BK Princess insert creosote problem

[FingerLakesBurner]

I settled on a BK Princess for my insert stove. I've been burning about a week now and absolutely love it. I've been burning medium to low, the wood I am currently burning is cherry with a moisture content of 15-18.

Today I got home and when I was about to reload it I noticed shiny black creosote on the back wall of the stove as well as near the edge of the door vertical sides. Hopped up on the roof and the underside of the chimney Cap also has it on it.

Anyone have tips or know what might be going on. I know CAT stoves have low flue temperatures and me burning on low could be a problem? (This is my first cat stove) The chimney just meets the 16ft minimum and is an exterior masonary chimney, I could not fit an insulated liner down it but did insulate the top 3 feet or so the best I could.

Thoughts and suggestions are more than welcome. Thanks.

 

[webby3650]

Not being insulated isn’t helping things.
Creosote inside the firebox is normal, it’s before the cat and running really low temps. Letting the stove run on high with the bypass closed for a while each week will burn most of it off.

 

[Supersurvey]

I get creosote on the rear of my hampton HI200 and was just about to post the same question. Good to know its normal.

 

[webby3650]

I get creosote on the rear of my hampton HI200 and was just about to post the same question. Good to know its normal.

No so normal in a non-cat...

 

[Highbeam]

Shiny black stuff is pretty normal in a bk firebox burning low. Don’t worry about it. The cap and top foot or so of the chimney system is also quite cold and I would say normal to get an accumulation of black junk here too.

Dripping wet tar is about the only thing I don’t like to see on my cap above the bk.

 

[bholler]

I absolutly see allot more creosote buildup in the chimneys servicing bks than i do from most other modern stoves. And i have more this year with the bk than i ever had before.

 

[Highbeam]

I absolutly see allot more creosote buildup in the chimneys servicing bks than i do from most other modern stoves. And i have more this year with the bk than i ever had before.

Me too! I hope you knew to expect that. The less efficient stoves puke so much heat up the stack that nothing has a chance to condense. I would never expect a bk flue, above a bk run nice and low, to be as clean as a properly operated noncat.

 

[jetsam]

My princess insert builds up creosote in the firebox too. Don't worry about it; it will clean itself next time it gets cold outside.

Do inspect the top of your flue and see how that looks, though. That bit is not self-cleaning (or at least you do not want it to be self-cleaning).

 

[weatherguy]

When I had the Princess Insert I had to go up on my roof about midway through the burning season to clean the cap or it would plug. Its just the way they burn.

 

[webby3650]

Maybe I run mine hotter than you guys? I have very little build up and have never had an issue build up in the cap. I do see many that are pretty dirty in the field though. I run mine on high for an hour or so every few days.

 

[bholler]

Maybe I run mine hotter than you guys? I have very little build up and have never had an issue build up in the cap. I do see many that are pretty dirty in the field though. I run mine on high for an hour or so every few days.

That will clean out the stove but wont change what is in the chimney.

 

[Diabel]

Maybe I run mine hotter than you guys? I have very little build up and have never had an issue build up in the cap. I do see many that are pretty dirty in the field though. I run mine on high for an hour or so every few days.

If I run my Princess on high for an hour (using hemlock), there would be hardly any wood left in the firebox.

 

[lsucet]

That will clean out the stove but wont change what is in the chimney.

A hot burn on reloads helps a lot in my opinion or an often hot burn. I on reloads burn hot due to be running two at same time and they will burn on low for the rest of the burn. 13 degrees outside a few days ago and still burning low. Cause rarely I have to burn on high, that's why I like hot burn on reloads. I did checked the chimneys the other day and they look okay.

 

[bholler]

A hot burn on reloads helps a lot in my opinion or an often hot burn. I on reloads burn hot due to be running two at same time and they will burn on low for the rest of the burn. 13 degrees outside a few days ago and still burning low. Cause rarely I have to burn on high, that's why I like hot burn on reloads. I did checked the chimneys the other day and they look okay.

Well yes every stove should be burnt hot on reload that has been standatd practice for a long time. It gets everything up to temperature and drived the remaining moisture out of the wood.

But doing that will have absolutly no effect on the buildup already in the chimney.

 

[lsucet]

Well yes every stove should be burnt hot on reload that has been standatd practice for a long time. It gets everything up to temperature and drived the remaining moisture out of the wood.

But doing that will have absolutly no effect on the buildup already in the chimney.

I understand if ALREADY there, but the condition can be controlled some if burning hot often. That's how non cat do it, ( burning hot all the time).

 

[bholler]

I understand if ALREADY there, but the condition can be controlled some if burning hot often. That's how non cat do it, ( burning hot all the time).

Not that much hotter. My normal stack temps with the bk are only about 50 degrees cooler than they typically were cruising with the regency. I really think you guys have allot of misinformation about noncats.

 

[lsucet]

Not that much hotter. My normal stack temps with the bk are only about 50 degrees cooler than they typically were cruising with the regency. I really think you guys have allot of misinformation about noncats.

Maybe cause you need to run hot due to your heat demand. Not in my case. 250 to 300 with half of the wood in there on low. Sorry but I never saw that on my non cat till everything was coals in there and almost out.

 

[bholler]

Maybe cause you need to run hot due to your heat demand. Not in my case. 250 to 300 with half of the wood in there on low. Sorry but I never saw that on my non cat till everything was coals in there and almost out.

That is where i ran my non cat almost all the time. The bk is 200 to 250. Now yes when its really cold or windy both would be running a little higher. But still within 50 to 75 of each other. What noncat were you running?

 

[lsucet]

Englander

 

[weatherguy]

I ran mine pretty hot almost daily but I had a long liner, it was just the top 3-4 feet that had the most build up.

 

[bholler]

Englander

Yeah so you are comparing a cheap entry level noncat that does not offer the greatest level of control to a top of the line cat stove. That isnt exactly a fair comparison.

 

[lsucet]

Yeah so you are comparing a cheap entry level noncat that does not offer the greatest level of control to a top of the line cat stove. That isnt exactly a fair comparison.

Ok okay whatever you said. Anyway I know different. If is like that why then you don't get 30 hrs of usable heat on your regency? It is okay. Sorry for my lack of knowledge.

 

[bholler]

Ok okay whatever you said. Anyway I know different. If is like that why then you don't get 30 hrs of usable heat on your regency? It is okay. Sorry for my lack of knowledge.

No and i dont get 30 hours of useable heat from the princess either. Yes those long burn times are great in mild weather. But now that the temps have dropped i am getting pretty much the same burn times.

 

[SculptureOfSound]

No and i dont get 30 hours of useable heat from the princess either. Yes those long burn times are great in mild weather. But now that the temps have dropped i am getting pretty much the same burn times.

Makes sense. Gotta burn X amount of wood for Y BTUs. And while cats are a fair bitore efficient at low burns doesntdthe efficiency even out at medium high and then actually tilt in favor of tube stoves for high burns?

 

[lsucet]

No and i dont get 30 hours of useable heat from the princess either. Yes those long burn times are great in mild weather. But now that the temps have dropped i am getting pretty much the same burn times.

Englander stoves are EPA certified. Are they?. They do the same that the high dollar ones. Same technology. What, better buffles? Tubes? Asterisk? Ok I give you that. So? Why many are more expensive the a damn BK and don't perform the same?