2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

[BKVP]

Cat stoves destroy particulates chemically. Secondary combustion stoves do so thermally.

A cat becomes "active" (meaning it's beginning the conversion process) at 550F. Secondary combustion stoves operate at 1157F and higher to break down particulates. NFI certified hearth professionals have this knowledge from training and testing. These parameters permit a different definition of "low". So, low in one stove may not be the same low as another stove.

Next, cord wood is not a metered fuel and in as much, burns and produces heat erratically. The bimetallic thermostat, once set by the user at a desired level of heat out put, acts as a shock absorber of sorts and meters out the energy. This removes the peaks and valleys of heat production associated with an unmetered fuel.

Blaze King owners that once owned a different stove with a more consumer engaging air control can speak to the more even heat out put.

Lastly, this is not a promo, but an explanation to help move this thread along.

BKVP

 

[Diabel]

I load my VC with 4 good splits every 6-7 hrs in order to maintain even room temp.
If I can load my Princess with the same 4 good split and get 30hrs I will call that Alien efficiency.

If I can get anything past the 6-7 hrs I will say I am saving on wood for sure. And that is the point.

 

[ohiojoe13]

Firecat combustors sells on amazon through an online store called Midwest hearth? Ack. I bought my last cat from them and it is an applied ceramics cat which is OEM ceramic. I was actually sent there by the firecat people since the firecat customer interface sucked so bad.

Since your 30 series box requires a steel cat, you are falling in to the mysterious rabbit hole of trying to guess which steel cat will be durafoil vs. dieselfoil and the "good" steel cat.

Here you go:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0754P418C/?tag=hearthamazon-20

Thank you

 

[Ashful]

I load my VC with 4 good splits every 6-7 hrs in order to maintain even room temp.
If I can load my Princess with the same 4 good split and get 30hrs I will call that Alien efficiency.

If I can get anything past the 6-7 hrs I will say I am saving on wood for sure. And that is the point.

While all true, the BK is doing it at a much lower output rate. So, I’m not arguing with anything your saying, but the BK is NOT achieving 30/6.5 = 4.6x efficiency over the other stove.

Bholler needs to move back to his old house, so he can give us his opinion, based on a space he’s actually heated before.

 

[begreen]

Blaze King owners that once owned a different stove with a more consumer engaging air control can speak to the more even heat out put.

Lastly, this is not a promo, but an explanation to help move this thread along.

BKVP

Cast iron jacketed stoves seem to do a good job moderating the heat output and maintaining a consistent room temp. I'm on pretty much the same burn cycle as Ashful. Our house is remarkably evenly heated with little temperature swing. This is not just a one season experience. It's been consistent for the past 9 years. When we had the Castine, room temp swing was much more noticeable and the house was much cooler waking up in the morning.

 

[Ashful]

Cast iron jacketed stoves seem to do a good job moderating the heat output and maintaining a consistent room temp. I'm on pretty much the same burn cycle as Ashful. Our house is remarkably evenly heated with little temperature swing. This is not just a one season experience. It's been consistent for the past 9 years. When we had the Castine, room temp swing was much more noticeable and the house was much cooler waking up in the morning.

I suspect your right. But then there’s cast iron-jacketed stoves WITH a thermostat.

 

[begreen]

I suspect your right. But then there’s cast iron-jacketed stoves WITH a thermostat. :shade grin:

Yep, and my first real stove had a thermostat in 1979. I loved it and wanted it on all stoves. But several stoves later the T6 has convinced me I just don't need it. It's one more thing to adjust and/or go wrong.

I thought I read here that most of the Ashford's heat comes from the stove top by the cat and not the sides. Is that so? If so, the cast iron jacket may be more for show than go than on our stove.

 

[Ashful]

I thought I read here that most of the Ashford's heat comes from the stove top by the cat and not the sides. Is that so? If so, the cast iron jacket may be more for show than go than on our stove.

I’m not really sure. I think someone posted some FLIR thermal images of an Ashford last year, but I can’t recall for sure, now. I’ll try to get some images of mine this year, both with jacket on and off.

I suspect the answer is that it depends mostly on burn rate. At a high burn rate, I’d be willing to bet I’m getting pretty good heat off all sides of the box, despite the firebrick and baffles. At the lowest setting, I’ve got a cold black box, and probably almost 100% of the heat comes off the cat right under the top of the firebox. Any burn rate between min and max would probably just be varying ratios of these two modes.

BKVP: I know that running with jacket off will negate all of your clearance to combustibles specs, but is there any other reason I couldn’t run for a few hours with it off? Mine are installed in large fireplaces, meant to hold, well... fire. So, I don’t anticipate any immediate CTC issue.

 

[Highbeam]

Cast iron jacketed stoves seem to do a good job moderating the heat output and maintaining a consistent room temp. I'm on pretty much the same burn cycle as Ashful. Our house is remarkably evenly heated with little temperature swing. This is not just a one season experience. It's been consistent for the past 9 years. When we had the Castine, room temp swing was much more noticeable and the house was much cooler waking up in the morning.

Also remember that many noncat operators are not home all day to keep a fire going, they load it full before bed or before work and then return to a nearly cold stove. This allows the house temp to cool and then the operator has to catch up and repeat the cycle. Short burn times are much more of a cause of temp swings than stove material. Heck, if you could get a noncat to burn for 24 hours at consistent low output then the cat technology may become obsolete.

The way I solved that issue is with a stove that has a long burn time. I could only get that from a cat stove. So long that the steady output from the fuel is continuous. Stove material becomes meaningless when you are depending on the actual combustion for your output.

 

[webby3650]

Also remember that many noncat operators are not home all day to keep a fire going, they load it full before bed or before work and then return to a nearly cold stove. This allows the house temp to cool and then the operator has to catch up and repeat the cycle. Short burn times are much more of a cause of temp swings than stove material. Heck, if you could get a noncat to burn for 24 hours at consistent low output then the cat technology may become obsolete.

The way I solved that issue is with a stove that has a long burn time. I could only get that from a cat stove. So long that the steady output from the fuel is continuous. Stove material becomes meaningless when you are depending on the actual combustion for your output.

That pretty much sums up the relationship I had with my Mansfield. I loved it at first, then it got cold.. once winter sat in I was always playing catch up. It would be about time for bed before the House was back up to temp. The heat life of the stone didn’t matter at all once the the temps drop low, what matters is having consistent heat output during the day.

 

[bholler]

bholler will be heating a different house this season than in seasons past, I believe. If so, I'm afraid he will have nothing to make a direct comparison with.

Anyway, there have been PLENTY of others through here who have a BK or two on the hearth and have also reported similar findings as Highbeams, so if you're still skeptical, one more persons verification probably wouldn't sway you any.

The BK's just perform better in real life than they do on paper and I'm positive bholler will agree with that assessment in the coming months. But it will take having one to convince him.....as it would some others here.

Nope same house as last year. But i have added r 30 to the attic that only had r 12 last year. That will make a huge difference. This house is much more suited to a cat stove than our old one. I am very interested to see how it goes.

 

[bholler]

Also remember that many noncat operators are not home all day to keep a fire going, they load it full before bed or before work and then return to a nearly cold stove. This allows the house temp to cool and then the operator has to catch up and repeat the cycle. Short burn times are much more of a cause of temp swings than stove material. Heck, if you could get a noncat to burn for 24 hours at consistent low output then the cat technology may become obsolete.

The way I solved that issue is with a stove that has a long burn time. I could only get that from a cat stove. So long that the steady output from the fuel is continuous. Stove material becomes meaningless when you are depending on the actual combustion for your output.

I am sorry but there are many not cats out there that can easily burn overnight or while you are at work and still be producing heat when you get home. Just because you had a bad experience doesnt mean everyone does. Can they burn 24 hrs? No but most people dont need that.

 

[showrguy]

Nope same house as last year. But i have added r 30 to the attic that only had r 12 last year. That will make a huge difference. This house is much more suited to a cat stove than our old one. I am very interested to see how it goes.

I dunno how well your basement is insulated, but if it's half decent I'm guessing you'll burn right about 2 cord, if we have an average winter..
What did you burn last year ??

 

[bholler]

I dunno how well your basement is insulated, but if it's half decent I'm guessing you'll burn right about 2 cord, if we have an average winter..
What did you burn last year ??

It has 2 inches of foam on the walls with the seams foamed. I need to finish the wall behind the stove with steel studs and roxul before winter as well. It was bare last year. I burnt about 3 last year and 1/4 tank of oil. With the added insulation and a bk i would expect around 2 as well.

 

[begreen]

Also remember that many noncat operators are not home all day to keep a fire going, they load it full before bed or before work and then return to a nearly cold stove. This allows the house temp to cool and then the operator has to catch up and repeat the cycle. Short burn times are much more of a cause of temp swings than stove material. Heck, if you could get a noncat to burn for 24 hours at consistent low output then the cat technology may become obsolete.

Yes, that was they way it was with the Castine, but that is not the case with the T6 for our home. I have no need for a 24 burn cycle, 12 hrs is sufficient and what Ashful reports as his reload cycle. Our neighbor is consistently getting 10+ hr burntimes with his Spectrum. Seems happy with that.

 

[Highbeam]

Yes, that was they way it was with the Castine, but that is not the case with the T6 for our home. I have no need for a 24 burn cycle, 12 hrs is sufficient and what Ashful reports as his reload cycle. Our neighbor is consistently getting 10+ hr burntimes with his Spectrum. Seems happy with that.

I suppose we might be back to defining burn time again then.

 

[Diabel]

I suppose we might be back to defining burn time again then.

I was about to say that.
Everyone’s definition of a burntime is different. Impossible to bring it to a common denominator.

 

[begreen]

I suppose we might be back to defining burn time again then.

For me it's the time between needing to reload in order to keep the house temperature constant and to have sufficient hot coals left to ignite the fresh load of wood.

 

[-goose-]

Congratulations! What stove is it replacing?

Napoleon 1400

 

[bholler]

I suppose we might be back to defining burn time again then.

To me burn time means ammount of time i can get useable heat out of the stove. For me that means when the top drops below about 200. I and many others pretty easily get 8 to 10 hour burns by that definition out of our non cats. I understand you love your bk it works well for you and that is great. And you were not successful with your noncat. But that doesnt mean others cant heat their house very well with a noncat.

 

[webby3650]

To me burn time means ammount of time i can get useable heat out of the stove. For me that means when the top drops below about 200. I and many others pretty easily get 8 to 10 hour burns by that definition out of our non cats. I understand you love your bk it works well for you and that is great. And you were not successful with your noncat. But that doesnt mean others cant heat their house very well with a noncat.

I had a warm home with my non cat stoves. Then cold, warm, cold.... in all seriousness. We are just as warm, but without the temperature swings and scratching some coals together to get a fire going when I get home. Now that my wife is home all day most days, it’s not much of a benefit having the extended burn time, except she never has to mess with the stove. She appreciates that. Her most unhappy time was when I left her for a few days alone with the Hearthstone! I’m fact, that’s the only stove she’s encouraged me to sell!

 

[bholler]

I had a warm home with my non cat stoves. Then cold, warm, cold.... in all seriousness. We are just as warm, but without the temperature swings and scratching some coals together to get a fire going when I get home. Now that my wife is home all day most days, it’s not much of a benefit having the extended burn time, except she never has to mess with the stove. She appreciates that. Her most unhappy time was when I left her for a few days alone with the Hearthstone! I’m fact, that’s the only stove she’s encouraged me to sell!

Many of us dont have those temperature swings with non cats. Again just because you were unsuccessful with your non cat in your house doesnt mean everyone is. That is not a negative comment towards bk stoves in any way. It just isnt fair apply your experiences to everyone else.

 

[webby3650]

Many of us dont have those temperature swings with non cats. Again just because you were unsuccessful with your non cat in your house doesnt mean everyone is. That is not a negative comment towards bk stoves in any way. It just isnt fair apply your experiences to everyone else.

I’m sharing my experience, not saying everyone experiences this...

 

[bholler]

I’m sharing my experience, not saying everyone experiences this...

Yeah sorry you typically dont do that. It is someone else who often does i shouldnt have said you did.

 

[ratsrepus]

My wood use dropped from 10 cords to 6 cords, by switching from Jotuls to BK's. Even more amazingly, my fuel oil usage dropped noticeably, while using even less wood. However, for full disclosure, I think I'd have seen a big improvement going from those Jotuls to any convective stove. This is why I harp so much on convective vs. radiant, in exposed masonry spaces.

Im betting my wood consumption is reduced 30% compared to the Oslo.