2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[MNWade]

@stoveliker , enjoy your play time. I like big splits, I cannot lie. But I also like littles when paying woodstove tetris in deep winter. The more wood I can cram in there, the warmer I can keep the house to the next reload. If it is laying near the splitter and 16" long, I stack it, even the pencils. Perfectly good BTU value in 16" pencils, and they can help fill little spaces between bigger splits.

I don't sort my wood by size when I stack, I just stack it all. When I am pulling wood into the garage from the stacks, I don't sort it by size, I just fill the sled and drag it. When I am loading up the canvas tote from the garage to the stove room I don't sort by size, I just bring it. When I have my fuel on the hearth, then I sort by size, bigs first unless I need some E/W mediums behind the coals, then mediums, then littles, then pencils. Works for me.

When the time comes you will have, apparently, no trouble with 12 hour reloads at a higher throttle setting, you're knocking out 20 hours on low with consistency which is lovely, your wood very likely is dry, I would guess 16-18% by my meter. On a new install you likely have a slightly overactive cat that will settle down a little bit in a month or so. It isn't broken, it will be broken in.

When you are bored with long burns, try woodstove tetris.

Woodstove Tetris. Oak slab wood, I have had much tighter loads, but will save that for when it gets colder. There is a lot of BTU in this load and I love that the BK is airtight enough to control it. I believe this was an easy 16 hour burn, with heat to spare, outdoor temps were teens at night, about 32 daytime.

 

[BKVP]

View attachment 266022
Woodstove Tetris. Oak slab wood, I have had much tighter loads, but will save that for when it gets colder. There is a lot of BTU in this load and I love that the BK is airtight enough to control it. I believe this was an easy 16 hour burn, with heat to spare, outdoor temps were teens at night, about 32 daytime.

It could be an illusion, but it appears you have some wood nearly touching the glass. Remember, glass is thermally protected not impact protected. We have seen many times were would shifts as it burns and applies pressure onto the piece near the glass....only to crack it. Otherwise, look nice and cozy!

So how do we conduct a woodstove tetris contest?

 

[stoveliker]

Lol, the plan was to run only the heat pump today (this week). But it's 43 F and the wind is howling. So I just started the stove after a walk to the beach (nice waves on the Sound!).
The appeal is stronger than the plan... Much nicer heat this way...‍♂️

 

[northroadak]

My Princess insert seems like a lot is going up the bypass. Flames seem to go up the rear when the bypass is closed, instead of up the front. Right now with it turned down fairly low the cat is glowing, and just some coals visible, but there is tongue of blue flame licking the bypass in the rear and the metal is glowing red back there. I checked the bypass a couple days ago and it closes fairly tight on a dollar bill. It holds it on both sides, but I can pull it out with a little resistance right in the middle. It's 9 years old and the dealer tells me it sounds just fine, but it seems like I remember the flames used to lick right up the glass to the cat with the bypass closed, and I've noticed a fair amount of smoke coming out the chimney. Is there a way to adjust the bypass without pulling the insert out of the wall? I had the shroud off over the weekend, cleaned out the cobwebs, and put a little anti seize on the thermostat roller, but all I can see on the bypass is the ends of the cable where it is attached.

 

[BKVP]

My Princess insert seems like a lot is going up the bypass. Flames seem to go up the rear when the bypass is closed, instead of up the front. Right now with it turned down fairly low the cat is glowing, and just some coals visible, but there is tongue of blue flame licking the bypass in the rear and the metal is glowing red back there. I checked the bypass a couple days ago and it closes fairly tight on a dollar bill. It holds it on both sides, but I can pull it out with a little resistance right in the middle. It's 9 years old and the dealer tells me it sounds just fine, but it seems like I remember the flames used to lick right up the glass to the cat with the bypass closed, and I've noticed a fair amount of smoke coming out the chimney. Is there a way to adjust the bypass without pulling the insert out of the wall? I had the shroud off over the weekend, cleaned out the cobwebs, and put a little anti seize on the thermostat roller, but all I can see on the bypass is the ends of the cable where it is attached.

Call us at 509-522-2730 and we can walk you through the process. Call after 6:00 a.m. PST and I'll be in the office.

 

[Tron]

So how do we conduct a woodstove tetris contest?

Rather pointless, isn't it? As soon as you've laid down that perfect row, it disappears ;-)

 

[stoveliker]

Question: I'll likely come into a good amount (as in a big double trunked tree) of basswood this coming year. I read that it burns quick, fast, and that the heat content is not high (and to keep it dry and off the ground because it rots easily). However, most of the negative comments are from non-BK users.

Does anyone here have experience with basswood in a BK? Fast burning means one needs better control - which is exactly what a BK offers. Does it behave enough to use when it's not that cold outside?

Any advice, stories, suggestions? (Other than "it's free, why not" which is my default approach to non-rotting wood...)

Thanks

 

[moresnow]

Question: I'll likely come into a good amount (as in a big double trunked tree) of basswood this coming year. I read that it burns quick, fast, and that the heat content is not high (and to keep it dry and off the ground because it rots easily). However, most of the negative comments are from non-BK users.

Does anyone here have experience with basswood in a BK? Fast burning means one needs better control - which is exactly what a BK offers. Does it behave enough to use when it's not that cold outside?

Any advice, stories, suggestions? (Other than "it's free, why not" which is my default approach to non-rotting wood...)

Thanks

Check its attributes compared to Eastern White Pine. EWP burns just fine in my BK and is considered poor quality at best by most stove operators! Guessing your Basswood score will burn fine as well.

 

[Highbeam]

Question: I'll likely come into a good amount (as in a big double trunked tree) of basswood this coming year. I read that it burns quick, fast, and that the heat content is not high (and to keep it dry and off the ground because it rots easily). However, most of the negative comments are from non-BK users.

Does anyone here have experience with basswood in a BK? Fast burning means one needs better control - which is exactly what a BK offers. Does it behave enough to use when it's not that cold outside?

Any advice, stories, suggestions? (Other than "it's free, why not" which is my default approach to non-rotting wood...)

Thanks

Split it large, dry it properly, and burn it like normal. The fuel tank of your stove just won't last quite as long because you are loading less lbs of wood. You can use it anytime of year, but you will need more of it than you would with a denser species so burn times for a given output setting will be shorter.

Look at the BTU charts to calculate just how much more you would need compared to your normal fuel wood.

Being free is not good enough for most people to collect such low btu wood. They would rather buy better species of logs and spend much less time processing the smaller amount of wood needed to get the same number of btu.

 

[Highbeam]

Page Not Found | Utah State University

Quick google.

Basswood is 13.8 mbtu /cord

White pine is 15.9. Doug fir is 20.7, red oak is 24.6.

So, you'll need twice as much basswood to get the same heat as red oak but pretty much no difference compared to white pine.

The BK is probably the best able to actually deliver these various levels of heat across a wide range of output levels.

Oh and lots of old wive's tales floating around about cottonwood, basswood, and pine from ignorant people that have never actually burned it in a modern stove. Just repeating what they're old grandpa told them.

 

[Diabel]

I put quite a bit of basswood through my Princess. It burns just fine. Leaves no coals. Very little ash. The only problem i found with it is you just cannot stretch it to 24h. If i am in the morning reload schedule and get side tracked with something that morning....go back to reload at or around the 24h mark, the stove will be still quite warm, cat needle at around active mark but zero coals in the firebox. If i see lots of basswood in the wood piles then i switch to afternoon reload schedule.

The other option is to mix it up. Stick couple of pieces of hardwood in the box along with the basswood and you good to go.

 

[stoveliker]

Page Not Found | Utah State University

Basswood is 13.8 mbtu /cord

White pine is 15.9. Doug fir is 20.7, red oak is 24.6.

Yes, that is what I found. I don't mind so much that the heat content is lower and I'd have to reload a bit more often. I was concerned about it "burning fast and hot", that could mean hard to control.
It appears your and @moresnow 's experience is that there is no issue.

@moresnow: I've burned pine before in my old DutchWest cat stove, and that was not a problem indeed.

Big splits it'll be, good tip. Thanks!

 

[Diabel]

I am also putting basswood through my VC for the past few days. No issues in regards of controlling the burn. Just shorter. BK seems to do better with lower btu woods. Better than VC in my limited experience.

 

[stoveliker]

I am also putting basswood through my VC for the past few days. No issues in regards of controlling the burn. Just shorter. BK seems to do better with lower btu woods. Better than VC in my limited experience.

How long did you have to dry the wood and what was the MC after that? I do have (and use) a moisture meter, but my first check is always the weight. That'll be off here Standard 2 years or shorter?

 

[Diabel]

How long did you have to dry the wood and what was the MC after that? I do have (and use) a moisture meter, but my first check is always the weight. That'll be off here Standard 2 years or shorter?

This batch is about three year seasoned. Paper light.

 

[Tron]

I have some pine wood that I think has been standing dead for some time, meaning the bugs have started to lighten it a bit, lowering the BTU's even further. But after it's been drying for a year all the bugs have vacated and it burns just fine. Definitively shorter, though.

 

[BKVP]

Two words...."Shoulder Season ".

 

[Diabel]

Two words...."Shoulder Season ".

I push eastern hemlock, white/paper birch and basswood through my Princess in the dead of winter with great and satisfying results! Me so happy!

 

[Nealm66]

Well, after reading all this good stuff about how great the blaze kings are I was feeling a bit of buyers remorse from my scheduled cape cod install. Well after 5 weeks and quite a few texts and pics to make sure we were still a go, installer said he couldn’t install it. I was super bummed . I went and got my refund and headed over to a different place to get a Harmon p68 which this site lead me to believe was the best and was explaining my dilemma and so the sales guy called his installer and he said my situation was absolutely not a problem. I was pretty excited but was expecting a higher price and when it was done and said it was about $2000 less for everything even counting the probable extra pipe and extensions. Thank all of you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Crazy times, install is 4-6 weeks out and the sales guy says to call him if I haven’t heard from anybody in 7-10 days.

 

[Highbeam]

Well, after reading all this good stuff about how great the blaze kings are I was feeling a bit of buyers remorse from my scheduled cape cod install. Well after 5 weeks and quite a few texts and pics to make sure we were still a go, installer said he couldn’t install it. I was super bummed . I went and got my refund and headed over to a different place to get a Harmon p68 which this site lead me to believe was the best and was explaining my dilemma and so the sales guy called his installer and he said my situation was absolutely not a problem. I was pretty excited but was expecting a higher price and when it was done and said it was about $2000 less for everything even counting the probable extra pipe and extensions. Thank all of you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Crazy times, install is 4-6 weeks out and the sales guy says to call him if I haven’t heard from anybody in 7-10 days.

You came to the BK thread to tell us that you went from Lopi to Harman to Lopi?

 

[Nealm66]

No sorry, I bought a princess. Pretty stoked

 

[Nealm66]

I would have bought a blaze king to start but for some reason I thought the pipe and install were a lot more at the dealer. I was wrong. Might have been because I was pricing the king with the 8”pipe

 

[Highbeam]

No sorry, I bought a princess. Pretty stoked

my fault! Welcome to the club.

 

[Dustin]

How much ash?

I’m at about 3 to 4 inches right now ish..

 

[Ksuwildcat2010]

Would hedge, or osage orange, burn too hot for a blaze king? I've never been around a catalytic stove but I'm looking at a BK and hedge is generally what I burn.