I thought i would give my observations after using a Blaze King Princess for the past 7 years. First, overall i like the stove, and i like the ability to control the heat output with a thermostat, it has worked pretty well for me. However, the combustor life listed is no where near reality. I can get about 2.5 years out of a combustor (burning from the middle of October to the middle of March, about 4.5 full cords). Even thou the combustor may still be "technically" working at 2.5 years, it is producing so much creosote that i am cleaning a 5 gallon bucket out of the chimney every 3 weeks at that point. I wouldn't mind changing the combustor every couple of years, but it is kinda pricy at a little over $200. If someone is looking at getting one of these stoves, you should be aware of the on going costs to run the stove. I realize $200 every couple years would seem like nothing to some people, but i compare it to my old stove (not cat) that i ran for 25 years without putting a part into it.
Blaze King Princess observations
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kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
Last year I got about 1 gal mid season and 1.5 at the end of the season. The bk definitely burns much dirtier than my previous EPA stoves. And one of the pre EPA ones. But 5 gals in 3 weeks is crazy.
Something more may be contributing to the problem. When I cleaned my stove last summer after 2 seasons and 5.5 cords of wood I got 1 yoghurt cup (8 oz) of soot.
Something is really cooling down the flue gases. The typical culprit is poorly seasoned wood, but there are other contributing factors. Is this an exterior chimney? Is there a long run of stovepipe inside the room?
Something is really cooling down the flue gases. The typical culprit is poorly seasoned wood, but there are other contributing factors. Is this an exterior chimney? Is there a long run of stovepipe inside the room?
Dan Giesen you're not the first one to have mentioned this. How often do you normally clean the flue out when the cat is working well? How much do you typically get then?
2.5 years, which is 20 months of burning, is my average as well. What I've never gotten is more than half a gallon of anything from an annual sweeping. More than a noncat but not unreasonable. When the cat fails I have actually gotten drips of tar on the side of the chimney from the cap!
I'm thinking the 5 gallons was a gross exaggeration to make a point.
I'm thinking the 5 gallons was a gross exaggeration to make a point.
That's the price we pay for a low burn and less wood consumption. If you buy wood, you can subtract the savings of burning less wood from the price of the cat. But yeah, that's one of the reasons I just got my SIL a secondary-burn stove, and sold her cat.. less maintenance for me and less expense for her. I cut her wood so I may end up doing more work on that end, we'll see.
You can try the 50/50 distilled water/distilled vinegar soak, then rinse thoroughly several times with distilled water and let it dry completely. It should revive the cat, but for how long I don't know.
Maybe there's a problem that's causing you to go through cats a little faster, but three years is about right, maybe a little more if you are OK with somewhat reduced performance at the end of its life.
Have you checked several large splits which have been brought to room temp for a couple days, then re-split to check with a moisture meter? Have you noticed a gradual decline from when the cat was new, as far as stove top temps you are getting above the cat? Does the cat still light off and glow at all? That is a bunch of creosote..hard to believe the cat is doing much of anything at this point.
Good one, but no. Dan said something nice about his BK; You think I would do that with a burner account? No, I would shred the BK mercilessly.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
I burn really terrible stuff straight out of the woods sometimes, and I don't come close to 5 gallons a year.
Jan Pijpelink
Minister of Fire
We started burning early December. One load of Red Oak, the rest Pine. 24/7. I will clean the 22 ft chimney liner this weekend (supposed to be mid 60's). Based on previous cleaning I am guessing not more than 2 cups. Wood has been solar kiln dried. MC is 11% max.
When the cat is working well, i clean the chimney once or sometimes twice a year and maybe get a 1/2 to 1 gallon of creosote. The chimney is masonry with a 8 x 8 flue that goes thru the middle of the house. I have sometimes wondered if i lined it with a 6" pipe if that would make much of a difference.
Oh, i forgot to mention that my wood is very dry (less than 10 percent) and the stove is hooked to the masonry chimney with a double wall pipe. I burn a mix of hard and soft maple.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
It being an interior chimney makes it even more striking.
My first thought is that the flue is receiving a LOT of cooling. I would check to see that the block off plate is good, the chimney is properly capped at the top, and that there's no large holes in the middle anywhere.
For example, if there was no blockoff plate, maybe even an open cleanout in the old fireplace, and an improper cap at the top... then it would make sense.
Take it from me, wet wood and a 3 year old cat doesn't explain 5 gallons in 3 weeks.
My first thought is that the flue is receiving a LOT of cooling. I would check to see that the block off plate is good, the chimney is properly capped at the top, and that there's no large holes in the middle anywhere.
For example, if there was no blockoff plate, maybe even an open cleanout in the old fireplace, and an improper cap at the top... then it would make sense.
Take it from me, wet wood and a 3 year old cat doesn't explain 5 gallons in 3 weeks.
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I have been concerned that extra air was getting into the chimney and cooling things down, so the last couple of years i put tape around the clean out door to make sure that was sealed up. The cap of the chimney is good. there may be some very small leaks at the joints of the double wall pipe and the thimble going into the masonry chimney, but nothing significant.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Is there a blockoff plate at the bottom?
Also, try burning a candle/incense/smoking piece of kindling/whatever at the opening of the old fireplace and see if the smoke is drawn in.
Lots of masonry chimneys exist without a fireplace. Those masonry chimneys don't have a blockoff plate but do have a cleanout door which the OP said he resealed.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
I actually used to live in a 1920s house that had originally had a coal furnace in the basement, so I oughta know that...
