Blaze King Bypass question

[scum]

Sorry if it's been asked before. Searches came up dry for me.

I have a blaze King ultra. Love it. I have a friend with a King as well who actually was the one to recommend it to me. When chatting with him recently, I learned that when he does a reload, he throws the bypass immediately. I asked 'only on hot reloads, right'? He said he does it even when he's starting from a cold restart. His thinking being that he might as well throw as much heat through it to get up to temp as fast as possible.

At first I thought, oh that's bad. But the more I thought, I couldn't think why it would be bad. OK, maybe it lines the cat with extra smoke/creosote before it's lit off...Maybe? Even if so, as soon as that thing gets hot, it'll self clean anyways and burn off any crud. Won't it?

So really, why not close the bypass immediately regardless of the cat temps. I get opening the bypass when the door is open to avoid thermal shock and for good draft to prevent smoke spillage out the door. Is there a strong argument against closing immediately or is it placebo?

 

[lsucet]

I will recommend you to read the Manual and follow the instructions as for it. It is not a right way to operate a BK or any cat stove. The combustor needs to get up to 500 df minimum before closed the bypass. Like I said, this apply to any cat stove.

If is not necessary, i don't see the need from manufactures to spend time designing the stove plus adding extra parts for nothing. He is doing it wrong and so you if you doing it also. With a low MC wood on hot reload and cat into the active some, you should reload and closed door plus bypass. Char the wood at least 10 to 15 minutes or till charr and a good establish fire. If is a reload with the cat into the inactive zone you should let the probe indicate that is into the active zone and then you closed bypass. If cold, you should let the the cat probe get into the active zone before closed the bypass. at that time you establish a good draft, the cat is doing its thing and lighting up faster, getting the stove to temp quicker and with better efficiency.

Hope this help

 

[Woody Stover]

I have a theory that if you send unburned smoke through the cat, it will leave creo deposits on the inner surfaces, and when these finally burn off after the cat starts burning hot, this may leave the ash from the creo stuck to the reactive surface. I don't think this will be cleaned off by gently blowing through the cat, like fly ash would. If that's indeed the case, cat efficiency could be compromised and the cat may eventually need to be simmered out to restore it to peak operation. http://www.condar.com/combustorcleaningmanual.pdf

 

[scum]

I hear you guys. That was my thinking too. This guy has been burning for decades and is on his second Blaze King. So isn't a novice. If it was going to cause problems, I'm sure he would have seen them by now. Like I said, I get the reason to use bypass when opening g door to prevent thermal shock. It's been explained and is well understood, but I've never heard a real reason not to close right away even if stove is cold.

 

[jeff_t]

I had that same thought, too. I didn't always wait for the cat probe to get into the active zone. Once I had a good ripping fire and the needle started to ease up, I would close the bypass. Most times it would start to glow almost immediately, but usually just part of it. If it didn't seem right, I would open it for a while longer.

It was just one of things that came with getting lots of experience with the stove.

I never had a flue thermometer, but that would probably be the best indicator.

 

[Woody Stover]

This guy has been burning for decades and is on his second Blaze King. So isn't a novice. If it was going to cause problems, I'm sure he would have seen them by now.

I had that same thought, too. I didn't always wait for the cat probe to get into the active zone. Once I had a good ripping fire and the needle started to ease up, I would close the bypass. Most times it would start to glow almost immediately, but usually just part of it. If it didn't seem right, I would open it for a while longer.

It may not be a huge problem running creo through it but I figure why not try to keep it as clean as possible? I like to see that solid light-off when I close the bypass, with the entire cat glowing soon after. That doesn't always happen, every burn is different, but usually it does.
Did the guy say how often he replaced his cat, how many years he generally got from one? Although I didn't see a big difference after I simmered out the cat, I saw slight improvement. My cats probably haven't been real dirty when I simmered them, maybe about every two years. After several years of operation, when performance starts to drop off, I would think you could see a more dramatic improvement, and maybe buy yourself another year or two before having to buy a new cat.

 

[lsucet]

The Cat reduce draft and more from cold start. Making longer the time for establish a good draft, a healthy fire that bring the stove and cat up to temp quickly plus cause of the low temp in the firebox and cat the MC of the wood takes longer to evaporate. When you reload and cat still active, there is enough temp in the firebox between cat and coals to overcome this stage quicker plus there is some draft going on. Saying this, the wood should be under the MC recommended by manufactures and looks like they all match the MC of the wood for better efficiency regardless the technology. If you look into of non-cat stoves, actually they required highers temp to secondaries take place.

All what i can tell you is burn by manufacturer recommendation and you will have better results. It should be some info about it in the internet including this site that can give you better understanding of why should be done like that. But of course is up to you and you has the right to do it your own way.

 

[black smoke signals]

Now that we are on another good subject! Blaze king bypass! Can someone explain the adjustment of the 7/16 ramp bolt for the bypass door page 35 in the manual (insert) pi1010a? I understand the cam over feel from this adjustment so now my questions are (1) Does the paper check apply to the door plate or does the plate rely on the weight of the door plate and ramp bolt adjustment to seal? (2) From the factory or your first adjustment where is bolt head measurement to the lock nut? (3) When you have a hot fire going this ramp bolt gets very hot now can the bolt relax thus giving up tension to where its not an air tight box on a new stove? http://www.blazeking.com/EN/PDF/manuals/OM-PI1010A-E.pdf

 

[jeff_t]

Now that we are on another good subject! Blaze king bypass! Can someone explain the adjustment of the 7/16 ramp bolt for the bypass door page 35 in the manual (insert) pi1010a? I understand the cam over feel from this adjustment so now my questions are (1) Does the paper check apply to the door plate or does the plate rely on the weight of the door plate and ramp bolt adjustment to seal? (2) From the factory or your first adjustment where is bolt head measurement to the lock nut? (3) When you have a hot fire going this ramp bolt gets very hot now can the bolt relax thus giving up tension to where its not an air tight box on a new stove? http://www.blazeking.com/EN/PDF/manuals/OM-PI1010A-E.pdf

(1) It's not a bad idea. The gasket does get worn. I never had to replace it though. I adjusted mine once the first season, and never had to touch it after that.

(2) I don't think there is a concrete answer to that. You are essentially bending that piece of metal when you thread that bolt in farther. Lots of variable there. Just crack the jam nut loose and give the screw a quarter turn at a time until you get what you want. It's not really a precise adjustment.

(3) If it gets hot enough there to affect that stainless steel bolt, you have other problems.

I think you're overthinking it.

 

[woodfreak666]

This stove just seems to complicated to operate imo


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[jeff_t]

This stove just seems to complicated to operate imo


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In truth, it's incredibly simple and predictable, to the point of being boring

 

[Woody Stover]

(1) Does the paper check apply to the door plate or does the plate rely on the weight of the door plate and ramp bolt adjustment to seal?

It's not relying on the weight of the door; The cam-down feel occurs because the bypass rod is actually pressing the door down against the gasket.

You are essentially bending that piece of metal when you thread that bolt in farther. Lots of variable there. Just crack the jam nut loose and give the screw a quarter turn at a time until you get what you want. It's not really a precise adjustment.

Yeah, I would head the advice in the manual...don't over-tighten, just go that quarter-turn at a time. Since you are bending that piece of plate-steel, it might not spring back if you went too far, then decided you wanted to back it off.

 

[BKVP]

This stove just seems to complicated to operate imo


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I adjusted my King bypass end of last year. It was the second time in more than 10 years of use. Just remember to loosen the keeper nut before trying to adjust the bolt. The adjustment can also be performed by your sweep when you have the chimney cleaned...but only if needed.

 

[Woody Stover]

I adjusted my King bypass end of last year. It was the second time in more than 10 years of use.

How often is that stove used? I wouldn't think you are burning it 24/7, since you travel a lot...

You are essentially bending that piece of metal when you thread that bolt in farther....Just crack the jam nut loose and give the screw a quarter turn at a time until you get what you want.

Does the PE have a bypass?
My Keystone (and the Fireview) have a similar setup and adjustment. Part #s 169, 178, 179, 253:



The simplest I've seen is on the Buck 91, which just has a big, flat slab of cast iron lying on the stove top under the convection top. There's a rod attached which slides the slab over the bypass opening in the stove top...no gasket or adjustment.

This stove just seems to complicated to operate imo

On the surface, a non-cat stove would seem less complicated, especially if it has no bypass. But operating those stoves can be tricky. When starting a fire, you have to pay attention to how much wood you get burning or you can lose control over the burn rate and over-fire the stove. That said, I'm sure there are non-cat owners who have never over-fired their stove, and some models may be more controllable than others. If you are mechanically inclined, there are alterations you can make to get more control, but they are not as simple as closing the air control lever. On cat stoves, closing the air will snuff the burn. Of course, once you are familiar with operating a non-cat, you know what to do at startup to achieve the burn rate you want. Most of the time, it works.

 

[BKVP]

How often is that stove used? I wouldn't think you are burning it 24/7, since you travel a lot...
Does the PE have a bypass?
My Keystone (and the Fireview) have a similar setup and adjustment. Part #s 169, 178, 179, 253:

View attachment 194475

The simplest I've seen is on the Buck 91, which just has a big, flat slab of cast iron lying on the stove top under the convection top. There's a rod attached which slides the slab over the bypass opening in the stove top...no gasket or adjustment.
On the surface, a non-cat stove would seem less complicated, especially if it has no bypass. But operating those stoves can be tricky. When starting a fire, you have to pay attention to how much wood you get burning or you can lose control over the burn rate and over-fire the stove. That said, I'm sure there are non-cat owners who have never over-fired their stove, and some models may be more controllable than others. If you are mechanically inclined, there are alterations you can make to get more control, but they are not as simple as closing the air control lever. On cat stoves, closing the air will snuff the burn. Of course, once you are familiar with operating a non-cat, you know what to do at startup to achieve the burn rate you want. Most of the time, it works.

Careful there buddy! My wife runs the King and hates any other form of heat...so we do run it 24/7. (And yes I do travel too often, but my wife and probably many others prefer wood heat) As you know, all wood stoves require maintenance in order to keep them in peak performance.

 

[jeff_t]

Does the PE have a bypass?

No, there's no need.

On the surface, a non-cat stove would seem less complicated, especially if it has no bypass. But operating those stoves can be tricky. When starting a fire, you have to pay attention to how much wood you get burning or you can lose control over the burn rate and over-fire the stove. That said, I'm sure there are non-cat owners who have never over-fired their stove, and some models may be more controllable than others. If you are mechanically inclined, there are alterations you can make to get more control, but they are not as simple as closing the air control lever. On cat stoves, closing the air will snuff the burn. Of course, once you are familiar with operating a non-cat, you know what to do at startup to achieve the burn rate you want. Most of the time, it works.

My wife doesn't like burning the PE. She got spoiled by the BK, and doesn't feel in control. Something about turning a knob and watching the hellfire go black, I guess.

The super does pretty good. I tried to get it too hot before, but I was able to bring it down to 600 from over 750 in pretty short order. The secondary air control makes a huge difference but it won't kill the flames, and she's not totally comfortable with that.