2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[lsucet]

It is so much easier to just go up through the inside of the stove and straight up the flue collar. Tape a sheet of plastic over the stove door and cut a slit for the sooteater.

I can do that for sure on the new installed i am doing now cause it is straight up, but the other one has an offset of a foot . That force me to disconnect the telescopic stove pipe. the way i see it i will do one like this and the other with the wye

 

[kennyp2339]

Im starting to get the "itch" if you know what I mean, I might build some wood racks, next week the temps are suppose to cool off to the upper 60's low 70's, I will be tuning my saw and start cutting wood down for season 20-21

 

[begreen]

I can do that for sure on the new installed i am doing now cause it is straight up, but the other one has an offset of a foot . That force me to disconnect the telescopic stove pipe. the way i see it i will do one like this and the other with the wye

Our stovepipe has a one foot offset too. The sooteater goes through the 45s fine and with no problem.

 

[lsucet]

Our stovepipe has a one foot offset too. The sooteater goes through it fine.

i will have to give it a try and see how it works and go from there. yeah, is one foot between two 45s.I am planning to do it this weekend and see what is the results. is good to know that you have that offset and still be able to do it that way. like i said i will give it a go.

 

[BKVP]

It is so much easier to just go up through the inside of the stove and straight up the flue collar. Tape a sheet of plastic over the stove door and cut a slit for the sooteater.

No way. I have done both and with a properly installed slip connector, I'll be done before you set down your tape gun.

 

[begreen]

The tape is already on the plastic (which is just to contain any dust). Have the slip connector and have tried both ways. My preference is to leave the slip alone, but each to their own.

 

[black smoke signals]

Hello Hearth Forum members! Been having time to think about my B/K insert cat monitoring temp gauge and cat glowing bright orange.At the end of last year I tried to turn over the job to my wife operating this insert (2015 model) and getting cell phone calls about the temp gauge pointing past the safe zone at 6 o'clock. I tell wife to turn the t-stat down (closing the air making more smoke) and walk away. Wife calls back said temp gauge back into the safe zone but asks why I cant I just set t-stat walk away?.I'm thinking right? If she walks away and the cat is bright orange this will shorten life of the cat and is not safe to run the t-stat when temp of the gauge is trying to go past 6 o clock from the starting point of a first start of fire? Burning mostly spruce at 12 percent and a mix of ponderosa red oak at 7percent.Ponderosa (beetle kill) and red oak almost gone if I raise the moisture to say 15-20 percent will this bring the cat temp down so wife can set t-stat and walk away (4-5 hours) without worry of bright orange of a slowly climbing cat temp gauge? Last year I just put a beer can over the temp gauge and wife didn't like this.

 

[Highbeam]

The tape is already on the plastic (which is just to contain any dust). Have the slip connector and have tried both ways. My preference is to leave the slip alone, but each to their own.

I'm with you on this one BG. I've done it both ways, I'm lazy, and I'm a swiss engineer. The sooteater has no problem at all making it through the bypass and into the flue of the BK. There is no reason to apply plastic as any dust goes right up the stack. If you're really worried, it would be logical to shove the shop vac hose into the firebox to catch any dust.

Way more dust is introduced to the room when cleaning ash from the firebox than when sooteating through the loading door without plastic.

The only debate worth having is whether or not to remove the flue to clean the cat chamber afterwards. I've done that both ways too and I am able to clean the chamber AND verify cleanliness from the firebox without removing any parts of the chimney.

 

[BKVP]

Hello Hearth Forum members! Been having time to think about my B/K insert cat monitoring temp gauge and cat glowing bright orange.At the end of last year I tried to turn over the job to my wife operating this insert (2015 model) and getting cell phone calls about the temp gauge pointing past the safe zone at 6 o'clock. I tell wife to turn the t-stat down (closing the air making more smoke) and walk away. Wife calls back said temp gauge back into the safe zone but asks why I cant I just set t-stat walk away?.I'm thinking right? If she walks away and the cat is bright orange this will shorten life of the cat and is not safe to run the t-stat when temp of the gauge is trying to go past 6 o clock from the starting point of a first start of fire? Burning mostly spruce at 12 percent and a mix of ponderosa red oak at 7percent.Ponderosa (beetle kill) and red oak almost gone if I raise the moisture to say 15-20 percent will this bring the cat temp down so wife can set t-stat and walk away (4-5 hours) without worry of bright orange of a slowly climbing cat temp gauge? Last year I just put a beer can over the temp gauge and wife didn't like this.

You're lucky to have a wife that looks at the gauge and has concerns. My wife tells me the little red light in her car has been on for 3 weeks!

The glowing of the combustor is a chemical reaction brought on by the pooling of gasses directly in from of the combustor. It is possible to have fully functional combustor and it does not glow. Glowing is not a sign or concern of excessive temperatures. Your insert thermostat spring is calibrated to protect the combustor from excessive temps that would harm the combustor. So no worries.

Please do make certain to conduct the dollar bill test each season and keep a tight seal on the front loading door/gasket.

 

[Highbeam]

You're lucky to have a wife that looks at the gauge and has concerns. My wife tells me the little red light in her car has been on for 3 weeks!

The glowing of the combustor is a chemical reaction brought on by the pooling of gasses directly in from of the combustor. It is possible to have fully functional combustor and it does not glow. Glowing is not a sign or concern of excessive temperatures. Your insert thermostat spring is calibrated to protect the combustor from excessive temps that would harm the combustor. So no worries.

Please do make certain to conduct the dollar bill test each season and keep a tight seal on the front loading door/gasket.

I believe that the cat probe meter is only to be used for knowing when to engage the cat. After that, and as long as the needle doesn't fall into the inactive range, you can ignore it. Set that stat and walk away.

 

[begreen]

I believe that the cat probe meter is only to be used for knowing when to engage the cat. After that, and as long as the needle doesn't fall into the inactive range, you can ignore it. Set that stat and walk away.

Yes, you're right. I create more dust cleaning out the ash and could probably skip the plastic. It came with the sooteater so I just pull it out of the box along with the rods. Our chimney is generally clean enough that the amount of stuff that falls down to the firebox is minimal. Last year it was only 1/2 cup. Barely worth the effort, but worth the peace of mind. I haven't cleaned this year yet, but will soon.

 

[Highbeam]

Yes, you're right. I create more dust cleaning out the ash and could probably skip the plastic. It came with the sooteater so I just pull it out of the box along with the rods. Our chimney is generally clean enough that the amount of stuff that falls down to the firebox is minimal. Last year it was only 1/2 cup. Barely worth the effort, but worth the peace of mind. I haven't cleaned this year yet, but will soon.

Just don't forget to take the probe meter out! I have forgotten and believe it or not the sooteater will work around it.

 

[begreen]

Just don't forget to take the probe meter out! I have forgotten and believe it or not the sooteater will work around it.

LOL Yep Starts rattling like crazy.

 

[northroadak]

Keep scrolling down to the bottom and there's a reply box with "post reply" in it.

Low pressure and light puffs. Of course I should mention that you must first remove the flame shield. I've even been known to blow at the cat with lung power to clean off the face.

Keep scrolling down to the bottom and there's a reply box with "post reply" in it.

Low pressure and light puffs. Of course I should mention that you must first remove the flame shield. I've even been known to blow at the cat with lung power to clean off the face.

How about a little "rocket" blower like photographers use on their lenses?

 

[Blazing]

Hello Hearth Forum members! Been having time to think about my B/K insert cat monitoring temp gauge and cat glowing bright orange.At the end of last year I tried to turn over the job to my wife operating this insert (2015 model) and getting cell phone calls about the temp gauge pointing past the safe zone at 6 o'clock. I tell wife to turn the t-stat down (closing the air making more smoke) and walk away. Wife calls back said temp gauge back into the safe zone but asks why I cant I just set t-stat walk away?.I'm thinking right? If she walks away and the cat is bright orange this will shorten life of the cat and is not safe to run the t-stat when temp of the gauge is trying to go past 6 o clock from the starting point of a first start of fire? Burning mostly spruce at 12 percent and a mix of ponderosa red oak at 7percent.Ponderosa (beetle kill) and red oak almost gone if I raise the moisture to say 15-20 percent will this bring the cat temp down so wife can set t-stat and walk away (4-5 hours) without worry of bright orange of a slowly climbing cat temp gauge? Last year I just put a beer can over the temp gauge and wife didn't like this.

Keep that phone charged up this winter! Look forward to another year chatting about our inserts. Hope everything is going well with you and yours my friend.

 

[Poindexter]

Mines lit. The Canada geese started heading south last week. All but my latest bearing raspberries are done.

Flue gas probe is up to 700dF, cat probe is at the A in inActive.

Starting her up slow this year, lots of wear and tear on the loading door between now and mothers day.

 

[Poindexter]

I am about over the romance already this year.

Flue is at 600, cat probe is at the second I in inactIve, and my beer is empty.

 

[Poindexter]

Flame show lever, engaged.

 

[Ashful]

I'm guessing you're the first to light up this year. We have forecast highs in the mid- to upper-80's all week. Lows in the mid-50's.

 

[Poindexter]

Well, I wasnt the first on my street :smiley:

Definitely shoulder season, i have a couple or three weeks to gather up the lawn furniture and bicycles before i fill the ready rack in the garage.

Ill know shoulder season is over when i can use a sled to drag wood from the stacks to the ready rack.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I'm guessing you're the first to light up this year. We have forecast highs in the mid- to upper-80's all week. Lows in the mid-50's.

Wouldn't you know it, I have my first virgin woodstove installed and ready to go and I can't even pop her cherry for as far as the eye can see!


Very unusual weather for the PNWet. My wood has never dried so fast.

 

[Poindexter]

Saw and heard the first of the southbound cranes today. They are the first seasonally migrating bird to arrive in the spring and a sure sign of fall on the flip side.

So the Canada geese already left the north slope, the cranes are coming, all thats left is the arctic swans up there.

Last chance to cover your stacks is right around the corner.

 

[BKVP]

Update to fellow BK Wood burners!

Bring on the cold!


All done. 14.25 cords. 250lbs of Alaska halibut in freezer.

 

[Ashful]

Update to fellow BK Wood burners!

Bring on the cold!View attachment 199331

All done. 14.25 cords. 250lbs of Alaska halibut in freezer.

Love it!

 

[northroadak]

Does anyone know the easiest way to remove the side covers on my Princess insert to clean out dust and do some maintenance on the thermostat shaft and bypass cable?