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

[Highbeam]

With the exception of people like highbeam and Poindexter, I just don’t see much need to keep a spare, considering they last many years. I can see buying a new one once the original has some age on it and holding onto it until it seems necessary to change it out though.

I don’t even stock a spare. It’s not life or death since I have electric resistance back up heat that should work. The new cat from amazon can be on my porch in very short time. Plus the cats don’t fail like a light bulb, it’s quick but not that quick. You can run with a pretty worn out cat while you wait. Just run it more like a noncat and it will burn relatively clean.

If I lived in rural Alaska I would probably own a spare.

I did notice a 10-15% price increase since 2017 when I bought my last one.

Just got done blowing mine out with 50 psi compressed air just for good measure!

 

[Ashful]

With the exception of people like highbeam and Poindexter, I just don’t see much need to keep a spare, considering they last many years. I can see buying a new one once the original has some age on it and holding onto it until it seems necessary to change it out though.

I'd go a step farther, and say I don't even see the point in highbeam or poindexter keeping a spare. I can have a replacement in two or three days, and... has anyone ever seen a BK cat instantaneously and catastrophically collapse without warning? Wait until you notice it underperforming, and then make your determination on whether to clean or replace. Short of killing one with some serious operator error which will likely put the stove itself out of commission anyway, these things usually change over the course of weeks, not hours.

 

[jetsam]

Have a quick snack, huffing whoo-fuh whoo-fuh, channel Jean Luc Picard, .

I make an effort to not be dogmatic about disputable stuff.

I am putting you in charge of All The Things. If you see any world leaders, tell 'em I said so.

 

[Diabel]

With the exception of people like highbeam and Poindexter, I just don’t see much need to keep a spare, considering they last many years. I can see buying a new one once the original has some age on it and holding onto it until it seems necessary to change it out though.

That is very true. But I think people get spare parts as a precaution and for unforeseen circumstances, like a premature failure. And they don’t want to wait for shipping and to have a cold stove.

 

[BKVP]

Would someone please provide me instructions by PM on how to block an individual?

 

[Alpine1]

Just click on the nickname, then select “ignore”. Hope I’m not the guy!

 

[Diabel]

Just click on the nickname, then select “ignore”. Hope I’m not the guy!

@Alpine1 why are you still awake at 5:30 in the morning? Or why are you already awake at 5:30 in the morning....and posting? Haha

 

[Ashful]

Just click on the nickname, then select “ignore”. Hope I’m not the guy!

Nah... it's me.

 

[aaronk25]

Hey what’s the reason a oak should not be installed if the outside intake is above the stove level?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[BKVP]

Hey what’s the reason a oak should not be installed if the outside intake is above the stove level?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

In lab conditions draft was forced to reverse...the rest is not good.

 

[BKVP]

Nah... it's me.

Nope. Thank you all.

 

[Woody Stover]

I just don’t see much need to keep a spare, considering they last many years. I can see buying a new one once the original has some age on it and holding onto it until it seems necessary to change it out though.

Yeah, it's not gonna just quit working all of a sudden. You have plenty of time to stock a fresh one if it seems like your current one is slowing down a bit. That said, I usually have both a steel and a ceramic that I swap in and out, just for the fun of it.

 

[Alpine1]

@Alpine1 why are you still awake at 5:30 in the morning? Or why are you already awake at 5:30 in the morning....and posting? Haha

Night shift...

 

[Poindexter]

I do keep spare combustor gasket at the house. When a combustor is starting to fade I have weeks to get a replacement.

 

[Diabel]

Please tell me this is steam. This is about 30min into a new burn. Cat meter at about 2:00pm, outside temp around 21F
And it smells like smoke.

 

[Highbeam]

Please tell me this is steam. This is about 30min into a new burn. Cat meter at about 2:00pm, outside temp around 21F

Mine steams/smokes like that or worse for a good hour before the load settles down. I'm sure it's mostly steam.

 

[Diabel]

Mine steams/smokes like that or worse for a good hour before the load settles down. I'm sure it's mostly steam.

Thanks
I hope so. It would suck if this was plain smoke.

 

[Alpine1]

Some smoke after reloading is pretty normal. If it disappears in 3 or 4 meters and is white, it’s steam (or, at least, the vast majority of what you see is steam). Do you live in a regulated smoke area?

 

[Diabel]

Some smoke after reloading is pretty normal. If it disappears in 3 or 4 meters and is white, it’s steam (or, at least, the vast majority of what you see is steam). Do you live in a regulated smoke area?

No I do not. But that is exactly what I wonder about, guys that do live in regulated burn areas. How do they cope with the initial 45 to 60 min of steam/light smoke

 

[jetsam]

If you're really worried, you can go up and sniff it.

The Smoke Police would need new underpants if they ever went to check up on my neighbor. Smoke dragon OWB, all green wood, 24x7x365 (because it does his DHW too, so it also runs all summer).

 

[Highbeam]

No I do not. But that is exactly what I wonder about, guys that do live in regulated burn areas. How do they cope with the initial 45 to 60 min of steam/light smoke

We start our fires at night! Thank goodness for 24 burn cycles and only 8 hours of daylight here in the PNW!

Really, this is a challenge. Some folks have had luck with reducing the startup smoke by starting a kindling fire before the big load, or a top down fire, but I've had no luck. I am always steaming/smoking a white plume for that first hour or so.

On my noncat, I get a clean plume really fast. Like 5-10 minutes.

 

[redktmrider]

On my noncat, I get a clean plume really fast. Like 5-10 minutes.

I noticed that with my non-cat also. Love my BK, but the non-cats have them beat there.
I wonder how the hybrids do at start-up.

 

[Poindexter]

Please tell me this is steam.

Not enough information available.

This is about 30min into a new burn.

cold start or hot reload? How long has the combustor been engaged?

Cat meter at about 2:00pm,

Where is the combustor indicator needle relative to the word "active" on the dial?

outside temp around 21F

cold enough there is definitely some visible/ condensed "steam" in the plume. Steam is technically a dry, invisble gas above 212dF. When you pump steam into a volume air that is at 21dF the steam condenses into visible water droplets as it cools below 212dF.

And it smells like smoke.

Do you live downhill or downwind from another burner? What was your throttle or thermostat setting in the ten minutes before you took the pics?

 

[Diabel]

Not enough information available.



cold start or hot reload? How long has the combustor been engaged?


Where is the combustor indicator needle relative to the word "active" on the dial?




cold enough there is definitely some steam in the plume.



Do you live downhill or downwind from another burner? What was your throttle or thermostat setting in the ten minutes before you took the pics?

Poindexter
I will reply to all tomorrow
Just came back from a Christmas party.....

 

[Poindexter]

Poindexter
I will reply to all tomorrow
Just came back from a Christmas party.....

Here is a pic I googled up hosted by Eastern technical Assoiciates. They teach the EPA VEE level 9 class, the certification my local air police use. Image used without other permission. Your pictured plume was attached.