2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)
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blueguy
Feeling the Heat
Still got a few more weeks here before I have to light the stove - taking the time to redo my connector pipe configuration and redo all the gaskets in the stove.
Plus I wanted to be in first in the 15/16 thread [emoji2]
Plus I wanted to be in first in the 15/16 thread [emoji2]
BKVP
Minister of Fire
tigger
Burning Hunk
I have t cleaned mine from last season. Maybe one of these weekends. Suppose to be low 90's here tomorrow.
Niko
Minister of Fire
Holy crap a rookie with post number 5, wooohooo! Still gotta install my new glass and replace all my gaskets. Might be orderig my second king ultra for upstairs and run them both on very low. Last year my downstairs was at 90 so that my upstairs can bewteen 70-75, I mean that was the 10-20 degree days. Currently spray foaming to fix up air leaks. Very happy with the stove and burn times especillay for a new burner and all the new information i have absorbed and turned into reality.
Only thing I need to get better at Is cleaning the ash via the ash pit and hole. Hey VP you guys should encorpaprate a design so you don't have to open the doot to clean the ash. Some type of push pull lever from the outside that opens and closes the ash hole lol. When the ash levels get high its kinda hard to find the little hole to lift the bracket up or whatever you call it. Then with the door open and sidting the ash around chit goes all around the place. I have great ideas if you wanna a new employee blaze king !
Only thing I need to get better at Is cleaning the ash via the ash pit and hole. Hey VP you guys should encorpaprate a design so you don't have to open the doot to clean the ash. Some type of push pull lever from the outside that opens and closes the ash hole lol. When the ash levels get high its kinda hard to find the little hole to lift the bracket up or whatever you call it. Then with the door open and sidting the ash around chit goes all around the place. I have great ideas if you wanna a new employee blaze king !
I can't wait to use my new blaze king Ashford 30. It was installed July 31st. I have been watching the weather praying for a day low enough to try it out. I'm a first year burner so I'm sure I will have plenty of questions.
It's super easy to pick out of there after you've had some experience. On the new models they doubled the size of the ash plug. I don't see the advantage personally. With the original size I found it very easy to separate usable coals from ash, now big coals will go right down with the ashes.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Long season ahead of us all. Thank you all for your patience...sometimes the wifi in jets doesn't always work. I do travel lots and lots and lots with Delta...all around the globe, so if I don't respond super quick, I may be running to catch a flight.
With that said, the brotherhood here at Hearth.com are second to none! (Except Begreen...I have to get him to get one of our stoves so he can "get it".)
Actually, Begreen, Webby, Poindexter and maybe one or two others have had to meet me in person at some point. I will be all over Montana and Northern Idaho in the coming weeks.
Then, yes dare I say, Missouri!
Thank you all....
With that said, the brotherhood here at Hearth.com are second to none! (Except Begreen...I have to get him to get one of our stoves so he can "get it".)
Actually, Begreen, Webby, Poindexter and maybe one or two others have had to meet me in person at some point. I will be all over Montana and Northern Idaho in the coming weeks.
Then, yes dare I say, Missouri!
Thank you all....
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Neither have I, with cool nights and burning hanging around well into June, here. Don't think I will, at this point.
Any chance of splitting too small? I'm used to handling might large splits from my Jotul days. Going to be cutting about 20 cords of splits down from 20 - 22" lengths, over the next two years, to fit the new Ashfords. Wondering if I should also start splitting smaller, on new stuff.Poindexter said:
FWIW none of the mods here has a BK yet and all are heating 24/7 in the winter. For now I have a simple, attractive, paid for, low maintenance stove that does the job well. 24 hr burn times don't mean a lot to me. I actually enjoy tending the stove 2-3 times a day. I do like the Ashford's quality and appreciate good efficiency. Maybe when the Ashford finally has a good satin blue-black enamel I will "get it".
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Not sure if my wife would totally agree but I like it. 
Now I am on two board of directors so beware that folks have plans for you once retired. Not complaining, it's interesting and fun to get involved in more community organizations.
Now I am on two board of directors so beware that folks have plans for you once retired. Not complaining, it's interesting and fun to get involved in more community organizations.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
"Any chance of spliting too small?"
Possibly. I am processing, seasoning and burning 8 to 10 cords annually on a 1/4 acre lot with a house on it.
My too big to dry in one season splits make my oil bill go up. Most of my splits run nominal 2x3 up to about 3x6 if that was a board you could buy at lowes.
I didn't kill myself splitting gnarly pieces small last winter. I kept them to the side while stacking and have a layer at the top of the stacks of nominal 6x6 splits. They burn ok right now. I am going to supplement some with biobricks this year and try to get those big ones another summer in the sun.
The most splits i ever fit in my a30 was about 18 or 19 small splits, but the metered air intake kept me from an over fire. Im not real anxious to try splitting a load like that again to 35 or 40 splits.
I am coming around to thinking it doesnt matter what the split size is.
I think flue height and total draft matter. I added 2 feet to my stack over the summer from 13.5 to 15.5 total collar to cap. I can run the stove lower now because i have enough draft to move enough air to keep it lit.
I know moisture content matters. You can run a corvette on 87 octane ans bk says tou can run their stoves on 20% mc. When i switch to 93 octane or 12%mc i do not need precision instruments to tell the difference.
Besides drying in one season, the one thing small splits are good at is taking the chilll off the house fast when you get home from work.
FWIW I lit my stove aug 20, ran it 4:5 nights, its been running 24 hours per day since i fot home from work on aug 26.
Possibly. I am processing, seasoning and burning 8 to 10 cords annually on a 1/4 acre lot with a house on it.
My too big to dry in one season splits make my oil bill go up. Most of my splits run nominal 2x3 up to about 3x6 if that was a board you could buy at lowes.
I didn't kill myself splitting gnarly pieces small last winter. I kept them to the side while stacking and have a layer at the top of the stacks of nominal 6x6 splits. They burn ok right now. I am going to supplement some with biobricks this year and try to get those big ones another summer in the sun.
The most splits i ever fit in my a30 was about 18 or 19 small splits, but the metered air intake kept me from an over fire. Im not real anxious to try splitting a load like that again to 35 or 40 splits.
I am coming around to thinking it doesnt matter what the split size is.
I think flue height and total draft matter. I added 2 feet to my stack over the summer from 13.5 to 15.5 total collar to cap. I can run the stove lower now because i have enough draft to move enough air to keep it lit.
I know moisture content matters. You can run a corvette on 87 octane ans bk says tou can run their stoves on 20% mc. When i switch to 93 octane or 12%mc i do not need precision instruments to tell the difference.
Besides drying in one season, the one thing small splits are good at is taking the chilll off the house fast when you get home from work.
FWIW I lit my stove aug 20, ran it 4:5 nights, its been running 24 hours per day since i fot home from work on aug 26.
Poindexter
Minister of Fire
If you get a chance to meet bkvp in person, i encourage you to make an effort. He is super knowledgable in a lot of subjects besides eficient wood burning. I wont drive 300 miles one way to see him again, but 20 or 30 absolutely.
Really? You've made it quite clear that you use a heat pump for heating until low temps. That makes you a part time retired wood burner in my eyes. The shoulder season is where the BK's really shine and all I hear from your house is the heat pump buzzing. Being all retired and wanting to reload 2-3 times a day defeats the benefit of the long burn times.
Your application fits a noncat just fine and the PE T6 is a very desirable non-cat.
We've never solely burned wood, even before retirement. Economically and environmentally it makes more sense to use the high efficiency heat pump. 24/7 burning doesn't mean one never uses an alternative. If one has a boiler or furnace it's a good idea to exercise it once in awhile. Ashful has to run a boiler full time in spite of 24/7 burning. We have always had a backup heating system, that's just common sense, especially when we were traveling a lot. Right now the sun is heating the house just fine, hope that is ok. It's silly to be a slave to the stove, especially when unnecessary. That's just being rigid.
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Hey, don't drag me into your pissing match!
I'm actually anxious to see how a convective stove changes that balance. You've seen the Flir photos of the outside of my house, showing just how much energy I was radiating off the back of those Jotuls into the exterior stone work. Running a convective stove should reduce that, and depending on exactly how much, might make a noticeable difference in how much oil I need to burn each year.
I sure hope you're right! I'm afraid that the "slower" convective heat from the Ashfords will have a hard time overcoming the heat loss through the masonry structures.Hey, don't drag me into your pissing match!
I'm actually anxious to see how a convective stove changes that balance. You've seen the Flir photos of the outside of my house, showing just how much energy I was radiating off the back of those Jotuls into the exterior stone work. Running a convective stove should reduce that, and depending on exactly how much, might make a noticeable difference in how much oil I need to burn each year.
You did get the blowers I hope.
You guys mind if I hang out in this thread too ???
Chris/BKVP, keep me in mind next time you're visiting dealers in central Pa.
Be nice to sit and have a beer...........or coffee !!
Chris/BKVP, keep me in mind next time you're visiting dealers in central Pa.
Be nice to sit and have a beer...........or coffee !!
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Woody harrelson
Feeling the Heat
I ordered a princess parlor, hopefully it will be here the end of this week! I will post pics when I have it setup. I have just about 15 feet from stove collar to chimney exit. It's straight up through the roof. I'm hoping the draft is good for this stove, I had no problems with my previous non cat stove. I swapped out the stove pipe to double wall to give it as much help as I can. Wood has been CSS for about 2 years. Hopefully I have positive comments to add to this thread! Bring on winter!
Niko
Minister of Fire
Pretty awesome when a contact from a company spends time to answer questions on a forum, let alone a Vice President. I know I was a pain in the ass in the begining, but thats the business man in me. We are all have differemt ways but a forum is a awesome place to put minds together to help others out. I Aprreciate the help and knowledge of everyone, im still very new so i know my input is limited to help others out. But with time that will all change.
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