2017-18 Blaze King Performance Thread PART 3 (Everything BK)

[Doc C]

When the stove is cold, make sure your cat probe thermometer is accurate. It shouldn’t be pointed below the last mark under inactive. If it’s under the mark it needs calibration.

Already done. Thanks

 

[Doc C]

Did a little experiment today. It's been about 13C all day today and I maybe half loaded the stove this morning. At noon I turned the stat to 12 o'clock and "rode the hole" for six hours. Just got back, got a big bed of coals and the cat is still active and most of the house is 23-25C.

Riding the hole at least with Blaze king means turning the damper all the way down?

 

[Highbeam]

Riding the hole at least with Blaze king means turning the damper all the way down?

When the thermostat shuts the actual throttle valve completely there is a hole in the valve that is never shut and always admits a minimum amount of air. Minimum output is what occurrs when riding this hole.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Riding the hole at least with Blaze king means turning the damper all the way down?

Yep.

 

[WhitePlatinum]

I'm not convinced either way, that is why I'm here. I've basically decided I would like to buy a BK ... and if all of you say that a cat is just fine and does not require a ton of maintenance I am willing to go with a cat. Now to narrow down a model that is right for my house ... Princess, Ashford 30 or maybe the Ashford 20?

I went with the princess insert and I am not looking back. I started my journey with BK back in January of this year lined my existing chimney with an insulated liner. First thing I noticed was how much easier it is to start a fire. Another thing is how much control you have over the burn, I just can't imagine a more reliable way to control a natural wood burning fire. Just one warning though...this is starting to become an obsession of mine. Check out my posts, not long ago I was on the fence to!

 

[Shayne]

I emailed BK directly about this last week, and they are offered as non-cat. My friend that recommended the BK Princess, has a non-cat one. Here is the email response that I received from BK about this:

"Thank you for considering Blaze King.

Only the Princess and King models are offered as a Non-Catalytic. The Non-Catalytic models come with a Thermostat that will regulate the heat output, but the Thermometer is not included (Thermometer tells you when the Catalytic component is Active). All our other models, such as Ashford, Chinook, and Sirocco are Catalytic models. Unfortunately we do not have conversions for the Catalytic Models.

You can check out all the models on our website www.blazeking.com.
Our dealers are great with an question as well, closest Dealer to you would be Anola Building Centre (204) 866-2815. We have a couple dealers in Winnipeg as well if you prefer.


Jessica Logie
Dealer Support

Blaze King Industries Inc
Valley Comfort Systems"

How can it be a non-catalytic model if a thermometer informs you that the Catalytic component is Active? How does a non-catalytic model have catalytic components? The two comments make the email a bit confusing; I suggest you get clarification.

Our stove have been awesome for us for the first two seasons (cat type). This year was not what I would call a short or warm winter in northern Canada. What would be a normal 17 to 18 cord season on our old stove has reduced to a 12 cord season with this stove. It is a different heat not the same as the old were you keep rifling wood in. You load it and forget it and it will chug along with lower heat out put, very controllable. It is an awesome piece of technology and so far not one complaint.

Regards

 

[BKVP]

How can it be a non-catalytic model if a thermometer informs you that the Catalytic component is Active? How does a non-catalytic model have catalytic components? The two comments make the email a bit confusing; I suggest you get clarification.

Our stove have been awesome for us for the first two seasons (cat type). This year was not what I would call a short or warm winter in northern Canada. What would be a normal 17 to 18 cord season on our old stove has reduced to a 12 cord season with this stove. It is a different heat not the same as the old were you keep rifling wood in. You load it and forget it and it will chug along with lower heat out put, very controllable. It is an awesome piece of technology and so far not one complaint.

Regards

She was pointing out the non cat models have a thermostat, not a thermeter. Only the cat models have both.

 

[Happy Stacker]

This year was not what I would call a short or warm winter in northern Canada. What would be a normal 17 to 18 cord season on our old stove has reduced to a 12 cord season with this stove.

How far north are you? The most wood I ever burnt was 5 cords with my old smoke dragon. Looking at 3 cords this year with my new stove.

 

[edyit]

could be he means face cord and not full cord? if so then usually 3 face cord make 1 full cord

 

[coutufr]

In Quebec some people know what a full cord of wood is but everything is calculated in Face cord.

 

[jetsam]

In Quebec some people know what a full cord of wood is but everything is calculated in Face cord.

How big is a face cord there? It doesn't even have a fixed size here.

 

[lsucet]

Riding the hole at least with Blaze king means turning the damper all the way down?

Take into account that riding the hole doesn't work for everybody. it is dependable on proper draft, outside temp,heat needed, etc. A good charr on reload helps a lot to run the hole but still depend on those variable mentioned before. I can run the hole on the taller stack most of the time but the shorter stack the lowest i go on it is around 1:30 to 2 o'clock and the cat stays active with outside temp up to low 70s.

 

[jetsam]

Take into account that riding the hole doesn't work for everybody. it is dependable on proper draft, outside temp,heat needed, etc. A good charr on reload helps a lot to run the hole but still depend on those variable mentioned before. I can run the hole on the taller stack most of the time but the shorter stack the lowest i go on it is around 1:30 to 2 o'clock and the cat stays active with outside temp up to low 70s.

My stove used to be like that, but with a new cat I can go all the way down to the stop! So much nicer for shoulder season.

I have a short stack too.

 

[lsucet]

My stove used to be like that, but with a new cat I can go all the way down to the stop! So much nicer for shoulder season.

I have a short stack too.

That's good. My shorter is around/almost 19' with the cap. The other around 24' cause it goes thru the two story part of the house. With outside temp of 55 df and under, no worries to run the hole on the shorter. Anything above that temp and have to give a little more air. the taller can stays on the hole all the time.

 

[Doc C]

That's good. My shorter is around/almost 19' with the cap. The other around 24' cause it goes thru the two story part of the house. With outside temp of 55 df and under, no worries to run the hole on the shorter. Anything above that temp and have to give a little more air. the taller can stays on the hole all the time.

I am going to replace the cat before next winter. I doubt it’s been replaced in the last 7 years and looking at past electric bills they heated with wood all the time.

My pipe is probably 25’ I’m guessing. I have 18’ ceilings and then it goes through the attic and a good distance outside too.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Take into account that riding the hole doesn't work for everybody. it is dependable on proper draft, outside temp,heat needed, etc. A good charr on reload helps a lot to run the hole but still depend on those variable mentioned before. I can run the hole on the taller stack most of the time but the shorter stack the lowest i go on it is around 1:30 to 2 o'clock and the cat stays active with outside temp up to low 70s.

Yep, that's why I thought I'd give it a go, just to see what happened. It's getting warm out now but I still want the house at 21C. Thought I'd try and cruise the stove on minimum without cooking us out, seemed to work. And I'm NOT turning on the electric heat!

 

[tarzan]

Wow! Does the sound of crickets on this otherwise very active thread officially signify Spring?

 

[BKVP]

Hmmmmm....

 

[kennyp2339]

Stopped burning for a few days but Sunday is suppose to be rain and 43, so I will be re-lighting the princess

 

[lsucet]

Today high of 50 and the low will be 30. 30mph wind. At least better than yesterday. I am burning for sure.

 

[jetsam]

Still burning 24x7 on the east coast, no end in sight. Lows in the 30s all week week. That new cat lets me turn the dial down all the way and stay active.

I DID break out the motorcycle to get to work today! Woo!

 

[AlbergSteve]

...and still burning on the Left Coast, for another month at least. The rain has been relentless.

 

[Happy Stacker]

Still burning in SW Ontario. Been a longer & colder winter than normal here. Nice thing is with the new EPA stove is I have burned about 3 cords so far when typically I would have gone through 4-5 cords by now.

 

[begreen]

Still shoulder season burning. Mostly just a morning fire. Today however looks like a 24/7 burn day.

 

[Alpine1]

Still burning on the Alps as well, we woke up yesterday with a couple inches of fresh snow. Sigh...