2022-2023 BK everything thread

[begreen]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 73645" data-quote="bikedennis" data-source="post: 2607375" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-13#post-2607375" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607375">bikedennis said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Must be the wood. I emptied my Sirocco 30.2 2X maybe 3X Nov. thru March. Burn pine and fir. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Same here. It&#039;s one reason why I like to burn doug fir.</div>

 

[BKVP]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 22094" data-quote="Ashful" data-source="post: 2607372" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-13#post-2607372" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607372">Ashful said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I have to empty ash every Saturday… x2 stoves, when I have both going. Part of that is the smaller belly of the 30 box, but even more so may be the difference in the wood we are burning. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>But you&#039;re burning hardwoods. A few years ago, I emptied my King 1107 once, mid season. All I burned was NIELS.</div>

 

[ratsrepus]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 18988" data-quote="BKVP" data-source="post: 2607402" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607402" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607402">BKVP said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> But you&#039;re burning hardwoods. A few years ago, I emptied my King 1107 once, mid season. All I burned was NIELS. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Thats one great thing about the bio blocks, no ash</div>

 

[Ashful]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 18988" data-quote="BKVP" data-source="post: 2607402" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607402" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607402">BKVP said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> But you&#039;re burning hardwoods. A few years ago, I emptied my King 1107 once, mid season. All I burned was NIELS. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Not just hardwood, but almost exclusively oak, for the first seven years with my Ashfords. This year I will finally get into some hickory, and then I have miles of ash on deck behind that, but until now it’s been nearly 100% oak. I hear it’s one of the worst woods for coaling and ash accumulation, but honestly don’t have much else in recent years with which ti compare it.</div>

 

[ratsrepus]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 22094" data-quote="Ashful" data-source="post: 2607459" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607459" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607459">Ashful said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Not just hardwood, but almost exclusively oak, for the first seven years with my Ashfords. This year I will finally get into some hickory, and then I have miles of ash on deck behind that, but until now it’s been nearly 100% oak. I hear it’s one of the worst woods for coaling and ash accumulation, but honestly don’t have much else in recent years with which ti compare it. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Ive burnt quite a bit of Red Oak and its great long lasting wood it does produce a lot of ash and coals. I found if I just pour the air to a bed of hot coals and let them burn down before reloading works best.</div>

 

[BKVP]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 58933" data-quote="ratsrepus" data-source="post: 2607477" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607477" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607477">ratsrepus said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Ive burnt quite a bit of Red Oak and its great long lasting wood it does produce a lot of ash and coals. I found if I just pour the air to a bed of hot coals and let them burn down before reloading works best. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>When I burned all the hardwoods, I&#039;d rake them forward, put some well seasoned pine on top and let it rip. Only way to deal with coals filling up my stove...</div>

 

[ratsrepus]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 18988" data-quote="BKVP" data-source="post: 2607502" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607502" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607502">BKVP said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> When I burned all the hardwoods, I&#039;d rake them forward, put some well seasoned pine on top and let it rip. Only way to deal with coals filling up my stove... </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Id like to try some dry pine, but no one sells it around here and I have none on my property</div>

 

[showrguy]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 58933" data-quote="ratsrepus" data-source="post: 2607529" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607529" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607529">ratsrepus said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Id like to try some dry pine, but no one sells it around here and I have none on my property </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Any tree service would likely drop off more than you can handle,,, for free !!</div>

 

[Ashful]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 18988" data-quote="BKVP" data-source="post: 2607502" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2607502" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2607502">BKVP said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> When I burned all the hardwoods, I&#039;d rake them forward, put some well seasoned pine on top and let it rip. Only way to deal with coals filling up my stove... </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>When one of our red cedar trees fall (as in last week), I split and stack it for this purpose. But I&#039;ve also found that just throwing a single split of oak or other harwood on top of this raked-forward bed does almost the same job, albeit taking a little longer.</div>

 

[stoveliker]

<div class="bbWrapper">That&#039;s what I&#039;ve done too. Especially if you make the row-pile of coals in the front a bit uneven; the air wash will blow thru the holes bridged by the split on top of the coals. The white hot oven there burning up the coals. Works even better with oak because the oak stay in one piece mechanically longer.</div>

 

[BKVP]

<div class="bbWrapper">This is the custom coal rake I made because I was burning hardwoods. Never used last winter burning tamarack and Doug fir.<br /> <br /> <script class="js-extraPhrases" type="application/json"> { "lightbox_close": "Close", "lightbox_next": "Next", "lightbox_previous": "Previous", "lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.", "lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow", "lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow", "lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen", "lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails", "lightbox_download": "Download", "lightbox_share": "Share", "lightbox_zoom": "Zoom", "lightbox_new_window": "New window", "lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar" } </script> <a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20220925_173952-webp.299437/" target="_blank" class="js-lbImage" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html=""><img src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/data/attachments/299/299464-ce9e7a3315e1aceeb092452f1a1883f8.jpg?hash=mWqfhWmEFe" srcset="" class="bbImage " data-type="image" style="" alt="[Hearth.com] 2022-2023 BK everything thread" title="[Hearth.com] 2022-2023 BK everything thread" width="270" height="360" loading="lazy" /></a></div>

 

[Crummy]

<div class="bbWrapper">I asked about a month ago and the general response was a overactive cat since it was new. Been burning 24/7 for 27 days straight now and it hasn&#039;t settled down. This reading is 30 minutes after a hot reload with the thermostat at 6:00 for 15 minutes and 4:30 for 15 minutes. At this point I turn it to 3:00 and it will be high in the active zone for around 12 hours. About 3:30 is as high as I can go without it leaving the active zone and any higher than that I don&#039;t know that the needle would ever stop. Still nothing to worry about? <br /> <div class="bbImageWrapper js-lbImage" title="[Hearth.com] 2022-2023 BK everything thread" data-src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/img_20220927_191432-webp.299543/" data-type="image" data-lb-sidebar-href="" data-lb-caption-extra-html="" data-single-image="1" > <img src="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/img_20220927_191432-webp.299543/" data-url="" class="bbImage" data-zoom-target="1" style="" alt="[Hearth.com] 2022-2023 BK everything thread" title="[Hearth.com] 2022-2023 BK everything thread" width="1200" height="900" loading="lazy" /> </div></div>

 

[BKVP]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 79185" data-quote="Crummy" data-source="post: 2608008" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608008" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608008">Crummy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I asked about a month ago and the general response was a overactive cat since it was new. Been burning 24/7 for 27 days straight now and it hasn&#039;t settled down. This reading is 30 minutes after a hot reload with the thermostat at 6:00 for 15 minutes and 4:30 for 15 minutes. At this point I turn it to 3:00 and it will be high in the active zone for around 12 hours. About 3:30 is as high as I can go without it leaving the active zone and any higher than that I don&#039;t know that the needle would ever stop. Still nothing to worry about?<br /> <a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/299543/" target="_blank">View attachment 299543</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Nope. You&#039;re good to go....<br /> <br /> BKVP</div>

 

[Nealm66]

<div class="bbWrapper">You might want to mark your swoosh. It’s nice to have the reference</div>

 

[ratsrepus]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 79185" data-quote="Crummy" data-source="post: 2608008" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608008" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608008">Crummy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I asked about a month ago and the general response was a overactive cat since it was new. Been burning 24/7 for 27 days straight now and it hasn&#039;t settled down. This reading is 30 minutes after a hot reload with the thermostat at 6:00 for 15 minutes and 4:30 for 15 minutes. At this point I turn it to 3:00 and it will be high in the active zone for around 12 hours. About 3:30 is as high as I can go without it leaving the active zone and any higher than that I don&#039;t know that the needle would ever stop. Still nothing to worry about?<br /> <a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/299543/" target="_blank">View attachment 299543</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>You maybe you should try a new speedometer. I did have one go nuts here a few years back. Condar has them</div>

 

[Ashful]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 58933" data-quote="ratsrepus" data-source="post: 2608032" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608032" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608032">ratsrepus said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> You maybe you should try a new speedometer. I did have one go nuts here a few years back. Condar has them </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>They are hardly precision measurement devices. I have at least three, and when inserted into the same hole, they each disagree slightly with the other. I do remember past users replacing a flue or cat probe with another of the same model (usually Condar FlueGard to Condar FlueGard), and seeing a difference of 50 - 100 degrees.<br /> <br /> To me, the BK looks like a private-labeled Condar FlueGard, I&#039;d be very surprised if they&#039;re not made by the same people, whether that&#039;s Condar or third-party to both. There was actually a post a few years back where someone (<a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/members/1382/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="1382" data-username="@Highbeam">@Highbeam</a>?) had made a comparison between the two, swapping them in the same hole and noting similarity needle position at a few temperatures between both.</div>

 

[kennyp2339]

<div class="bbWrapper">Getting close.. low to mid 40&#039;s every morning this week so far, house still warms well in the daytime, but as the sun angle lowers the burning season will begin</div>

 

[Diabel]

<div class="bbWrapper">Strange weather for the next several days. Day high 50s low 60s, night mid 30s with full sun. So not sure.</div>

 

[Highbeam]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 22094" data-quote="Ashful" data-source="post: 2608036" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608036" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608036">Ashful said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> They are hardly precision measurement devices. I have at least three, and when inserted into the same hole, they each disagree slightly with the other. I do remember past users replacing a flue or cat probe with another of the same model (usually Condar FlueGard to Condar FlueGard), and seeing a difference of 50 - 100 degrees.<br /> <br /> To me, the BK looks like a private-labeled Condar FlueGard, I&#039;d be very surprised if they&#039;re not made by the same people, whether that&#039;s Condar or third-party to both. There was actually a post a few years back where someone (<a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/members/1382/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="1382" data-username="@Highbeam">@Highbeam</a>?) had made a comparison between the two, swapping them in the same hole and noting similarity needle position at a few temperatures between both. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I replaced my OEM BK meter with a condar meter with actual numbers. I am happy with this upgrade. There is no way for me to conclude that the BK meter is wound with the exact same coil as the condar unit so that the &quot;o&#039;clock&quot; readings are similar. Maybe, maybe not. But it doesn&#039;t matter much as they both indicate that key temperature at which the cat is hot enough to be &quot;active&quot;. Your BK cat meter stem will eventually corrode away or the coil will snap and when you replace it I would recommend the condar unit if you can wait that long. <br /> <br /> As an engineer and a bit of a gearhead I prefer gauges with numbers vs. idiot lights. The BK cat meter is like a proper speedometer that someone scrubbed the numbers off of! <br /> <br /> Even better is the digital thermocouple gauges from companies like auber. Those require power supplies and ugly wires but man are they accurate and responsive.</div>

 

[Crummy]

<div class="bbWrapper">If I recall correctly from reading last year&#039;s thread BKVP said they went to a swoosh because silly people like me were too worried about the exact temperature which greatly varies depending on installation specs. No two installations run the same so active/inactive is all they need. With that said I wish they put a stop at the end of the active zone so that it wouldn&#039;t keep going and make me nervous. Farthest I&#039;ve seen it is straight down but my mind tells me that&#039;s way too hot when BKVP says it&#039;s &quot;good to go&quot;, if there was a stop I&#039;d never see it down there. I still think it would just keep going if I left it on high even though the thermostat is supposed to prevent it but I&#039;m too chicken to try.</div>

 

[stoveliker]

<div class="bbWrapper">There is also another possibility. The ones in the BK are cheaper.<br /> <br /> Why? Because the calibration only pertains to one single point: active/inactive. There is no need for a linearity calibration either below or above this point. (I note that the scale in Condar&#039;s probes are linear.)<br /> If the manufacturing of the coil has issues that make it behave nonlinear, Condar would not be able to sell them. However, if the coil is rotated so that the temperature where the cat can be engaged is correct, BK can use them. Win-win.<br /> <br /> Pure speculation on my side, but it is not impossible, I think.</div>

 

[bikedennis]

<div class="bbWrapper">It would be helpful if the owners manual made mention. I also had concerns at first.</div>

 

[Todd]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 79185" data-quote="Crummy" data-source="post: 2608008" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608008" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608008">Crummy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I asked about a month ago and the general response was a overactive cat since it was new. Been burning 24/7 for 27 days straight now and it hasn&#039;t settled down. This reading is 30 minutes after a hot reload with the thermostat at 6:00 for 15 minutes and 4:30 for 15 minutes. At this point I turn it to 3:00 and it will be high in the active zone for around 12 hours. About 3:30 is as high as I can go without it leaving the active zone and any higher than that I don&#039;t know that the needle would ever stop. Still nothing to worry about? <br /> <a href="https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/299543/" target="_blank">View attachment 299543</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Do you monitor your flue temps? It would be interesting to see those while your cat temp is up there and compare with others here.</div>

 

[Crummy]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 54" data-quote="Todd" data-source="post: 2608095" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608095" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608095">Todd said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Do you monitor your flue temps? It would be interesting to see those while your cat temp is up there and compare with others here. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>No I haven&#039;t. Was told all that mattered was the active/inactive so no flue probe was installed.</div>

 

[Todd]

<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 79185" data-quote="Crummy" data-source="post: 2608096" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/talk/threads/2022-2023-bk-everything-thread.193316/page-14#post-2608096" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-2608096">Crummy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> No I haven&#039;t. Was told all that mattered was the active/inactive so no flue probe was installed. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Many here find an internal flue probe is a great tool to fine tune your burns. If you had one and it was also reading high it might tell you there’s a problem or not?</div>