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

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We’re all regulated burners. Some of just have nastier overlords!
 
Ok, dialed in. had 31 minutes to spare before picking up grandkids, 15' of stack, cleaned same time last year. About 3-4 cups....same every year.

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Last year was our first year. New flue with BK AF25 insert was installed. About 2 weeks backs, I scheduled a chimney sweep. The guy told me that there is very little creosote in the chimney after he climbed up to about 30 ft stack. He said there is no point of sweeping at this time. He said the creosote builds up after several years of usage. I told him that to have peace in mind, I still would like to have it sweeped around December before winter hits.
Is it common not to have much creosote after the first year full time burn? Other than shoulder seasons, we used it mostly mid to high settings.
 
It is normal to have the same amount of creosote every year including the first one if your burning habits and fuel are the same. What you most likely found is a chimney sweep that didn't bring his brush up and didn't want to go fetch it.

It's like cleaning a septic tank. Some guys half ass it, some don't think you ever need it done, some wait too long, and some do it more often than necessary but it does not hurt to oversweep.
 
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What do I doo about this? Must have come down the chimney......27’ worth of class A 6” pipe.....son of a .......... thing is covered in soot if I let it out in the house its covered in soot that so t gonna work.....

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old bed sheet over stove door, open door, capture him in bed sheet, take him outside. no biggie.

I got an angry and frustrated large squirrel in the stove once. THAT was a big deal.
 
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I once had one nasty black bear try to get down my stack (smoker stack that is) and this is what he left in anger!1CE3D40F-182F-4A13-B09D-910667E09FB7.jpeg
 
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Ok bedsheet in hand I opened the door and he rushed me he got out left soot imprints on a couple walls and then got this pic right before he flew off..... ok that was not a big deal, but something new for the princess...
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Good thing your bypass was open. That little dude would have been stuck up there behind the cat.
 
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Ok bedsheet in hand I opened the door and he rushed me he got out left soot imprints on a couple walls and then got this pic right before he flew off..... ok that was not a big deal, but something new for the princess...
lol... sorry about that, aaronk25! I've seen several others here pull off that move with success, and know my FIL also did it once, but maybe it's harder than they made it sound. Hopefully the mess wasn't too bad.
 
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Ok, dialed in. had 31 minutes to spare before picking up grandkids, 15' of stack, cleaned same time last year. About 3-4 cups....same every year.

View attachment 248561
Lucky you, I'm getting four cups every couple of months!
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I've got almost 17 feet of pipe, this is the top four feet...
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And yes, all of my wood is under 20% - can't quite figure it out.
 
Lucky you, I'm getting four cups every couple of months!
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I've got almost 17 feet of pipe, this is the top four feet...
View attachment 248609

And yes, all of my wood is under 20% - can't quite figure it out.

I have a feeling my cook stove will be like this. I just see it as trapping the particulate emissions before they are released into the atmosphere!
 
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I had this little fella last year. I just reached in and grabbed him then let him out the front door. My dog alerted me to the bird, he sat there staring at the stove which he never does.




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... I need to read everything in the other post before this one gets huge.

I want a bk but got a Summer's Heat 2000 for almost nothing. Will see how this thing does for a few seasons as I save up so I can better guess what size/model to get.
Did you buy that used? Keep us posted on its performance. I have the larger 2400 series with the defective door problem. My friend is about to purchase the 2000 for a new home he just built. He is staying away from the 2400 for that reason.
 
Well first fire of the year here in southern eastern MN, still always a head scratcher how/why the stove or pipe smells like burned dust on the first fire of the year. Wiped stove and exposed pipe down with damp rag and even this am still the burned dust smell but cut down by 1/2. I’m sure in a few days it will be gone just don’t get it.....oh well.


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I found an owl in my King several years ago. I lifted up slip joint from flue collar...and just like Linda Blair, he spun his head around and stared at me...and I told my son, "We're going to need bigger gloves".
 
I had a bird in my Schrader a few years ago. No idea how it managed to get in there...I have an external masonry chimney, so instead of falling all the way down to the ash cleanout, it somehow managed to find it's way through the thimble, through 2 45's and into the stove. Our two cats sitting in front of the stove clued me into it. I put my stove gloves on and managed to cradle it with my hands and escort out the front door.
 
Finally got a cool snap. Highs in the 70's for the next few days so cleaned the stove. Only like a cup of stuff. Very surprised by how little I got, but I only burned around 3/4 - 1 cord last winter. I pulled the combuster out to replace it and clean the bypass area, but the new one came with no gasket attached so now I have to wait till it comes in. Old combuster actually looks good. Will give it a vinger bath and save it as a spare.
 
Just lit my first fire of the year! Load of bamboo to warm up the stove, and I'll load it with pine branchwood for overnight. I won't get into the stacks until winter.

It was 75 yesterday, 40 tonight. :/
 
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36 tonight here in central pa.
 
I found an owl in my King several years ago. I lifted up slip joint from flue collar...and just like Linda Blair, he spun his head around and stared at me...and I told my son, "We're going to need bigger gloves".
All animals are at least made uncomfortable by the presence of an owl.
 
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Just lit my first fire of the year! Load of bamboo to warm up the stove, and I'll load it with pine branchwood for overnight. I won't get into the stacks until winter.

It was 75 yesterday, 40 tonight. :/


Bamboo?
 
I found an owl in my King several years ago. I lifted up slip joint from flue collar...and just like Linda Blair, he spun his head around and stared at me...and I told my son, "We're going to need bigger gloves".

That must’ve been fun. At least with the squirrel, I could give him a path to self-exit, with a rope down the flue. How’d you get an owl out? They’re not known for being particularly cuddly.
 
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