BK Princess finally installed! But I have a few q's for other BK owners

[Skidooer]

Just got my new princess ultra installed and it seems to work great! But Id like some info/advice from some seasoned pros on the best re loading and burning practices. Like im told i need to crank it up once a day to get er good and hot to burn the crud out, but how long should this take and whats the best way to do it..? Also for re loading, i open the bypass and wait a few min before opeing the door. But after loading can i just close the door and bypass and walk away, or...? And when re loading, iv heard rake the coals to the front and load North-S, East-w... Im just looking for some tips to get the most out of this little heater, any input would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Todd]

I'm not a BK seasoned pro yet but this is the way I've been doing it which is pretty similar to my prior cat stoves. Rake the coals forward, fill the stove up full, burn with the bypass open for about 10-15 minutes at a higher setting like 2-3, engage the cat and continue to burn hot for another 10-15 minutes, then turn the t-stat down to desired setting. I've been burning pretty much at 1.5 so far during the shoulder season and it gives me consistant 24 hour burns with good dry hardwood.

Oh, and as far as reloads go I like to place the first row of splits E/W then the top row N/S mostly because the coal bed raked forward leaves a good pile up front and it's just easier for me to tuck the first row E/W back behind the coals.

 

[Woody Stover]

im told i need to crank it up once a day to get er good and hot to burn the crud out, but how long should this take and whats the best way to do it..? Also for re loading, i open the bypass and wait a few min before opeing the door. But after loading can i just close the door and bypass and walk away, or...?

If you're burning dry wood you shouldn't have to "burn out the crud." Did you buy it new, and get the manual? If so, it will tell you how to reload. I think the combustor thermometer has to be up to a certain temp before you close the bypass. It'll probably also tell you what stove top temp to stay below to prevent an over-fire of the stove. Do you have a stove top thermo yet?

And some pics would be nice... . Happy burning!

 

[Skidooer]

Ahh i see, those things all make sense. I will definitely try them out.
Yes its brand new, and i did read the manual twice but its not that specific. I guess a little more time burning will help as its only been running for 3 days
Thanks guys, and il try to upload some pics in the next few days!

 

[jeff_t]

I rake the coals forward, put a split E/W in the back to level things out, then stuff it N/S. After it is burning good, maybe ten minutes, I'll close the bypass and start lowering the t-stat. If I'm looking for a long, low burn, I'll spend some time tweaking it. For colder weather, I turn it back to halfway and walk away.

You'll get plenty of crud built up inside the firebox, but it better be clean from the cat on up. The crud inside the firebox isn't really going to burn off with a quick burst of hotness.

 

[Highbeam]

The manual isn't bad but it could be improved upon. Very vague and contradictory when it matters.

I love how you call it a little heater. It's pretty big relative to other stoves, only smaller than the king by about 50%. The 2.85 princess CF is significantly larger than most other stoves.

Lets see some pics. I am also a new princess ultra owner and if it weren't so very warm outside I would be doing the 24 hour burns which are so easy to accomplish that it's hard to believe.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

My preference is load N/S, but usually the coals go to the center, and the first layer of wood goes N/S, then E/W on top.

As far as build-up in the stove, I know jeff-t and I get it, but I haven't read about the Princess owners complaining of it. I'm very curious if this is a King thing, or do the Princess stoves do it also. Check the back corners for build-up after a dozen fires or so, tell us what it looks like. (Others feel free to chime in also)
Thanks, JB

 

[rdust]

Lets see some pics. I am also a new princess ultra owner and if it weren't so very warm outside I would be doing the 24 hour burns which are so easy to accomplish that it's hard to believe.

Second year in and it's still hard for me to believe. 24 hours+ on Pine and Elm right now, daytime high today was 41.

 

[Todd]

I get some black shiney creosote build up in the back of my Princess as well as my Keystone. I think it's a product of low burns in a relatively cool fire box.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I get some black shiney creosote build up in the back of my Princess as well as my Keystone. I think it's a product of low burns in a relatively cool fire box.

Not to threadjack, but.... Todd, are you noticing buildup behind the interior heat shields also?

 

[weatherguy]

Someone else mentioned some build up in their firebox last year and posted pics, for some reason I never get any build up, after I clean it up for the summer it looks as good as the day I brought it home (not quite but close ).

 

[jeff_t]

I think we need a picture, too.

 

[rdust]

Not to threadjack, but.... Todd, are you noticing buildup behind the interior heat shields also?

I get it, I knocked some of it out when I cleaned the stove in the spring but that's it. I don't figure it's hurting anything it's just a few extra BTU's if they ever light up.

 

[HotCoals]

It's a great stove for sure. But I have said before I'm not too impressed with the t-stat.
Could be a little more sensitive to temp changes..but it does work some.
Doesn't really matter much..thing is mostly running with the flap shut anyhow..I have the cover off.
Only times I really open it is to reload or to burn down coals in the evening before I load it again for 24 hours...at least in the shoulder..twice a day when the cold gets here.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

It's a great stove for sure. But I have said before I'm not too impressed with the t-stat.
Could be a little more sensitive to temp changes..but it does work some.
Doesn't really matter much..thing is mostly running with the flap shut anyhow..I have the cover off.
Only times I really open it is to reload or to burn down coals in the evening before I load it again for 24 hours...at least in the shoulder..twice a day when the cold gets here.

Gotta ask- Have you noticed any difference in T-stat performance with the cover on or off?
I've had the cover off for the last few weeks, and I like see'ing the the changes in the flapper, dependant on the dial setting.

 

[HotCoals]

Gotta ask- Have you noticed any difference in T-stat performance with the cover on or off?
I've had the cover off for the last few weeks, and I like see'ing the the changes in the flapper, dependant on the dial setting.

Seems to work the same as far as I can tell.
The bi-metal is still enclosed.

 

[daleeper]

Ahh i see, those things all make sense. I will definitely try them out.
Yes its brand new, and i did read the manual twice but its not that specific. I guess a little more time burning will help as its only been running for 3 days
Thanks guys, and il try to upload some pics in the next few days!

I thought the manual was pretty specific about the timing and temperature operation of the stove, including burning out the creosote. I keep a timer by my stove, and set it when reloading. The only thing it doesn't specify is how long it takes for a new load to get the cat to the active zone, which will vary depending on how cool the stove got, and what kind of wood you are burning.

Once you have a coal base, here is what they say about reloading the stove, page 22 on the copy posted on their site (maybe it has been updated):

"After the loading door is closed and the catalytic thermometer is in the active zone, close the bypass door."

"Let the fire burn on a higher setting (on the thermostat) for 20-30 minutes, or until the fire is well established, then turn the
thermostat to the desired setting. It is good burning practice to burn the stove on high for 20-30 mins after every refueling, this
will help in cleaning off any residual build-ups and lessen the chance of accumulation."

Now, leaving the stove thermostat setting at wide open for the full 30 minutes might cause your stove to run very hot with dry wood, so when reading the section on thermostat setting, note that it says above "higher setting" not wide open. Find a setting that will run your stove hot for fire establishment, but it might not be wide open.

The manual also states that we should be using dry wood. Here is what they call dry wood:

"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."

I'm guessing that is why most of us have dirty glass, as I know my wood is not that dry. The thermostat setting is vague, as you pointed out, I usually loaded every 12 hours, and let it burn hot for 20-30 minutes, then turned it down, and in addition, cleaned the glass once a week. I'm hoping my wood is dry enough this year that it will not cloud up the glass as bad.

Here is what they say about burning out the creosote if you have buildup on the glass, if you have buildup in the chimney, clean the chimney, don't burn it out:

"We recommend that each day a small intense fire be built, preferably in the morning. This daily practice should burn out the small deposits of creosote before they build to a dangerous level. The combustion air inlet should be opened for at least 30 minutes by turning the thermostat up
in the morning and evening. NEVER “burn out” large deposits of more than one days accumulation."

Good luck with your new stove, once you get into a routine, you will find it very easy to run.

 

[Todd]

Not to threadjack, but.... Todd, are you noticing buildup behind the interior heat shields also?

Yep, most of the fire box has creosote buildup. I'm guessing most will burn off with hotter burns later on this season.

 

[Highbeam]

I also have the shiny, smooth, hard tar looking junk in the corners. You can just barely dent it with your fingernail. Lot's of flakey light brown chunks above the midpoint of the firebox.

 

[Skidooer]

Wow you fellas are full of knowledge! Im going to let the stove go out tonight and give a look over tomorrow when it cools down. So far i really love this stove. It is what they claim, set it and forget it!