2015-2016 Blaze King Performance thread (Everything BK)

[begreen]

This has happened to most of us. Carry a timer with you or use your cellphone's clock timer feature.

 

[drz1050]

When we made the larger ash plug hole, we also modified the ash drawer and ash bucket. So, this was not as DRZ1050 noted. So, would the two or three of you with an issue send me a picture of your ash drawer and buckets please. Email them to me at [email protected] and I will see what happened. Also, include your serial number(s).

Thank you.
Chris

I'll send an email in the morning with pictures/ serial #.

I love being forced to eat crow over things like this. No sarcasm there, I really do. I love everything else about the stove so far, if the ash pan could be fixed, it'd be perfect

 

[Highbeam]

I'll send an email in the morning with pictures/ serial #.

I love being forced to eat crow over things like this. No sarcasm there, I really do. I love everything else about the stove so far, if the ash pan could be fixed, it'd be perfect

And now that we know that there is an old and a new ash pan design there is suddenly the chance that this was just a mix up during final assembly.

 

[Poindexter]

Does anyone else observe a correlation between increasing MC and increasing ash accumulation?

Last year I was burning 12-16% MC and taking out two drawer fulls of ashes every Saturday AM. This year I am burning 18% MC and taking out two drawer fulls twice a week. Thermostat hasn't been below medium in a couple weeks here. Routine is a hot reload, run an hour on high, turn down to medium, repeat after 12 hours. Been running the fan kit for more than a week continuous too.

Maybe it's some kind of blip, I'll see how many times I have to empty the ashcan on this year, it was 1.5 loads in a 35 gallon metal trash can last year.

FWIW the little ash plug in the Ashford 30.0 is faster than dusting the home theater system every time I shovel ashes into a bucket.

 

[Padawan Burner]

Hello all,

I just installed a Chinook 30 after finally completing the new hardwood floors. This forum was the reason I went with a Blaze King. I used to have a Hearthstone Bari, which I liked well enough to heat the last (smaller) house, but the things I DID NOT like and wanted to avoid were:

1) small firebox needing constant tending and reloading

2) vertical firebox, which put on a beautiful show, but when a log invariably fell against the glass door, reloading was impossible

3) non-cat / naturally aspirated (HA!) meant that the room it was in was unbearably hot whenever it was running

4) soapstone material never gets hot enough to put a kettle or Dutch oven on, allowing for cooking during outages

So I knew what I didn't want, but I didn't know what I DID want. My house is big, I'm renovating it in a modern contemporary style, and I didn't want to babysit a stove again. Like I said, you guys had so much information to give that I researched my local area (Anchorage Alaska) and found one dealer a few towns away. No way was I going to make the drive to check out floor models, but I heard they would be at the Alaska Home Show in the spring, so I went. Well, they had various BK stoves that would not work with my home's style, but then I saw the Chinook 30. AND Chris BKVP was also there. It was you, right VP? Extremely attractive man, not a day over 35? Sound about right?

I went with my mom and another girlfriend and Chris and Dan the Fireplace man spent time answering all the questions us girls could think to ask. Burn rate, fresh air needs, how to operate a cat, etc. Sold me right there.

I had a few hiccups with the delivery and a few missing items, but Dan made it right. My installer did a fantastic job (and charged a pretty penny). Is that double wall pipe lined with unicorn tears or what???

And I love the thing! It is beautiful. It lights easy, stays burning with no effort and 12-14 hours later it's still going strong. Granted, it hasn't dropped below 20 yet, but running at 1.75 on the t-stat makes a nice mellow heat that travels nicely through my open floor plan.

Specifics:

3400 sq/ft house R29 insulation but lots of windows.
Burning birch and spruce splits and rounds.
Definitely a fan of the huge rounds - this beauty takes them down to nothing and gives off every BTU available.
Single wall pipe to exterior, the a double wall SS 90 (yikes!) and 2 30s (YIKES) to account for offset joists. The good news is that I'm on the top of a hill and the airflow is fantastic. The draft is almost too good at wide open.

So guys, again, thank you for your sage advice and I hope to contribute as the season goes on and I learn all the joys of BK ownership

 

[Sakuji]

When we made the larger ash plug hole, we also modified the ash drawer and ash bucket. So, this was not as DRZ1050 noted. So, would the two or three of you with an issue send me a picture of your ash drawer and buckets please. Email them to me at [email protected] and I will see what happened. Also, include your serial number(s).

Thank you.
Chris

This is why I'm sticking with the BK brand for my first new install (though second BK stove owned). Very responsive maker.
Thanks Chris.

 

[Highbeam]

So I took @webby3650 's advice and applied the copper antiseize to the spring washers of the thermostat knob instead of my usual gun oil. The heavier lube should last longer and it certainly works at least as good in the short term. My fat fingers had a hard time fitting down there where the grease needed to go but it got done. While I had the thermostat cover off I thought I would take some pics of this often mysterious part of our stoves that is so very important.

Pop the rear cover off after removing the screws with a #2 square drive bit and you see this throttle body. Air comes up from the sides and then drops down through the flapper into the primary intake manifold. The bimettalic spring is behind the throttle body so out of sight but when you adjust the knob you are just setting the preload on that bimettalic spring. The throttle blade reacts to the winding and unwinding of that spring in response to heat from the firebox.

The little black set screw on that collar by the spring washers is what limits the stat knob travel to less than 360 degrees.

The only somewhat sketchy thing is how the throttle blade is attached to the shaft. The welds look small and if they failed it would be real bad. I trust that this has never happened.

My princess has that hole in the throttle plate so the air is never really shut off.

You're not supposed to remove the cover and look at the stat, you're not supposed to run the stove with the stat cover off, and if you accidentally took that cover off be sure to fully close the stat (lowest setting) before replacing the cover since you can lodge the throttle blade in full open with the cover if you put it on without closing the throttle first. The stat cover has a max travel throttle blade stop screw in it that must remain in place, don't mess with it. Only the two lower screws in the back must be removed for access.

I still lubed the throttle blade shaft with a tough of gun oil on each side. Gotta keep things moving smoothly.

 

[Sakuji]

Pop the rear cover off after removing the screws with a #2 square drive bit and you see this throttle body. Air comes up from the sides and then drops down through the flapper into the primary intake manifold. The bimettalic spring is behind the throttle body so out of sight but when you adjust the knob you are just setting the preload on that bimettalic spring. The throttle blade reacts to the winding and unwinding of that spring in response to heat from the firebox.

The little black set screw on that collar by the spring washers is what limits the stat knob travel to less than 360 degrees.

The only somewhat sketchy thing is how the throttle blade is attached to the shaft. The welds look small and if they failed it would be real bad. I trust that this has never happened.


I still lubed the throttle blade shaft with a tough of gun oil on each side. Gotta keep things moving smoothly.

Nice breakdown of what you did. Will take note of this for future reference.
Though based on your pics, those welds look like resistance type of weld as opposed to flux core arc welds. An excellent looking weld made by resistance type should not show the excess molten metal since they don't functionally hold the joint together unlike on a flux core weld. The one on your pic (if it's indeed a resistance type of weld) looks satisfactory - even if the excess molten metal not cleaned off- for the function it performs.

Thanks again for the post.

 

[drz1050]

So evidently I do have the correct ash pan.. just talked to BKVP about it. Guess I'll be shoveling from here on out.

Ashful- he said that you have the old model, but even the new one won't really do you any good. I can post pics tomorrow.

 

[BKVP]

Nice breakdown of what you did. Will take note of this for future reference.
Though based on your pics, those welds look like resistance type of weld as opposed to flux core arc welds. An excellent looking weld made by resistance type should not show the excess molten metal since they don't functionally hold the joint together unlike on a flux core weld. The one on your pic (if it's indeed a resistance type of weld) looks satisfactory - even if the excess molten metal not cleaned off- for the function it performs.

Thanks again for the post.

Never had one break yet in 35+ years and Highbeam, you are correct, resistance weld....smart guy!

 

[dh1989]

Hello all,

I just installed a Chinook 30 after finally completing the new hardwood floors. This forum was the reason I went with a Blaze King. I used to have a Hearthstone Bari, which I liked well enough to heat the last (smaller) house, but the things I DID NOT like and wanted to avoid were:

Padawan:
I love the hearth pad and how it lines up with the wall. Looks perfect. I have hardwoods too and went with a steel ember pad like that. My local dealer just started carrying them.

Curious how that fan is working for you. It looks like an Ecofan. I have a smaller house (1000 sqft on the main level w/ stove, 400 sqft downstairs). I don't have the blower on my Sirocco since the dealer thought it would run me out of the house and I'd never end up using it. I'm going to see how this winter goes, but I might consider something like the Ecofan as an in-between option.

 

[Padawan Burner]

Padawan:
I love the hearth pad and how it lines up with the wall. Looks perfect. I have hardwoods too and went with a steel ember pad like that. My local dealer just started carrying them.

Curious how that fan is working for you. It looks like an Ecofan. I have a smaller house (1000 sqft on the main level w/ stove, 400 sqft downstairs). I don't have the blower on my Sirocco since the dealer thought it would run me out of the house and I'd never end up using it. I'm going to see how this winter goes, but I might consider something like the Ecofan as an in-between option.

Thanks so much for the complements. I knew I only needed an ember pad, and once I decided it would go in the corner, I just measured out what I needed and went to my local sheet metal fabricators and had it cut for me. It's indestructible polished steel - little more than I need needed size-wise, but I don't have to worry about code changing on me.

I did end up getting the BK factory fan and the fresh air kit after talking with BKVP and Dan the Fireplace Man. I haven't used it much (like I said, it hasn't been below 20 here yet and is actually in the 40's and raining now). When I did use it, I noticed that the stove burns through its fuel faster and so, consequently, the house gets warmer, faster. That might come in handy when it gets really cold. It's a nice, quiet, powerful fan and I can see how a more closed floor plan than what I have would really need it. For me, natural convection has been moving the warm air into every room in the house with no fans needed. While the fan is running, the corner behind the unit stays cool to the touch - warm to the touch otherwise.

The Eco-fan was a gift and really only runs when the stovetop is over 400 degrees. Not at all useful for the long, slow burns we all bought the BKs for.

My take, thus far, is that this is the perfect stove, in the perfect spot, for a large, well insulated open floor plan. What has everyone else been experiencing for moving heat around on a really cold night? Are you closing off rooms or using fans?

 

[drz1050]

Do you have a ceiling fan? You can run that in reverse..

 

[Poindexter]

What has everyone else been experiencing for moving heat around on a really cold night? Are you closing off rooms or using fans?

I have a pretty challenging floor plan. I can do pretty good running the fan kit on the stove and a 110vac box fan on the floor down the hall pushing cool air along the floor out of the back bedrooms towards the stove.

I do have an eco-fan left over from my last stove. I have it sitting on our Ashford 30 directly above the cat. It'll get to spinning when the stove is cranking, but nothing like it did on my old EPA non-cat.

I wouldn't necessarily _buy_ an eco-fan to put on a BK, but since I had it already and its paid for I figure it can't hurt and it might help.

 

[Blazing]

I use a small Vornado 133 desk fan to move the cold from down the hall of my ranch to the stove room. I found out quick to much cfm ie big box fan seems to just blow all my heat to the kitchen. Got so hot in there I just set a pan out and let the eggs cook on the counter.

 

[Padawan Burner]

I have a pretty challenging floor plan. I can do pretty good running the fan kit on the stove and a 110vac box fan on the floor down the hall pushing cool air along the floor out of the back bedrooms towards the stove.

I do have an eco-fan left over from my last stove. I have it sitting on our Ashford 30 directly above the cat. It'll get to spinning when the stove is cranking, but nothing like it did on my old EPA non-cat.

I wouldn't necessarily _buy_ an eco-fan to put on a BK, but since I had it already and its paid for I figure it can't hurt and it might help.

Poindexter, you are in Fairbanks, right? I've really enjoyed your posts and consider you my Litmus Test for what the worst case scenario I could face would be. And I mean that in the nicest possible way! We both have the same kind of woods to burn too. Do you ever use cottonwood or alder? As per usual, my property is covered with alder bushes and I always cut the dead fall up into lengths and use as kindling. They burn hot.

So, if the time comes to add a box fan, it sounds like folks here blow the cold air towards the stove rather than blow the hot air from the stove, yes?

I tied to add a ceiling fan upstairs, but I couldn't access the attic so I had to use one of those "old work" joist braces. I fought with the damn thing for a few hours, ate so much blown-in insulation that I'm concerned I now need more up there, eventually decided this was "man's work" and gave up. I hung a pretty Crystal chandelier up instead.

Sounds like we agree on the eco fan.

 

[begreen]

There is a lower temp EcoFan 806 made for gas stove temp range that might work well with careful placement. It's working temp range is 167°F – 392°F.

 

[BrotherBart]

Don't understand. I have two Eco Fan 812 models on the top of my non-cat wood stove and they both crank up at around 130 degrees stove top and keep turning until it is back down to the same temp. Spinning pretty good at 200.

 

[Poindexter]

Poindexter, you are in Fairbanks, right? I've really enjoyed your posts and consider you my Litmus Test for what the worst case scenario I could face would be. And I mean that in the nicest possible way! We both have the same kind of woods to burn too. Do you ever use cottonwood or alder? As per usual, my property is covered with alder bushes and I always cut the dead fall up into lengths and use as kindling. They burn hot.

I don't seek poplar/cottonwood. Its usually pretty bug infested in the state forests up here and is kinda low on the BTU chart. I do have a little bit laid aside for a not home heating experiment. I have observed it dries pretty quick once it's split, I guess if I was caught up short some August I might bring some in, spit it real small and hope to be burning it in October.

I can't hardly drop a birch without braking some branches off an alder shrub. The broken alder branches I chainsaw into smoker sized chunks right on the spot and leave the rest of the shrub to keep growing.

So, if the time comes to add a box fan, it sounds like folks here blow the cold air towards the stove rather than blow the hot air from the stove, yes?

Generally an inexpensive box fan on the floor works as well or better than more expensive units to put in the corners of doorways and whack one's head on. Try the inexpensive fan you probably already own first. If that is not satisfactory, then look into other, usually more expensive fans. The observation above about too many CFM does have merit.

I tied to add a ceiling fan upstairs, but I couldn't access the attic so I had to use one of those "old work" joist braces. I fought with the damn thing for a few hours, ate so much blown-in insulation that I'm concerned I now need more up there, eventually decided this was "man's work" and gave up. I hung a pretty Crystal chandelier up instead.

Yup, framing for a ceiling fan under existing blown in insulation is a chore I would avoid vigorously.

 

[Poindexter]

I guess it depends on your install and the weather and your insulation envelope, but if you can't burn spruce on low without running yourself out of the house, maybe some cottonwood on a low/med setting is worth a try.

 

[BKVP]

You Alaska guys and tight houses make me jealous! That and moose and bear hunting

 

[Ashful]

So, if the time comes to add a box fan, it sounds like folks here blow the cold air towards the stove rather than blow the hot air from the stove, yes?

I find the blowers on my BK work quite well for getting air moving around the house, and I have a pretty difficult floor plan for heating. That said, before I had blowers I did use the "cold air toward stove along floor" technique. Since floors are usually less interrupted than ceilings, with doorway transoms and varying ceiling heights, this is often found to work best. Some have argued that cold air is more dense, and that improves the fan efficiency, but that effect should be fairly negligible (we're not talking drastically different "hot air" and "cold air" temps, here).

I tied to add a ceiling fan upstairs, but I couldn't access the attic so I had to use one of those "old work" joist braces. I fought with the damn thing for a few hours, ate so much blown-in insulation that I'm concerned I now need more up there, eventually decided this was "man's work" and gave up. I hung a pretty Crystal chandelier up instead.

The easiest way to do this right is often an old work ceiling fan box: (broken link removed)

It's still best to get up in the attic, so you know where you're cutting your hole relative to joist and wiring placement, but most work can be done from below.

 

[Padawan Burner]

I find the blowers on my BK work quite well for getting air moving around the house, and I have a pretty difficult floor plan for heating. That said, before I had blowers I did use the "cold air toward stove along floor" technique. Since floors are usually less interrupted than ceilings, with doorway transoms and varying ceiling heights, this is often found to work best. Some have argued that cold air is more dense, and that improves the fan efficiency, but that effect should be fairly negligible (we're not talking drastically different "hot air" and "cold air" temps, here).


The easiest way to do this right is often an old work ceiling fan box: (broken link removed)

It's still best to get up in the attic, so you know where you're cutting your hole relative to joist and wiring placement, but most work can be done from below.

Ashful,

Yep, that is the exact guilty party. I'm getting angry just looking at it. There is no way on God's green earth to get that sucker to work from below. It is not possible to crank it open while also moving the blown-in insulation out of the way and it cannot "bite" into the joist with even a little bit of that nasty insulation in the way. Regular batt would have been a breeze. I'm considering suing them in order to force them to put that disclaimer on the box and spare some other poor slob the drama! It's a public service, really.

I've got the stove running nice and low right now after a hot reload, the magnetic stove top thermometer says 300 and my little eco fan's blades are as still as the lazy dog laying in front of it.

 

[Ashful]

lol... well, at leas you haven't lost your sense of humor, over it. I've never had to use one in a house with blown-in cellulose, so I can't argue with your experience, there. Think it's worth getting a small snow shovel, and just temporarily digging that spot out to do the work? Although the new part of my current house now has blown-in, all the work I've done on past houses has been around fiberglass batts.

 

[drz1050]

Hey, be glad it's blown in cellulose and not blown in fiberglass... that blown in fiberglass crap is the devil.