Blaze King Princess Ultra Bypass Gasket

[regalflyer]

My bypass lever has been getting easier and easier to flip closed, so after several years of operation the by pass gasket has become compressed. This year I decided to try the dollar bill test around the bypass door, and discovered a slight warp in one spot of the bypass plate, just enough to be noticeable. The gap is about 2 and 1/2 inches long and just allows a dollar bill to slide through. Can I get away with a new gasket or will I have to have the bypass plate replaced?

I have a cathedral style ceiling with a 14 foot interior chimney stack, so I have not done any adjustments to the bypass door mechanism over about 4 years due to the difficulty of removing the chimney.

 

[bobdog2o02]

i would think a new gasket would take care of it, maybe even adjusting the plate would do it.

 

[jeff_t]

The adjustment is really simple. Accessing it may not be as easy, in your case.

If you replace the gasket, make sure you use high density 5/8" rope. It isn't easy to find. If you don't have a good dealer, call BK.

I have never checked my bypass gasket with a dollar bill. I adjusted it the first year, and haven't touched it since. It still feels good. The bypass gasket isn't anywhere near as critical as the door seal. If it isn't perfectly tight, a wisp of smoke might go up the chimney. Prolly not a big deal.

Personally, if the gasket is intact and still in the channel, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[webby3650]

A gasket is really your only option. The bypass plate is not removable on the princess, there is not room enough to remove it from the stove without torching it apart.
It's pretty important to pull the pipe up and clean the creosote build up out. A fair amount will fall through out the season, it lands on and around the bypass. I think your warp came from a combination of 2 things. Built up creosote catching fire, making an intense hot spot. The other possibility is having the bypass loose. Most need to be adjusted from time to time, otherwise they don't lock down tight.

 

[webby3650]

Do you have a slip in the connector pipe? Even with that tall ceiling, it shouldn't be very difficult to slip it up. Don't you remove it when you clean the flue?

 

[jeff_t]

A gasket is really your only option. The bypass plate is not removable on the princess, there is not room enough to remove it from the stove without torching it apart.

Does it not come out thru the cat opening? I pulled it out of my sister's King. Took a little wiggling.

It's pretty important to pull the pipe up and clean the creosote build up out. A fair amount will fall through out the season, it lands on and around the bypass.

I kinda forgot about that

 

[webby3650]

Does it not come out thru the cat opening? I pulled it out of my sister's King. Took a little wiggling.



I kinda forgot about that

I have only tried 1 time, it was on a princess. There is no way that thing was coming out of any opening. I thought the flue collar would be a possibility on the king, since its 8".

 

[jeff_t]

I have only tried 1 time, it was on a princess. There is no way that thing was coming out of any opening. I thought the flue collar would be a possibility on the king, since its 8".

With the cat out, and the two little stamped metal pieces that locate the bypass, I was able to get it out and back in. I think I turned it 90° (while flat) and then brought out out through the opening tilted corner to corner. If that makes any sense. No way out comes out thru the flue collar.

 

[Highbeam]

Just today i brushed my flue and then took it apart to clean the junk that supposedly accumulates just behind the cat. I am here to tell you that this accumulation is a myth. Minor at worst. Maybe every three years is it worth taking your chimney apart to clean that area. So long as you can feel your bypass gasket is clean all around, and you can do this from the firebox, then skip the flue removal nonsense.

 

[webby3650]

Just today i brushed my flue and then took it apart to clean the junk that supposedly accumulates just behind the cat. I am here to tell you that this accumulation is a myth. Minor at worst. Maybe every three years is it worth taking your chimney apart to clean that area. So long as you can feel your bypass gasket is clean all around, and you can do this from the firebox, then skip the flue removal nonsense.

You are incorrect!
I do this everyday, and I'm here to tell ya every flue is not the same. Just because you don't find a build up here, doesn't mean others will not have this happen. I see it all the time, it's no myth.

 

[webby3650]

You are incorrect!
I do this everyday, and I'm here to tell ya every flue is not the same. Just because you don't find a build up here, doesn't mean others will not have this happen. I see it all the time, it's no myth.

I didn't mean to make it sound like you were wrong, it's just not always the same, that's all.

 

[Highbeam]

I get it, obviously i am just one data point but in my experience the big hassle taking down the flue pipe was a huge waste of time.

 

[webby3650]

I get it, obviously i am just one data point but in my experience the big hassle taking down the flue pipe was a huge waste of time.

Unfortunately a lot of chimney sweeps feel the same way, it causes a lot of problems.

 

[Highbeam]

What I did get was the peace of mind that no part of my cat was being covered by the debris. I got a lot of sweepings from my chimney and now I know that the cat chamber is spic-n-span.

Perhaps my weird habit of vacuuming the cat element from the front sucked the dust/debris through the large ceramic holes in the cat.

No harm was done by the extra step of flue removal but I expect that most folks in the world do not do it and I can see how that would not be a problem so long as your entire cat glows and your bypass gasket is clear of debris.

 

[Highbeam]

it causes a lot of problems.

Like what? You know that only a small percentage of stoves in use get this extra cleaning. I don't even recall seeing it in the owner's manual.

 

[webby3650]

Like what? You know that only a small percentage of stoves in use get this extra cleaning. I don't even recall seeing it in the owner's manual.

Like what? A pile of creosote that lays in the flue collar, that's what. Its a poor practice to not lift the pipe and clean the top of the baffle or in this case, behind and around the cat. The exception would be if the baffle drops, or the stove top allows access, like an Oslo for instance.
Your pipe should not installed in a way that makes it difficult to clean the flue collar out. It should have a slip section down low.

 

[begreen]

How is the Ashford or Sirocco bypass design in comparison? Similar or quite different? Does it require occasional adjustment?

 

[Highbeam]

Like what? A pile of creosote that lays in the flue collar, that's what. Its a poor practice to not lift the pipe and clean the top of the baffle or in this case, behind and around the cat.

Ah, so it actually does not cause any problems? You said...

it causes a lot of problems.

So let's hear about these supposed problems. That would be constructive and help people decide if the hassle of pipe removal is necessary at all.

 

[jeff_t]

Highbeam, how far does the bypass door hang out into the flue opening when the bypass is open? I wonder if some of the parts are shared between the two stoves, and the 8" opening of the King exposes more of the bypass door. The cats are the same width, 10 5/8", so out wouldn't be surprising if the bypass doors are the same.

I don't have the pics off mine and the pile of creosote in behind the cat anymore, but it was pretty substantial.

 

[Highbeam]

Don't get me wrong, there is some junk that falls into the little trough between the cat and the bypass gasket channel. Over time and after years of cleanings the accumulation of debris in that trough and throughout the cat chamber could become a problem if you made no effort to clean it. This accumulation is occuring all the time since the cat chamber is a lovely place for junk to grow. From the firebox you can vacuum out most of the cat chamber including the entire gasket interface. You can also suck or blow on the face of the cat to move junk away from the cat element. With a little effort I'm not so sure that you couldn't suck out the trough area behind the cat from the firebox bypass doorway as well.

The bypass door hangs less than an inch shy of totally catching all junk from the flue, it's a crescent shaped inch so a small area. Not much.

I guess my proposal is that you can clean all of this debris, all that needs to be cleaned, without removing the flue. The only functional requirements of this cleaning are that the bypass gasket is clear and the the cat is not blocked which is proven when it glows evenly. People do not want to remove their connector pipes and shouldn't have to.

Can all of the folks agree with the proposal? If not, what part and why?

 

[Highbeam]

Like what? A pile of creosote that lays in the flue collar, that's what. Its a poor practice to not lift the pipe and clean the top of the baffle or in this case, behind and around the cat.

See, this is not a non-cat. The "pile" will be on the firebox floor after it falls through the bypass, not in the flue collar. A bit will slop over towards the cat but that can be vacuumed out without removing the chimney connector pipe.

Did anybody read the directions? Do the directions require flue removal? I suppose that's where I'll look next since after all, they built the dang thing.

On edit, nope. BK does not indicate flue removal is necessary.

 

[begreen]

I think webby was speaking more generically and not for just one installation. You are burning the stove correctly with a decent flue. Not all stoves see the best wood or have a good flue system. The amount of creosote accumulation is going to vary dramatically depending on the installation and operation of the stove. As a professional he has to assume worst case scenario in order to do a thorough job.

This is in the problems section of the manual:

Problem: By-pass door not sealing tightly.
Solution: Inspect by-pass door and seal for warping. Ash or creosote buildup may occur on door or seat. With stove cold scrape and vacuum area around by-pass. Be sure all mating steel surfaces are clean and smooth.

 

[webby3650]

I think webby was speaking more generically and not for just one installation. You are burning the stove correctly with a decent flue. Not all stoves see the best wood or have a good flue system. The amount of creosote accumulation is going to vary dramatically depending on the installation and operation of the stove. As a professional he has to assume worst case scenario in order to do a thorough job.

This is in the problems section of the manual:

Problem: By-pass door not sealing tightly.
Solution: Inspect by-pass door and seal for warping. Ash or creosote buildup may occur on door or seat. With stove cold scrape and vacuum area around by-pass. Be sure all mating steel surfaces are clean and smooth.

Thank you! I am speaking in general terms.
Does the manual need tell you to use common sense too? I have seen this " mythical" pile in many, many stoves.

 

[webby3650]

Ah, so it actually does not cause any problems? You said...



So let's hear about these supposed problems. That would be constructive and help people decide if the hassle of pipe removal is necessary at all.

What's your deal man? I'm just trying to help someone out based on dozens and dozens of different operators and setups, not a one time experience. I've not known you to be confrontational before.

 

[Highbeam]

Still looking for an answer to the question for my benefit next time I sweep the BK and for anyone else reading this. I have found flue removal to not be necessary for a proper cleaning of the princess. Many folks can not or do not want to remove the flue each time they sweep, think about the sooteater folks and the insert owners.

Some folks, not just webby, have made the statement that the flue must be removed or there will be some sort of consequence. This matters, this is not a time to be flakey or wishy washy. Can you or can't you have a fully functional stove without removing the flue with each sweeping? Is this just a personal preference?