BK Princess Insert interior dimensions (for DuaeGuttae)

[jetsam]

I had someone ( @DuaeGuttae ) ask what the proper split length was for the PI, and I guesstimated because I was out of town. Well, here's a better answer, all threadified for posterity (mostly so I can look it up next time).



I let the fire go out today and scooped my ash tonight, and took some measurements. As you can see, the firebox is squareish but irregular.

The bottom of the firebox, which is lined with firebrick, is about 18 deep and 19 wide, and about 7" deep from the bottom of the firebox to the bottom of the firebrick retainers.

Moving up, we hit a narrower band where the steel firebrick retainers protrude. The firebox is roughly 17 deep by 18 wide in that zone (which is about 1.5" tall, situated in the middle of the firebox).

Above the retainers there is no firebrick, and the firebox gets deeper, and is about 19 by 19 (there are 1" steel baffles above the firebrick). This area is about 3" tall until it hits the bottom of the cat housing.

So we're at about 2.25cf of useable firebox space... there are three more nooks where wood can go:

Left and right of the cat at the roof of the stove is a nook 2.5" x 19" x ? (I don't know how tall this cavity is and it's too late to measure it because my stove is burning again- but it doesn't matter because you can't really access the top part. Let's call it 2.5".). 2.33cf....

And lastly, the irregular area on top of the firebrick by the door and in front of the cat. I try only to use the lower part of this area to avoid flame impingement on the cat. If you wanted to count all that as firebox, BK could probably claim 2.75 CF with this stove. (I think they claim 2.4, which is in line with the actual useable space I just measured, and actually a little lower than what you COULD jam in there.)

Due to the dropoff into the belly of the firebox and the cat housing above, the tallest piece of wood you can get in there is around 9".

If you fill the belly and need to get rid of some extra-long pieces, the longest straight piece that can fit in the stove is about 21"; it rests on top of the firebrick in back and almost touches the door in front.

The absolute longest split you could jam in there diagonally would be maybe 28", but you could only put one of that size in there.

The "correct" split size that will fit anywhere in the stove is 17" deep, no more than 9" tall.

Whee!

If (against all reason and probability) you have enjoyed this thread, please take a moment to thank my cheapest tape measure, which suffered horribly for the cause.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

Thank you, Jetsam, and please do convey to your cheapest tape measure that we are very grateful to him for his noble service and sacrifice in the cause of proper wood splitting information.

BK advertises the PI at 2.54 cubic feet in most of what I saw. (I think I read some older literature where it was listed a bit larger.)

We are making plans to take the children to see the ocean on Saturday and to pick up the insert. She has sat for six years in a store's back room, so I hope she won't mind a few more months in our basement till we get our fireplace and chimney suitably fixed up for royalty.

 

[jetsam]

Thank you, Jetsam, and please do convey to your cheapest tape measure that we are very grateful to him for his noble service and sacrifice in the cause of proper wood splitting information.

BK advertises the PI at 2.54 cubic feet in most of what I saw. (I think I read some older literature where it was listed a bit larger.)

We are making plans to take the children to see the ocean on Saturday and to pick up the insert. She has sat for six years in a store's back room, so I hope she won't mind a few more months in our basement till we get our fireplace and chimney suitably fixed up for royalty.

Could be that I was off a bit here and there due to all the glowing red coals and all... that's as cool as that stove gets 8.5 months a year though.

Don't worry about the royalty thing... she's only picky about her flue!