2018-19 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 2 (Everything BK)

[bholler]

So do you think I had A full blown chimney fire?

Next steps?

Again, I ran the sooteater up there just a few weeks ago when I cleaned My cat.

I have no clue how bad it was. Just that what you described sounds like burnt creoeote.

 

[Ashful]

I get little rice- to pea-sized bits of crunchy debris outside once or twice per year, on real windy days. Never saw any other signs of a chimney fire, always just assumed it was crap blowing off the cap.

 

[shoot-straight]

Couple of pieces.

 

[chemie]

As far as burn times go active cat means nothing at all to me. Yes I could have an active cat for 24 hours. But if I tried that today my house would be in the 50s. As it is I came home to 66 and had to reload and open it up. With current wind and temp I am getting about 8 hours with a princess.

When you say open it up, did you turn it all the way up with fan on ( max speed ?)? Then you get 8 hours burn time?

 

[tarzan]

12 hours out of a fisher???? Maybe but it would take weekly cleanings if you are running it that low.

Running one that low is easily doable and I agree it would be messy. But in this instant I’m not talking about usable heat, just having enough coals to reload on. I’ve not ran a grandma bear but I have ran the grandpa bear. Neither are small stoves and not having enough coals to reload on in the mornings suggest to me it’s being ran pretty hard.

 

[bholler]

When you say open it up, did you turn it all the way up with fan on ( max speed ?)? Then you get 8 hours burn time?

No not all the way open. I get about 8 hours closed 1/4 turn fan on med. Right now to bring the temp up it is closed about 1/8 of a turn and fan on high. I am about to go close it down some now though.

 

[bholler]

Running one that low is easily doable and I agree it would be messy. But in this instant I’m not talking about usable heat, just having enough coals to reload on. I’ve not ran a grandma bear but I have ran the grandpa bear. Neither are small stoves and not having enough coals to reload on in the mornings suggest to me it’s being ran pretty hard.

I agree

 

[Highbeam]

No not all the way open. I get about 8 hours closed 1/4 turn fan on med. Right now to bring the temp up it is closed about 1/8 of a turn and fan on high. I am about to go close it down some now though.

So if you don't base burn times on cat active time then what do you base it on? Lots of people make up some really weird definitions of burn time and since you are only getting 8 hours maybe your definition is quite different than mine. I just assumed that your house needed lots and lots of heat but maybe it's all in the burn time definition.

 

[Highbeam]

Couple of pieces.

Is your square cap screened? If so that junk there might just be the typical accumulation falling off in the wind. The BK, with the low flue temps, makes a mess of caps.

The puff described earlier as evidence of a flue fire is typically grey in appearance and poofy like a cheeto. Not glossy and hard like a chimney cap accumulation.

 

[bholler]

So if you don't base burn times on cat active time then what do you base it on? Lots of people make up some really weird definitions of burn time and since you are only getting 8 hours maybe your definition is quite different than mine. I just assumed that your house needed lots and lots of heat but maybe it's all in the burn time definition.

I base burn times on the ammout of time the stove can maintain a comfortable temp in my house. At current temps I need to reload every 8 hours or the temp drops in my house. Which is exactly the same as with my 3100. Yes without question I could make the bk burn much longer but it would not maintain comfortable temps.

 

[chemie]

No not all the way open. I get about 8 hours closed 1/4 turn fan on med. Right now to bring the temp up it is closed about 1/8 of a turn and fan on high. I am about to go close it down some now though.

Have you ever ran it fan on max and swoosh on max to see how long is the burn time?
I have AF25 insert but still princess insert would give me an idea about burn time of when you are running it all hot.

 

[bholler]

Is your square cap screened? If so that junk there might just be the typical accumulation falling off in the wind. The BK, with the low flue temps, makes a mess of caps.

The puff described earlier as evidence of a flue fire is typically grey in appearance and poofy like a cheeto. Not glossy and hard like a chimney cap accumulation.

No if you look closely at that stuff it has bubbles in it. It is burnt creosote. It only turns grey after a very intense fire.

 

[bholler]

Have you ever ran it fan on max and swoosh on max to see how long is the burn time?
I have AF25 insert but still princess insert would give me an idea about burn time of when you are running it all hot.

Not for a whole load no. It hasn't been that cold yet so no need.

 

[BKVP]

I have no clue how bad it was. Just that what you described sounds like burnt creoeote.

Is it also possible your sooteater loosened up stuff (assuming you cleaned bottom up) and the wind plus crud on cap blew off onto the ground? I have done that on my King.

 

[bholler]

Is it also possible your sooteater loosened up stuff (assuming you cleaned bottom up) and the wind plus crud on cap blew off onto the ground? I have down that on my King.

Yes very possible. But what he posted looks like burnt residue regardless of when or were it came from

 

[shoot-straight]

Best guess is that wind sucked something up on my reload and lit off my cap.

Gonna check it out regardless- and clean my cap more often.

 

[Highbeam]

I base burn times on the ammout of time the stove can maintain a comfortable temp in my house. At current temps I need to reload every 8 hours or the temp drops in my house. Which is exactly the same as with my 3100. Yes without question I could make the bk burn much longer but it would not maintain comfortable temps.

Ah, that is an important aspect of how you personally determine burn time. Means a lot to know this.

Given the above, I believe the princess is doing what it should for you. Especially from a basement. It is important to buy the right size stove. A lot of my happiness with my princess is due to the fact that my heat load is right in the middle of the design parameters for the princess. The right tool for the job!

 

[bholler]

Ah, that is an important aspect of how you personally determine burn time. Means a lot to know this.

Given the above, I believe the princess is doing what it should for you. Especially from a basement. It is important to buy the right size stove. A lot of my happiness with my princess is due to the fact that my heat load is right in the middle of the design parameters for the princess. The right tool for the job!

How would you determine burn time?

And btw heating from my basement is no different than heating a 2 story from the first floor. It is fully insulated. And I am heating roughly 2000 squ ft.

 

[Highbeam]

How would you determine burn time?

On the cat stove, I consider burn time to be time with an active cat. That means over 500 degrees measured on that stove top cat meter.

I believe that burntime is a stove performance specification that is completely independent of the home's needs. The maximum burn time is therefor only possible with a full load of fuel at the lowest burn rate. Simple. If you select a burn rate somewhere in the middle then your burn time is somewhere in the middle. The stove does not know or care if it is in your house, an a lab, or out in a field.

It's way harder on a noncat to define burn time. Time between partial reloads, maximum time to reload without needing a match, so many ways.

No need to argue with me about this bholler. You can go on defining burn time in whatever way that makes you happy but don't be surprised when your numbers are so different than people using a different method.

 

[bholler]

On the cat stove, I consider burn time to be time with an active cat. That means over 500 degrees measured on that stove top cat meter.

I believe that burntime is a stove performance specification that is completely independent of the home's needs. The maximum burn time is therefor only possible with a full load of fuel at the lowest burn rate. Simple. If you select a burn rate somewhere in the middle then your burn time is somewhere in the middle. The stove does not know or care if it is in your house, an a lab, or out in a field.

It's way harder on a noncat to define burn time. Time between partial reloads, maximum time to reload without needing a match, so many ways.

No need to argue with me about this bholler. You can go on defining burn time in whatever way that makes you happy but don't be surprised when your numbers are so different than people using a different method.

What you said I would agree is how to determine max burntime without a doubt. But that is why I stated my burntimes I said I am getting this burntime at current temps outside. I am concerned with heating my house and the princess can't do that at max burn time more than a few days a year.

 

[jetsam]

As far as burn times go active cat means nothing at all to me. Yes I could have an active cat for 24 hours. But if I tried that today my house would be in the 50s. As it is I came home to 66 and had to reload and open it up. With current wind and temp I am getting about 8 hours with a princess.

You need one of those new Super Kings that BKVP was showing off a couple pages ago.

And possibly also one of the new mutant giant stove-loading raccoons.

You aren't secretly living in a disused wing of Ashful's house, are you??

 

[chemie]

Please forgive the promotional aspect. But this video clearly addresses the question of airflow thru your SC30.

Is insert mechanism any different ? Any similar video you can recommend?

 

[chemie]

Reduce surface area exposed to combustion in the load by getting the largest diameter pieces in each load. It will contribute significantly, especially on low burns.

Because of tapering on the both sides of the stoves, is it ok to place one or two splits right in front of the cat in east to west position to increase the load volume?(

Excuse my bad pic)
I usually load north south but tapering on both sides make it difficult to load it fully. So I place one or two splits in the front of the cat.

 

[jetsam]

Because of tapering on the both sides of the stoves, is it ok to place one or two splits right in front of the cat in east to west position to increase the load volume?(View attachment 237855Excuse my bad pic)
I usually load north south but tapering on both sides make it difficult to load it fully. So I place one or two splits in the front of the cat.

I use that space too.

BK probably isn't going to recommend that you do so, just because when someone cranks up the thermostat you have guaranteed flame impingement on the cat, which is not good for it.

My original ceramic cat was still in good structural shape at the end of its service life (~13,000 hours, 2.5 years). Maybe the washcoat would have been less flattened if I had been kinder to it, but I didn't subject it to microscopic analysis after I retired it. (If someone would like to do that, I still have the cat and that would be awesome.)

Edit: It occurs to me that someone here might already HAVE before and after microscopic photos showing a new washcoat and a flattened washcoat. @BKVP?

 

[darktower007]

I pack it as tight as I can without touching the metal up top. 1/4 inch away or so. I also run it on medium low/ same on fan.


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