2022-2023 BK everything thread

[Poindexter]

And we are off to the races... at 1925 local on 08-09-22

 

[Poindexter]

The load is only one canvas tote of shorts and uglies. But we are looking at our fourth frost warning of the season tonight. My wife is out helping a church lady get her garden plants covered, and then will cover her own garden plants when she gets home.

I asked my wife if she wanted the wood stove running when she got home from the Church Lady's house and she said, "Yes please, I feel cold already."

We had snow in the usual suspect mountain passes today, with DOT issuing "travel is ill advised" warnings, probably because the salmon are still running in the rivers and autumn caribou season opens tomorrow morning- and the plow drivers are on vacation.

I got to the "clean plume" tick mark on my combustor indicator in 26 minutes, have a clean plume and am running glass cleaning mode now.

No southbound geese or cranes overhead yet, but my raspberries are giving it up and the fireweed is indicating a killing frost in the next few days.

 

[Todd]

Is that pretty typical for Fairbanks? I’ve noticed around here some of my Aspen trees are starting to turn and have had some pretty cool mornings in the mid 40’s. I usually have a couple take the chill off fires in Sept but not Aug.

 

[moresnow]

she got home from the Church Lady's house

He He. Couldn't resist. How many here remember?

Congrats on starting the new season. I'll happily wait

 

[Ashful]

Couldn't resist. How many here remember?

The same phrase popped into my mind, when I read Poindexter's post.

Wow... seems like an early start, this year. After a pleasantly cool first half to the summer, the usual summer misery really only started here 3 weeks ago. We are still running 55° to 85°F just north of the city, this week.

 

[stoveliker]

Yesterday, 94 F, with the perception temperature (due to humidity, whatever trademarked brand each weather app has...) of 109 F here.
Rest of the week a pleasant 81-ish with a low around 70. Any burning will have to be outside for a while.

 

[Ashful]

Yesterday, 94 F, with the perception temperature (due to humidity, whatever trademarked brand each weather app has...) of 109 F here.
Rest of the week a pleasant 81-ish with a low around 70. Any burning will have to be outside for a while.

Surprised you're so much warmer than us, as you're 35 miles north, and at least 60 miles closer to water than me. Our high yesterday was within a degree or two of 90F, actually I think it officially hit 89F. Our forecast overnight lows this week are 15F below yours. I'd expect your proximity to water to moderate the highs, and your position farther north to have you at a lower average, than my position NW of Philly.

I spent the second half of July on LBI, and water temps there were in the upper 50F's, so it definitely ain't the Atlantic keeping you warm!

 

[stoveliker]

Surprised you're so much warmer than us, as you're 35 miles north, and at least 60 miles closer to water than me. Our high yesterday was within a degree or two of 90F, actually I think it officially hit 89F. Our forecast overnight lows this week are 15F below yours. I'd expect your proximity to water to moderate the highs, and your position farther north to have you at a lower average, than my position NW of Philly.

I spent the second half of July on LBI, and water temps there were in the upper 50F's, so it definitely ain't the Atlantic keeping you warm!

I read the temperature on 2 gauges, and my AccuWeather app said the same.
We had strong southern winds. Quite strong in fact, to the point I was looking out not to get hit by branches, with all the leaves on the trees. Hot, sunny, windy - garden was drying out like crazy.

I do think we normally have more moderated temperatures than you; it is rare here to hit 100 F. I think you have comparably more times that that happens than we due to the moderating influence of the ocean here.

I also note that there is a trough in the jetstream that caused the cooldown we have today (80 F). That trough of course came from the West - i.e. from your side. So I guess that you already were experiencing more of that yesterday and we were still in the hot part of the dynamics.

Night time temperatures lower for you is normal for a continental climate vs a coastal climate.

The water temperature at the South shore is just below 70 F right now.

 

[Ashful]

The water temperature at the South shore is just below 70 F right now.

Of course it is! It was 70F the day we arrived, and proceeded to drop 3°F per day, each of our first four days there. It never went back above 63F for the remainder of our vacation.

I'm feigning frustration, though... it was a good excuse to ditch the beach and do more sailing!

On the BK front, I guess I should get around to ordering some replacement bricks. After maybe 50 cords thru the one stove, they're starting to look pretty pathetic.

 

[Poindexter]

I usually get going in the 20s of August, so only about two weeks early, and who knows when the second fire will be. I don't expect to be running 24/7 before late September.

 

[stoveliker]

They (well, some long range forecast I saw) are predicting a "warm fall" here.

My first fire was November 19 last year (and October 29 the year before). Minisplit carrying it before that time. We'll see what happens.

 

[BKVP]

I'm in KOP today and tomorrow and early Saturday. Warm and humid here. Be in @Poindexter's backyard Sunday.

Massive weather shifts to absorb....

 

[kennyp2339]

Does it ever get boring? Nope, but I feel like once mid-September hits time starts speeding up, late October is when I want to load up the garage rack and get things situated for the start of burning season, This will be the 3rd season on my cat, so thats all good, door gasket was done last year and the window gasket appears fine.

 

[Larch]

Some years if it's raining for multiple days in September sometimes need to light the odd fire. I can't even fathom needing heating now, we are still having to cool (I'm jealous). Lightning storms just rolled through our area last night and I already got called off my regular job to go forest fire fighting this morning, the winter can't happen soon enough for me.

 

[reaperman1]

Ok guys. Today was my first day actually going to two different dealers and seeing firsthand a BK stove. Between the dealers I was able to see a few different models. Enough go give me a decent idea of the physical size between units. Also the pricing, which was the same at both locations. Both dealers were using the same msrp sheet. The Ashford/Chinook 20.2 is listed around $4400, the Boxer 24 with the taller legs approx $5k. I can't remember off hand what the 30.2 stoves listed at. I felt the 30.2 stove is larger than I need for my size home and heat demand. Now the big question. Are these stoves really that much more efficient with burn times than a stove that will give a decent 10 hour burn? My heat demands arent that big, despite living in Minnesota where it gets pretty cold. My home is well insulated and protected from the nasty NW winds. My current wood furnace is more than enough to supply my needs. But I'm looking for a more efficient option to heat my 1300 sq ft, very open upstairs. I go back and forth on getting a regular non-cat stove and saving $$ unless the overall benefit is worth the added expense. What is a realistic burn time that could be expected with a 20.2 size firebox. My main wood is red oak and green ash, both make excellent firewood and my supply is endless. I looking ahead, on paper I'm getting older, but inside I still feel 25 yrs old. I realize there are many excellent brands to choose from which makes making a decision tougher. Thats why hearing opinions from actual owners is so important. I realized today stoves are in demand due to raising energy costs, etc. I've been burning wood since 1988 and have never had a heating bill. So I can justify the expense despite my need really isn't urgent. I dont want to cook myself out of my living area which is one reason for wanting a stove that can be turned way down. Thanks

 

[stoveliker]

Again, compare the lowest outputs of stoves if you need only a little heat.
BKs can do pretty low. A few others too.

The burn time for a 20 firebox will be about 20 hrs *when running at its lowest output*. The numbers on the BK site are not BS.

Check the numbers of the 30.2 box. I beat those with 36 hrs (until the cat fell out of the active range and this stopped producing the low amount of heat I set the thermostat to). And I'm not the only one who has done so.

They are efficient at running low.
Some Noncats are at least as efficient as the BK when running at the high end of the output.

 

[stoveliker]

Are they that much more efficient than a tube stove with a 10 hr burn?
Can't say - because you did not specify the firebox size. If they have the same firebox size, and run thru the load in 10 hrs rather than 20, they are either putting out more heat (overheating your place?);or pumping heat up the chimney.

But most modern stoves are pretty close in efficiency and it's tough to see a difference in user experience regarding efficiency.

Where they do differ is in the ability to go low (i.e. to smolder but not crap up your chimney). A tube stove may have trouble there as compared to a BK at it's low end.

On the other hand you can always make a smaller hot fire in a tube stove. But that would require more reloading or more starting of the fire.

So it's not efficiency you should be looking at, but capability - and match that to what you need.

My $0.02

 

[BKVP]

What he said....

 

[Highbeam]

What he said x2. I live in a much warmer climate than you @reaperman1 but my 1700 sf home is easily kept comfortable with the princess model even burning in June! The cat stoves with the low output abilities are fantastic real life heaters.

 

[Todd]

Wow, $4400 for a 20.2? Does that sound right?

 

[reaperman1]

Wow, $4400 for a 20.2? Does that sound right?

Apparently thats the msrp I was quoted. Which brings me to my original thoughts. Is a stove this $$$ worth the extra money verses a non-cat, but still epa listed stove such as a $1500 drolet? Or 1k more that a same size Kuma?

 

[stoveliker]

Do you know the range of BTU outputs that the drolet can produce?

The Kuma is a good contender imo.
The drolet is a good stove, but can it do what you need it to do?

 

[reaperman1]

Do you know the range of BTU outputs that the drolet can produce?

The Kuma is a good contender imo.
The drolet is a good stove, but can it do what you need it to do?

I just used the Drolet for an example I dont know the output. I'm no stranger to wood stoves, Ive been burning since 1988. I have a englander 13ncl ( 1.6 cu ft box) in a 20x40 insulated, but drafty, pole building. That smallish stove will easily heat that building to the low 70's when its -10f outside without much babysitting. In comparison, I know that same stove would easily heat the upstairs ( 32x40) of my home which is much better insulated coupled with solar gain. Getting enough heat isnt my issue as strange as it sounds. Rather, getting too much heat is. Currently I have a wood furnace thats responsible for my heat, also I have a LP furnace. The wood furnace puts out a lot of heat once it gets cranking. I generally let the furnace go out during the night and my home will hold the heat the entire next day until the sun sets, then the home will start to cool. I usually wake up to a inside temp in the low 80's and when I re-lite the wood furnace it may fall below 70 but that depends what time I lite the furnace again. If I had to burn my wood furnace 24/7 my property would look like a desert instead of a woods.

 

[stoveliker]

That's my point; I looked up the drolet escape. Lowest burn rate (advertised; you should look up the EPA test reports instead) is 50npct higher than that of the BK. It might make your home a desert too.

 

[Todd]

Apparently thats the msrp I was quoted. Which brings me to my original thoughts. Is a stove this $$$ worth the extra money verses a non-cat, but still epa listed stove such as a $1500 drolet? Or 1k more that a same size Kuma?

To me no, I’m around all day to feed my stove as needed, I don’t need 24 hr burns. if your busy or working most of the day a Blaze King long low burn is a great thing.