Adventures running a cat stove with cordwood <12% MC

[Poindexter]

I feel like I am cluttering up the annual BK thread with problems most folks don't have.

Going into my third winter with a BK Ashford 30. It's a great stove. With cordwood running 12-16% MC as specified in the manual (mine's a 30, before the 30.1 came out) I was experiencing all sorts of wonderful things that folks (including me during a different winter) weren't able to talk about running cord wood at 17-20 or even 22% MC. The winter I ran 16-20% MC my Ashford 30 was the best stove I have ever used to heat my home, except for the winter I was running cordwood at 12-16% in my Ashford 30.

So if you got stacks and stacks at 12-22% MC, go over to the annual BK performance thread and bask in the coruscating delight of the alien technology.

If you got stacks and stacks under 11% MC, you are probably breaking stuff too...

So far I have had the needle on the dial up past the end of the active zone and halfway to the "g" in BlazeKing once, in 15-20 burns so far this season

Current problem is my cat has gone inactive. My local dealer encouraged me to try vacuuming the combustor with a brush tipped wand, the local rep thought it might be just fly ash accumulation when I took my combustor into the store.

So I vacuumed the fool thing. I checked the cam over on the bypass door while I had the cat out. When I opened the bypass door the door hung up on the rod and lifted out of the hinge pin slot, first time ever.

Downloaded the new manual, read up on all that, got the bypass door off the rod, cleaned the rod with isopropyl on a paper towel, (how to clean the rod and "bypass door ramp" aren't specified in the new manual, cleaned the ramp with the same.

So no galling, smooth metal everywhere, a trip to NAPA for some high temp anti-sieze, Twisted the head off the rap adjustment bolt trying to open the gap in the ramp so I could get the rod back in the ramp without galling the rod.

So tomorrow I am taking my bypass door with the broken bolt to my BK dealer...

My plan is to get some load cells under the leg of the stove so I can turn the Tstat down asap with respect to fuel weight without getting too rich a fuel/ air mixture going in the firebox.

 

[begreen]

Not following why this is an issue when the King and Sirocco manuals state:

FUEL
Blaze King recommends using dry seasoned wood, split and stacked and protected from rain for at least 24 months with a moisture content of 13% or lower.

 

[Highbeam]

The only information of value from the cat temp meter is whether the cat is active or inactive. Otherwise ignore it.

Your wood is not too dry. Just load and burn per the manual.

Seems that your problems are self inflicted. Relax.

 

[Woody harrelson]

I feel like I am cluttering up the annual BK thread with problems most folks don't have.

Going into my third winter with a BK Ashford 30. It's a great stove. With cordwood running 12-16% MC as specified in the manual (mine's a 30, before the 30.1 came out) I was experiencing all sorts of wonderful things that folks (including me during a different winter) weren't able to talk about running cord wood at 17-20 or even 22% MC. The winter I ran 16-20% MC my Ashford 30 was the best stove I have ever used to heat my home, except for the winter I was running cordwood at 12-16% in my Ashford 30.

So if you got stacks and stacks at 12-22% MC, go over to the annual BK performance thread and bask in the coruscating delight of the alien technology.

If you got stacks and stacks under 11% MC, you are probably breaking stuff too...

So far I have had the needle on the dial up past the end of the active zone and halfway to the "g" in BlazeKing once, in 15-20 burns so far this season

Current problem is my cat has gone inactive. My local dealer encouraged me to try vacuuming the combustor with a brush tipped wand, the local rep thought it might be just fly ash accumulation when I took my combustor into the store.

So I vacuumed the fool thing. I checked the cam over on the bypass door while I had the cat out. When I opened the bypass door the door hung up on the rod and lifted out of the hinge pin slot, first time ever.

Downloaded the new manual, read up on all that, got the bypass door off the rod, cleaned the rod with isopropyl on a paper towel, (how to clean the rod and "bypass door ramp" aren't specified in the new manual, cleaned the ramp with the same.

So no galling, smooth metal everywhere, a trip to NAPA for some high temp anti-sieze, Twisted the head off the rap adjustment bolt trying to open the gap in the ramp so I could get the rod back in the ramp without galling the rod.

So tomorrow I am taking my bypass door with the broken bolt to my BK dealer...

My plan is to get some load cells under the leg of the stove so I can turn the Tstat down asap with respect to fuel weight without getting too rich a fuel/ air mixture going in the firebox.

Scales under the legs of the stove to know when to turn down tstat? seriously? I've seen it all now. I guess one can make life as complicated as they like

 

[kennyp2339]

Hmm, maybe the bypass was broken when the problems started?

 

[begreen]

Wondering if the issue has more to do with draft at sub-zero temps than with the wood moisture. If so, going back to 16% MC wood may help or perhaps a key damper for very cold weather?

 

[BKVP]

I am trying to locate the 13% reference.

From the 30.1 Ashford Manual, "Use dry seasoned wood, split and stacked and protected from rain for at least 24 months with a moisture content of 20% or lower."

All manuals should reference the above. If anyone can send a pm of manuals with different % of MC, please PM them to me to be edited.

Thank you all....

 

[begreen]

I noted the <13% statement in the early 2015 King KE1107 and the 2012 Chinook manuals. Will update my copies. FWIW I think I first heard about <13% mc when Calentarse was having issues with his Ashford.

 

[tarzan]

Poindexter, do you have metal clips on each side of the cat housing? If so, did you have them out when your bypass door popped out? I know on the Princess those things hold the bypass hinge pins into there slots.

 

[tarzan]

The only information of value from the cat temp meter is whether the cat is active or inactive. Otherwise ignore it..

But his cat probe thermometer was neither in "active" nor "inactive". I get that there's no measurable numbers on it (although I'd bet you could cross reference it with a picture of a Condar cat probe thermometer and get a good idea of tempratures) but still, if mine climbed out of the high side of the active range I would begin to suspect something wasn't right.

 

[Ashful]

I am trying to locate the 13% reference.

From the 30.1 Ashford Manual, "Use dry seasoned wood, split and stacked and protected from rain for at least 24 months with a moisture content of 20% or lower."

All manuals should reference the above. If anyone can send a pm of manuals with different % of MC, please PM them to me to be edited.

Thank you all....

Good to know. I believe the manual that came with one of my stoves also has the 13% number, as I remember almost falling out of my chair when I read it. Perhaps a typo that was corrected in subsequent manual revisions. I'll try to locate and scan tonight.

 

[begreen]

I think the original Sirocco and Ashford manuals had that sentence. Maybe most BK stove prior to 2015?

 

[Ashful]

The good news is that I've never had 13% wood, and my BKs still run fine.


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[tarzan]

Yeah, that <13% bit would have been a deal breaker for me.

 

[Highbeam]

But his cat probe thermometer was neither in "active" nor "inactive". I get that there's no measurable numbers on it (although I'd bet you could cross reference it with a picture of a Condar cat probe thermometer and get a good idea of tempratures) but still, if mine climbed out of the high side of the active range I would begin to suspect something wasn't right.

Once the needle leaves the inactive range the cat is then active. Give me a break.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have had the needle on the dial up past the end of the active zone and halfway to the "g" in BlazeKing once, in 15-20 burns so far this season
Current problem is my cat has gone inactive.

Did you happen to look at how bright that cat was glowing?

if mine climbed out of the high side of the active range I would begin to suspect something wasn't right.

The only information of value from the cat temp meter is whether the cat is active or inactive. Otherwise ignore it

If his cat is shot because of repeatedly running it up off the dial, I would suggest that everyone ignore your advice to ignore the cat temp.

 

[RAPhomme]

FYI

under Manuals and Brochures > Manuals > Archived Manuals > OM-AF30 EV1.02

(broken link removed to http://www.blazeking.com/PDF/manuals/old/OM-AF30%20E%20V1.02.pdf)

p. 19:

ASHFORD 30: Blaze King recommends using dry seasoned wood, split and stacked and protected from rain for at least 24 months with a moisture content of 13% or lower. It takes a great deal of energy to evaporate the moisture contained in green wood and that energy will not be heating your house. Green or wet wood will greatly increase creosote & combustor problems. Blaze King moisture meters are available at your Blaze King dealer. Our wood stoves are NOT designed for burning coal and doing so will void the warranty

 

[RAPhomme]

FWIW

from the manual for the Condar Watchman (digital catalyst thermometer/meter), p. 4:

"Above 1400 degrees a catalyst no longer achieves any additional catalytic benefit. At 1600 degrees adjust draft immediately to avoid destruction of your catalytic combustor and potential damage to stove or fireplace components. Display is continuous."

http://www.condar.com/images/Digital-Gallery/watchman_operating_instructions.pdf

Doesn't seem to jibe with frequent practice attested here. But maybe?

 

[Ashful]

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[Stump shot]

Once the needle leaves the inactive range the cat is then active. Give me a break.

So how could my cat be glowing orange and the cat meter is still in the inactive range. Must be the alien technology!

 

[tarzan]

Once the needle leaves the inactive range the cat is then active. Give me a break.

First the swoosh thermostat, now the inactive/active......I hope you get a watch without numbers on it for Christmas!

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Poindexter, I'm glad to see that your wood kilns are working so well! Good luck getting everything fixed and figured.

 

[Highbeam]

First the swoosh thermostat, now the inactive/active......I hope you get a watch without numbers on it for Christmas!

I like the numbers on the stat, and my watch. Bk has engineered these stoves so that the cats will not overheat. As such, you can ignore any aspect of cat temp other than keeping it hot enough to be active.

Embrace the technology. That's what makes the bk great. Other brands have had poorly designed combustion systems that require the user to worry about overheating the cat. Some even had a separate air control for cat air supply.

It's early in the season and we have a summer's worth of waiting and pent up optimization to blow as the weather gets cooler. You're not going to be able to fix your bk if the gaskets are good, cat is clean, and cat still works. The beauty of the bk design is that it is a set and forget burn for up to 30 hours. Go do something else.

 

[Ashful]

Bk has engineered these stoves so that the cats will not overheat. As such, you can ignore any aspect of cat temp other than keeping it hot enough to be active.

Removing the numbers from the dial of a well-known probe thermometer doesn't translate to an indestructible cat, when the needle goes soaring toward 2000'F. Yes, the stove is engineered to prevent this, but all stoves will malfunction, eventually.


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[Highbeam]

Removing the numbers from the dial of a well-known probe thermometer doesn't translate to an indestructible cat, when the needle goes soaring toward 2000'F. Yes, the stove is engineered to prevent this, but all stoves will malfunction, eventually.


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Sure, if your stove malfunctions or you fill it with gasoline then bad things can happen. That's not what we're talking about here.

I do not believe that all stoves will malfunction eventually. Take care of your equipment and replace it when it is no longer serviceable.