I've been trying to use up. There were a couple cold nights, as you know, but she didn't have big loads in there. With a full load of small wood, on a cold night with strong draft, it might go too high but those 10-degree nights it didn't seem to be pulling a lot harder on only 15' of stack. But at her place, a small load will get her through the night with enough heat. Once we get into the big splits I've been making for it (half of her shed for this year, then it will be all big 'uns) I think that will be the only "little trick" we need.
Or even other cat stoves. Besides the thermostat, those heat shields on the inside of the BKs keep the thin box from getting too hot and warping, but the trade-off is that heat can't get out as fast.
JK, just yankin' yer chain a bit. It's my job in this thread. 
Seriously, the big thing for me with the thermostat would be that it would automatically open up the air on the coals and keep the heat output up at the end of the load. Even with the small Keystone box in this leaky house, one of us is usually around to open up the air on the coals for the last couple hours of the burn and keep the heat pumping on those really cold days. We make it through the night without room temp dropping but a degree or two unless it's single digits with a howling wind.
I knew about the seam at the bottom of the wall board, but not the gaping hole in the corner, had some crap in front of it forever and forgot it was there. Fixing it in the next couple days. With this place a little tighter, even brutal cold won't be a match for my little box. 
I was really hoping that was the problem. I have been burning full time for a few weeks and I still have the sweet smoke smell. I feel like the smell is worse. I dont think that washer has anything to do with it. But now when I walk into the room where my stove is I can smell it. I used to have to put my nose right over the hinge to smell it. How many people are here that have the smoke Ashford smoke smell?
