2021-2022 BK everything thread

[Larch]

Ok. It sounds like its a bit of a tight rope walk, which I don't really expect from the BKs. Currently, I am around 3 o'clock on the T-Stat,. which I considered low on my Sirocco. The Cat is pegged right at the highest end of silver paint on the dial (4 o'clock) but I can set my hand on my single wall stove pipe about 3 feet from the collar. So the cat is on the high side of what I feel like I'd want, but the flu gas is too low, so which way do I go? Also, the condensation issue is back. BKs aren't supposed to be finicky, so I am scratching my head a bit here.

When I first received my sirocco 30.2 I had trouble with condensation inside house running down the pipe and thimble and outside wall T. It's not supposed to find its way out but it sure did. I added double wall pipe and it almost fixed it, then I bought a mono meter which lead me to buy a pipe damper and was able to do better high burn reloads and now everything is perfect, no moisture anymore inside pipe or out. I think in the wrong setup like mine they can be very finicky but solvable

 

[stoveliker]

While I'm glad you have solved some issues, I'm not sure a pipe damper is related to "no more moisture", as a pipe damper often decreases the temperature in the flue. (In my understanding, too high draft pulls air too fast into the flue, so it is less able to give its heat to the surroundings, leading to high flue temps. A damper changes the latter, and thus the former.)

 

[Larch]

While I'm glad you have solved some issues, I'm not sure a pipe damper is related to "no more moisture", as a pipe damper often decreases the temperature in the flue. (In my understanding, too high draft pulls air too fast into the flue, so it is less able to give its heat to the surroundings, leading to high flue temps. A damper changes the latter, and thus the former.)

I was shutting it down to early from full burn do to over temp pipe and cumbuster, and the rest of the long burn had to much moisture still.

 

[ratsrepus]

I was shutting it down to early from full burn do to over temp pipe and cumbuster, and the rest of the long burn had to much moisture still.

wow. with all due respect I think you need to go to blaze king school. I've never heard of what your describing. Something isn't right here

 

[stoveliker]

I think the story is he had overdraft, leading to high flue temps (I think the cat high temp was simply the new cat syndrome). He added a damper and solved the high flue temp.

And he claims that the moisture he didn't cook out of the fuel (due to early dialing down) lead to water condensing.

Makes some sense to me (especially if the wood was not perfectly dry).

 

[ratsrepus]

I think the story is he had overdraft, leading to high flue temps (I think the cat high temp was simply the new cat syndrome). He added a damper and solved the high flue temp.

And he claims that the moisture he didn't cook out of the fuel (due to early dialing down) lead to water condensing.

Makes some sense to me (especially if the wood was not perfectly dry).

that my thought too. but the visible moisture bothers me.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes. I think wet wood, and cold spots in the flue contribute here.

 

[Nealm66]

So 29 degrees this am warming up to 52 today ( beautiful! ) so I just threw in some small uglies this am. This is (maybe) the first time in two seasons ( I think ) I have it figured lol. Any bets?

 

[Highbeam]

So 29 degrees this am warming up to 52 today ( beautiful! ) so I just threw in some small uglies this am. This is (maybe) the first time in two seasons ( I think ) I have it figured lol. Any bets?

I mowed the lawn yesterday!

This time of year with warmer days and cold nights I have found the most success with matching that demand with the stove. So I load in the evening and the fire hopefully burns out before the next day’s warm up.

 

[ratsrepus]

So 29 degrees this am warming up to 52 today ( beautiful! ) so I just threw in some small uglies this am. This is (maybe) the first time in two seasons ( I think ) I have it figured lol. Any bets?

yep, good time to get rid of all the small, twisted, knotty pieces that you keep throwing back in the pile when filling the wood cart

 

[ratsrepus]

55 here in sunny SE Michigan but going down hill fast. took some down time and cleaned the ashes out and did a glass job

 

[Ashful]

Thats unfortunate..lol

Nah. The beta program is done, but BKVP tells me you can buy it (or some derivative of it) now, as the "V3" cat. I haven't seen it for sale anywhere myself, but it's apparently available.

 

[bikedennis]

During a slow burn (thermostat @ 3 oclock), I looked at the cat thermometer and it's right on the line between active and inactive. New Sirocco 30.2 this winter. Wood <20% MC. I opened the bypass and thermostat to high and thermostat went to active. Haven't noticed this before. Is this normal?

 

[ratsrepus]

might not have charred the wood enough initially. if you were right at the active line, no need to open the bypass, pour the air to it.

 

[Ashful]

During a slow burn (thermostat @ 3 oclock), I looked at the cat thermometer and it's right on the line between active and inactive. New Sirocco 30.2 this winter. Wood <20% MC. I opened the bypass and thermostat to high and thermostat went to active. Haven't noticed this before. Is this normal?

Could be that wood is wetter than you believe, or that the cat is old and worn out (> 3-4 years), or as rats said, you didn't run on high the recommended 20-30 minutes before turning down... or it could just be normal cat stall. The BK's are set up such that you can shut them down to where the thermostat is completely defeated, and on many (most?) chimney setups, this can put you into a stall. This is more likely as temperatures get warmer, and draft is reduced.

Take a piece of colorful tape, cut a small triangle from it, and stick it on the mark where you were running your thermostat. This will be your reference point to watch for future stalls, either choosing to always stay above it, or to watch the stove for similar behavior each time you go back to it.

Do note that, if you use PVC electrical tape, and if someday you forget to close the thermostat for an hour, leaving the stove run wide-open, it may get hot enough to curl the tape. DAMHIKT, but don't worry, the tape won't fall off.

 

[kennyp2339]

During a slow burn (thermostat @ 3 oclock), I looked at the cat thermometer and it's right on the line between active and inactive. New Sirocco 30.2 this winter. Wood <20% MC. I opened the bypass and thermostat to high and thermostat went to active. Haven't noticed this before. Is this normal?

Might be time to vacuum the cat, also pull the cat probe and make sure junk hasnt accumulated onto the metal rod, also for the future, no need to open the by-pass when on the line, just turn the heat up.
Im with @Ashful, perhaps the wood isnt as dry as you think it is, these stoves function best between 15-18% moisture content.

 

[kennyp2339]

Crazy weather here, 55deg yesterday, today 10" of snow with blizzard like conditions, low temp tonight is in the low teens. I re-filled my inside garage rack on Thursday, all ash splits, this will be a good test to see how the ash does burning at a higher rate, hopefully the results are near red oak as far as heat, I'm thinking I'll lose some burn time when cranked to 3 o'clock on the T-stat though.

 

[Captain Caveman]

Well, after 5-6 long years of waiting for just the right time (having the $5800 to spare for an insert), Today was the day my new Ashford 25 got installed in the family room of my house. HooRay! Special thanks to J & O fireplaces in Dunncansville Pennsylvania!

 

[stoveliker]

Welcome to the club! Let us know how it's going. Burn times, other things, or issues you have.

 

[Nealm66]

Man that looks good

 

[Captain Caveman]

I Will certainly keep you guys posted. And I'm sure I will have questions. But hello and Thanks everyone.

 

[Diabel]

Is it just me or the pic. How long is the hearth from the door to the stone edge?

 

[stoveliker]

Is it just me or the pic. How long is the hearth from the door to the stone edge?

The BK poker is there, so you can measure

 

[Diabel]

The BK poker is there, so you can measure

Nice and quick. All good I guess. 😜

 

[stoveliker]

So I left for a work trip Sunday at 6.45 am. I had planned things fairly well, only slightly too much coals in there when I reloaded.

Reloaded with red oak, had prepared a load to fit properly (square and matching angled pieces etc), stuffed it to the gills.

The wife texted me this morning at 9 am their time that it's still chugging away with the cat around 1/3 into the active range. That's 27 hrs and counting.