2019-20 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

[Woody Stover]

Are you sure they have the lowest emissions? I don't know but that just doesn't make sense to me

I've read that to burn efficiently, cats need the "three Ts"..Temperature, Turbulence and Time. Temp is obvious. Turbulence I guess is created by the screen or shield in front of the cat, and allows more smoke to hit the walls of the cells in the cat. A slower smoke Time through the cat also allows more of it to get burned. If the smoke blows through too fast (high burn rate,) the cat can't catch it all apparently.
I haven't experimented with a high burn rate to see if I can see more smoke blow through..I usually have the air cut pretty low.

 

[shoot-straight]

I get The reason why a Bk on low has lower emissions-when on low it literally smells like a smoker downwind. Not tons of smoke though. New cat in there too.

 

[lsucet]

I've read that to burn efficiently, cats need the "three Ts"..Temperature, Turbulence and Time. Temp is obvious. Turbulence I guess is created by the screen or shield in front of the cat, and allows more smoke to hit the walls of the cells in the cat. A slower smoke Time through the cat also allows more of it to get burned. If the smoke blows through too fast (high burn rate,) the cat can't catch it all apparently.
I haven't experimented with a high burn rate to see if I can see more smoke blow through..I usually have the air cut pretty low.

At higher burn rates there is a point, where the smoke is burning inside the firebox due to high temps like tube/secondary burn stoves. will be only heat waves coming out of the stack. My experience BTW.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

I am far from a cat stove expert, but in this EPA list (selected on cord wood/cat/lowest emissions), BK doesn't show up.

 

[Indiana wood]

I've read that to burn efficiently, cats need the "three Ts"..Temperature, Turbulence and Time. Temp is obvious. Turbulence I guess is created by the screen or shield in front of the cat, and allows more smoke to hit the walls of the cells in the cat. A slower smoke Time through the cat also allows more of it to get burned. If the smoke blows through too fast (high burn rate,) the cat can't catch it all apparently.
I haven't experimented with a high burn rate to see if I can see more smoke blow through..I usually have the air cut pretty low.

I guess im not getting the answer im looking for. Is a catalyst stove more efficient/ more heat output than a regular woodstove at higher settings

 

[Highbeam]

I am far from a cat stove expert, but in this EPA list (selected on cord wood/cat/lowest emissions), BK doesn't show up.

for some reason, bk chose to test with crib wood instead of cord wood. Try that. The bk stoves are on there as 2020 approved. Be sure to only compare with other crib wood 2020 tested stoves only.

 

[Jan Pijpelink]

for some reason, bk chose to test with crib wood instead of cord wood. Try that. The bk stoves are on there as 2020 approved. Be sure to only compare with other crib wood 2020 tested stoves only.

I see that now, my mistake. However, don't we all burn cord wood? Isn't that a bit misleading?
Why would you test a stove on emissions using a fuel that in real life almost nobody uses?

 

[Woody Stover]

At higher burn rates there is a point, where the smoke is burning inside the firebox due to high temps like tube/secondary burn stoves. will be only heat waves coming out of the stack. My experience BTW.

Agreed, if you have flames in the box they will eat some of the smoke. I'd imagine that there's also a point at which you have no flame in the box, but the air is open quite a bit, where smoke could blow through the cat. But like I said, I haven't played with it enough to know for sure what happens in that case. After I close the bypass, I might keep a little flame going in the box sometimes but the air is only open about 1/4.
Just now after I closed the bypass, flame went out. Cat wasn't glowing yet, but stove top above the cat was rising so it was burning. I opened the bypass and opened the air a bit to get some flame going again, so I could glow the cat. Even with the air open 1/2, it took a while for flame to erupt again. So if I had left the bypass closed and increased the air to 1/3 or more, I would have had a lot of air blowing through the cat, it would have eventually glowed, but I may have been able to still blow smoke past the cat.
I'm curious now, and will experiment with it to see what happens in some of these cases.

I guess im not getting the answer im looking for. Is a catalyst stove more efficient/ more heat output than a regular woodstove at higher settings

No. At a high burn rate, it's closer to a non-cat, blowing more heat out the stack. On a low burn, more of the heat can make it out of the stove and into the room.

 

[jetsam]

Is a cat stove more efficient burning at higher settings? Since my house is large and I often burn at 4 o’clock position and often at 5 and 6 oclock position is the cat in the stove still giving me extra heat? Id like to understand the benefits or lack of better

Nope. At high burns you're little better off than if you had a good tube/baffle stove.

At low burns you are way more efficient.

For year-round heating with wood, you just can't beat it.

For the guy who only burns it on high in the dead of the winter to supplement his oil burner- he has the wrong stove.

 

[jetsam]

I had great service from my original ceramic cat for two years, so Im saying i bought two at the same time from condar, and the possibility exist that there might be a defect in the material used or the process. This was mentioned in the forum a while back

How are you evaluating the performance of the new ones? 'Cause if you say via cat probe thermometer, I think I found your problem!

 

[webby3650]

all I can say is a fairly new ceramic wouldn't stay active for more 6 hrs, changed to the steel and stayed active for going on 16 hrs now.

Earlier it was 4 hours. Have you calibrated your thermometer?

 

[Ashful]

I guess im not getting the answer im looking for. Is a catalyst stove more efficient/ more heat output than a regular woodstove at higher settings

The first time you asked, "is a cat stove more efficient at higher settings," as if questioning how your cat stove compared to itself at high versus low settings. I thought Highbeam answered that perfectly. Then you asked how it compares to "a regular wood stove," which jetsam took as meaning a non-cat EPA stove, but I read as meaning a traditional (pre-EPA) stove. I'm sure you'll get the right answer, if you just ask the right question.

If comparing to other EPA stoves, among the few manufacturers that list it, try comparing the "HHV efficiency" values. This will give you a sense of how they will compare at higher burn settings. Here are the numbers for the Ashford 30.2:

 

[ratsrepus]

How are you evaluating the performance of the new ones? 'Cause if you say via cat probe thermometer, I think I found your problem!

What else would I go by? Im using the same cat probe on both combustors

 

[ratsrepus]

Earlier it was 4 hours. Have you calibrated your thermometer?

I have two and they both coincide with each other.

 

[BKVP]

Are you sure they have the lowest emissions? I don't know but that just doesn't make sense to me

Look as t test reports on manufacturers websites. More often than not, increased residence time leads to much cleaner emissions.

 

[Ashful]

OK so what in your opinion is the problem, same very dry wood, clean chimney, good door gasket, bypass door and gasket good.

I wasn’t the one calling you out. I was responding to Gooseduck’s question.

But since you asked, if you’re killing them that fast, I’d be looking for a leak first, and re-evaluating my operating procedures second. There must be a hundred thousand cat stoves operating in this country, from which manufacturers have come up with the typical lifetime expectancy numbers, and you’re way outside that average. The problem isn’t the technology, there’s something unique happening in your stove.

 

[jetsam]

I wasn’t the one calling you out. I was responding to Gooseduck’s question.

But since you asked, if you’re killing them that fast, I’d be looking for a leak first, and re-evaluating my operating procedures second. There must be a hundred thousand cat stoves operating in this country, from which manufacturers have come up with the typical lifetime expectancy numbers, and you’re way outside that average. The problem isn’t the technology, there’s something unique happening in your stove.

Unless his $5 thermometer is reading low. That wouldn't be unique.

If he had an air leak he'd be saying "I can't turn my stove down", not "my cats keep dying".

 

[jetsam]

I have two and they both coincide with each other.

What do they read at room temperature?

 

[Ashful]

If he had an air leak he'd be saying "I can't turn my stove down", not "my cats keep dying".

You know, I’d tend to think the same. But BKVP reports the no.1 cause of killed cats is a leaky door gasket, and if your stove acting like a forge comes with that, he’s not mentioning it.

 

[ratsrepus]

I wasn’t the one calling you out. I was responding to Gooseduck’s question.

But since you asked, if you’re killing them that fast, I’d be looking for a leak first, and re-evaluating my operating procedures second. There must be a hundred thousand cat stoves operating in this country, from which manufacturers have come up with the typical lifetime expectancy numbers, and you’re way outside that average. The problem isn’t the technology, there’s something unique happening in your stove.

calling out? what is this the wild wild west?. The stove is operating like it was when it was new. so lets move on to all the normal bull chit. I can tell you this, next time I have a problem with one of my stoves or related items, i wont bring it up here. Some of you talk to me like I'm a dumass and don't know jack .

 

[ratsrepus]

You know, I’d tend to think the same. But BKVP reports the no.1 cause of killed cats is a leaky door gasket, and if your stove acting like a forge comes with that, he’s not mentioning it.

I dint mention it because it was not happening.

 

[Ashful]

I dint mention it because it was not happening.

I was referring to BKVP... not you.

 

[jetsam]

You know, I’d tend to think the same. But BKVP reports the no.1 cause of killed cats is a leaky door gasket, and if your stove acting like a forge comes with that, he’s not mentioning it.

I guess a significant top-of-door air leak could be a constant source of thermal shock for a hot ceramic cat.

 

[webby3650]

calling out? what is this the wild wild west?. The stove is operating like it was when it was new. so lets move on to all the normal bull chit. I can tell you this, next time I have a problem with one of my stoves or related items, i wont bring it up here. Some of you talk to me like I'm a dumass and don't know jack .

There’s no reason to get all bent out of shape. We have just been trying to figure out what could be the source of your cat failures. None of use are there, so it’s anyone best guess. Maybe someone will mention something you haven’t thought of? What you are describing isn’t normal at all...

 

[Indiana wood]

Well............. on a lighter topic. Im learning the ins and outs of bk tetris. Got a 4’ rack just for my smalls