2020-21 Blaze King Performance Thread (Everything BK)

[Diabel]

It was suggested to purchase a meter and check the moisture in the wood I’m burning. This is not freshly cut wood. This is what we have cut and split last year. I did split some of the pieces again as suggested to check the moisture content

I do not think that there is any wood pieces that can be ready to burn in one year. Definitely not at 15%mc. Recheck the meter measurements.

 

[Highbeam]

Can we assume your packing this stove full with this 15.7% oak? None of this 2-3 split jive. The fuel load should weigh well over 50#. Do you see flames during the 4-5 hours? You say that it’s just coals after that but is there a lot of coals? These stoves just sort of smolder after they heat up.

 

[Nealm66]

I think my meter is off too. I used a piece of my neighbors dry firewood for a reference. Something does seem weird though. sacrificing some dry 4x4’s or some press logs eliminating that as a possibility is a very good idea. If that doesn’t do it, this is forum is a good place to break down the problem. Also the dry stuff will give you a reference for your meter.

 

[Highbeam]

I split up some samples from the core of my woodshed. Stacked green two years ago. 14% on my yellow “Bk” moisture meter. Sure nice to use the low scale.

 

[Poindexter]

Thank You! while I’m at work today I will send my son to see if one of the home improvement stores in the next town has a meter if not I will order one on Amazon. I appreciate the info. If I had know about the meter to check the wood it would have helped from the beginning

From what I have read here from users in the more temperate latitudes I suspect it unlikely you have oak at 16% MC in one year. If it was dead standing, ok maybe.

A couple things to look at.

0. You want to stick the pins in parallel to the grain. I have most confidence in my readings when the pins are both in the same light colored layer bounded by a dark colored layer on each side. The more dark streaks you cross between the light stripes your pins are in, the more suspect I find that reading. In slow growing wood with the stripes close together just do the best you can.

1. Your moisture meter is probably calibrated for Douglas Fir at +70 dF. Be sure the pieces you are resplitting and checking the freshly exposed face of are at least +55dF, have them in the garage for 24-48 hours before you open and check. Colder than -30dF have them indoors for 72-96 hours before attempting moisture check.

There is probably a correction factor between oak and Doug Fir and many people here know it. I am not one of them. I do know when I check my fuel at +55dF I need to "add one" to the number displayed since the meter is calibrated at +70dF. My garage thermostat is set at +55dF.

2. Draft will improve with colder outside temperatures. I have enough stack, 18 feet straight up at about 400 feet above sea level, to run on mid throttle around +45dF. At -20dF my stove runs like a locomotive, at -40dF it runs like a dreadnought burning pine knots with some turpentine sprayed into the firebox. With your reported temps jumping up and down I would expect stove performance to be likewise erratic.

One thing I do when the forecast temp is going to be up and down, over and below my "good" ambient to run at mid throttle is turn run about half a firebox full of wood at full throttle. Just rip it out and let the stove, and the house it sits in, heat up and cool back off over 12-16 hours. Up here it will cool back off in a couple days.

 

[Poindexter]

I split up some samples from the core of my woodshed. Stacked green two years ago. 14% on my yellow “Bk” moisture meter. Sure nice to use the low scale.

I have had my yellow BK meter opened up twice for repair, once with a soldering iron. As inexpensive meters go it has been my favorite so far. Last time I had to get out my ignition wrenches to refasten one of the pins. I am going to run it into the ground before I replace it.

 

[moresnow]

@Kmyres

As mentioned your selected splits for testing should be indoors for a day or two to warm them to room temp. After splitting them you need to check the freshly exposed face. Here's the kicker. You need to firmly press the pins into the wood. Gently pressing the pins in will always give a false low M/C reading with my meter. Something for you to consider trying as you check.

Your stove has got to be nuclear to be burning a full load that quickly? Are you actually burning with fully active flame after the first half hour? Gotta be.

 

[SuperJ]

@Kmyres
Are you certain that your bypass is adjusted properly? For it to go thru wood that quick and not going nuclear your heat must be going straight up the chimney... maybe a leaky/open bypass, or a missing cat.

It is possible for creosote chunks/dust to fall down the chimney and keep the bypass from seating properly.

 

[Highbeam]

My 50# loads of softwoods will sit there and glow like a “pile of coals” for 23.5 hours after only “burning” for 30 minutes.

If all 50# were consumed in 5 hours we can calculate that over 60,000 btu per hour was delivered to the home during that time. That’s a 5 ton furnace running balls out.

 

[Holiday]

Bypass adjustment won't affect burn times.
It will let smoke out vs clean exhaust and there may be less heat output if wide open

 

[Highbeam]

Bypass adjustment won't affect burn times.
It will let smoke out vs clean exhaust and there may be less heat output if wide open

I think a leaky or open bypass will reduce burn times because that leaking smoke is not being combusted in the catalyst where it would generate heat and cause the thermostat to close more in response.

Of course, the leak would have to be substantial to really matter much.

 

[Nealm66]

I’ve forgot to close my bypass twice now on a low setting for a day. Heat output and burn time seemed the same but it added a bunch of creosote to my two 90’s in my chimney.

 

[Hoytman]

My 50# loads of softwoods will sit there and glow like a “pile of coals” for 23.5 hours after only “burning” for 30 minutes.

If all 50# were consumed in 5 hours we can calculate that over 60,000 btu per hour was delivered to the home during that time. That’s a 5 ton furnace running balls out.

So if each pound of your wood is equal to 7500 btu's then you're burning nearly 15,957 btu's per hour, OR 2.12 lbs of wood per hour burned? You may be using a different btu per pound figure than my guestimate of 7500 btu's per pound for your wood type. Just trying to get a feel for how many pounds of wood per hour you consume. If I recall your house is about 2700 sq. ft.?

 

[BKVP]

I’ve forgot to close my bypass twice now on a low setting for a day. Heat output and burn time seemed the same but it added a bunch of creosote to my two 90’s in my chimney.

Set an alarm on the cell phone after loading. I set mine for 10 minutes...after loading.

 

[stoveliker]

Set an alarm on the cell phone after loading. I set mine for 10 minutes...after loading.

When I reload the cat is often still a little in the active zone, so I close the door, let the stove go on high with the bypass open, and close the bypass within a minute or two. (And then it'll be a bit longer on high to char before dialling down.)

Is there a need to have the bypass open for so long (10 mins?).

 

[Nealm66]

Set an alarm on the cell phone after loading. I set mine for 10 minutes...after loading.

I normally do the char/bake with the bypass closed and I set my alarm for 10. Somehow I spaced and didn’t close the bypass.

 

[Nealm66]

I bought some Idaho logs to give my last cutting a little more drying time. I lent my moisture meter out but should get it back this week. I’m trying to decide if I should use them as a mix or just burn alone and by then hopefully the new wood will be ready. It’s some logs I never got milled that were down a couple years, just wet

 

[Holiday]

When I reload the cat is often still a little in the active zone, so I close the door, let the stove go on high with the bypass open, and close the bypass within a minute or two. (And then it'll be a bit longer on high to char before dialling down.)

Is there a need to have the bypass open for so long (10 mins?).

That exactly what I do if reloading on the active or near active side of things

 

[Highbeam]

So if each pound of your wood is equal to 7500 btu's then you're burning nearly 15,957 btu's per hour, OR 2.12 lbs of wood per hour burned? You may be using a different btu per pound figure than my guestimate of 7500 btu's per pound for your wood type. Just trying to get a feel for how many pounds of wood per hour you consume. If I recall your house is about 2700 sq. ft.?

Don’t forget about the 80% efficiency. My house is an average 1963 built 1700 sf single level.

So 2# per hour on average. A little less since there is still plenty left over for restarts.

I really brought up the 50# load and some rough mathematics to point out to the poster what a full load should be like and how blowing it in 5 hours is a LOT of heat. Some folks like to throw in a few splits and call that a load and expect to be able to get 24 hours of active cat time.

 

[Diabel]

In this thread, there are many pics of a full load BK.

 

[Highbeam]

In this thread, there are many pics of a full load BK.

There are some really good pics too but the thread is long and some folks are "short loaders" by nature and don't really consider the awesome full loads to be realistic. I know, it boggles the mind but maybe they're running the stove so hard that they can't wait for the coals to reduce far enough for a full load of fuel. Or just aren't good at puzzles.

 

[rdust]

There are some really good pics too but the thread is long and some folks are "short loaders" by nature and don't really consider the awesome full loads to be realistic. I know, it boggles the mind but maybe they're running the stove so hard that they can't wait for the coals to reduce far enough for a full load of fuel. Or just aren't good at puzzles.

I like puzzles

 

[Diabel]

I like puzzles
View attachment 272364

@rdust . Bravo!

 

[kennyp2339]

I like puzzles

I went to a house fire last night, ended up getting pretty wet and had to deal with frozen gear and a soaked sweatshirt underneath, got home and loaded my princess just like yours, took a shower and then turned the t-stat off of my bake setting, went to bed, low temp was 20f with a refreshing 20mph gusty wind so I had the blower on medium.
When I woke up this morning my upstairs living room is sitting at 70, and only 2/3 of the load was burnt through so I turned the t-stat back up to burn more down so I can do a full re-load before I leave for work later this morning. Having this BK dialed in like I do, I dont know how others deal with 6-8hr loads that are found in other stoves when it gets cold out.

 

[BKVP]

I like puzzles
View attachment 272364

I accept your challenge!