Blaze King Sorocco 30 first burn..a few questions

[Northof49th]

After too many hours of researching stoves, I decided on a BK . (I'll do a seperate post regarding this). But I'm excited as tonight is my first burn, so a few questions. First off, I did the first burn by the book, engaged the cat when in active zone and saw the cat temp rise nicely. I loaded the stove about 3/4 full, poorly, I might add. I seem to have a good draft (A couple of bends in the pipe, but mostly straight up through the house, about 20ft of chimney from stove to rain-cap. The stove is in the basement). I'm assuming one can run the cat too hot, but how hot is that? I'll admit I was getting a little nervous as the temp gauge was in the 6 oclock position. (I'll post a few pictures.) Ran it full for about 20-30 minutes, then dialed the thermostat down to where it is now. Just wondering if I can turn up the stat if needed and not worry about if the needle does a full 360. Also, in the manual it states that one can reload the stove even while the cat is engaged and in the active zone , but everyone on here says that's a no-no. Once in a while is fine I assume?

 

[kennyp2339]

Do not gauge the stoves temp while in the active zone by the needle, the new cats are overactive, this is normal and it should start to settle in 1-2 months of active burning.
Your best bet is to get a probe thermometer if your concerned about temps.
Also be advised that when running the stove on lower setting the cat probe will be hotter because its burning more flue gases then when there's an active flame in the fire box.

 

[Northof49th]

I'm not too concerned with temps (afterall, the stove isn't a wimp is it? lol), but I'm aware like all stoves, you can over-fire it. I'm just not sure when that point is. (Maybe burning smaller softwood on high for 90min for example?) So while we're on the topic, how hot is too hot temperature wise for the top of the stove, and the flue pipe? (Last night I couldn't touch the stove but the flue pipe a foot above the stove I could very briefly touch it, and at the top of the flue, at approx. the top of my first picture, it was warm, I could keep my hand there..which I'm assuming is normal)

 

[kennyp2339]

If everything is installed and functioning to spec you should not have any overfire concerns with running full loads, by-pass closed and t-stat wide open, the t-stat will close off the air before overfire temps occur.

 

[Highbeam]

And no, you can’t reload while the cat is engaged. Might be an issue with definitions here, the cat can be at active temperatures but you must open the bypass when opening the loading door. Then close the bypass after the door is closed and when the cat temps hit active.

Oh and be careful with that 20-30 minutes of high burn. That can be too long if you have good dry softwoods.

 

[Northof49th]

And no, you can’t reload while the cat is engaged. Might be an issue with definitions here, the cat can be at active temperatures but you must open the bypass when opening the loading door

In the manual doesn't say anything about do's or don'ts regarding this issue. It only states that if one decides to reload during active zone, you can open the bypass door to minimize smoke spillage, but isn't necessary. Load wood, close door and close bypass if it's open.

I only have softwood while starting, the rest is tammerack and birch, all around 15% MC.

 

[BC_Josh]

I doubt that they'd tell us not to burn while the cat thermometer is still in the active zone; I mean, they tell us we can start a fire from the embers of the last fire. I can have a small amount of embers and the cat thermometer is still active. I have yet to hear about what is written in stone about this. I just assume that it shouldn't be too hot, that you want the fire to die down significantly before reloading.

I'd be careful about running the stove too hot. I used to do a lot of that and my flame shield is now warped a little!

 

[stoveliker]

It's fine to reload when the cat gauge is in the active zone. This is the majority of loads everyone does.

It is not fine to open the door without first opening the bypass. Why? Cold (room temp) air will be sucked into the hot cat, thermally shocking it and decreasing its lifetime.

 

[BC_Josh]

It's fine to reload when the cat gauge is in the active zone. This is the majority of loads everyone does.

It is not fine to open the door without first opening the bypass. Why? Cold (room temp) air will be sucked into the hot cat, thermally shocking it and decreasing its lifetime.

Well, at least I got that part of it right..... the rest needs work.

 

[Northof49th]

I doubt that they'd tell us not to burn while the cat thermometer is still in the active zone; I mean, they tell us we can start a fire from the embers of the last fire. I can have a small amount of embers and the cat thermometer is still active. I have yet to hear about what is written in stone about this. I just assume that it shouldn't be too hot, that you want the fire to die down significantly before reloading.

I'd be careful about running the stove too hot. I used to do a lot of that and my flame shield is now warped a little!

After 2 months of use my flame shield is a little warped. I don't think I'm running the stove too hot, but I'm not too concerned about it, that's what they're built for. In the manual they say it's ok to fill the box right up, so I do, but doing so also exposes the shield to direct flame a lot. So when I reload I don't stuff the front of the stove to the top, just in case.

 

[Warm Floor]

After 2 months of use my flame shield is a little warped.

My 1st year it did the same thing to me. Just took the normal advice, bend it back into shape and move forward. Mine warped so bad that it fell out of the little area that it sets in mid fire. I lived through it. Hasn't done that since I bent it back. If it did, I'd just re-bend it. Very common.

 

[Tron]

It is not fine to open the door without first opening the bypass. Why? Cold (room temp) air will be sucked into the hot cat, thermally shocking it and decreasing its lifetime.

Which makes sense. The question is, how long does the bypass have to be closed before opening the door?
I usually place the thermostat on high and close the bypass, then go outside to get more wood. So it's maybe 2-3 minutes before I reload.

Is that enough? The cat can't be that much cooler after this timeframe.

 

[Highbeam]

Which makes sense. The question is, how long does the bypass have to be closed before opening the door?
I usually place the thermostat on high and close the bypass, then go outside to get more wood. So it's maybe 2-3 minutes before I reload.

Is that enough? The cat can't be that much cooler after this timeframe.

I think you've got that reversed. You open the bypass before opening the loading door. You're not cooling the cat so much as establishing a diverted flow through the bypass opening. I still think a portion of air goes through the hot cat anyway but it is much less and with less velocity.

 

[BC_Josh]

how long does the bypass have to be closed before opening the door?

I always check my manual that came with my stove when I have questions like this.

 

[Tron]

I always check my manual that came with my stove when I have questions like this.

Right, I should have mentioned that the manual says 2 minutes, then crack the door.
I just was looking for expert opinions on this.

 

[Tron]

I think you've got that reversed. You open the bypass before opening the loading door. You're not cooling the cat so much as establishing a diverted flow through the bypass opening. I still think a portion of air goes through the hot cat anyway but it is much less and with less velocity.

Yes, my mistake. It should have read: "how long does the bypass have to be OPEN before opening the door?"

Thanks for your answer.

 

[BC_Josh]

My Sirrocco 20 manual says to turn up the thermostat to high, then wait two min's before opening the bypass. Also, says that "you may wish" to open the bypass and wait two minutes before opening the door to minimize smoke from spilling into the room. Nothing says it's critical. Your stove is bigger and may have slightly different instructions?

It also says to never push down the bypass handle to close it until you hear the click sound.... (edit* I mean, while you're closing it, don't crunch down, do it until you hear the click then go down all the way)

 

[stoveliker]

I think the cat does cool down when opening the bypass; if it is glowing (say because I have to leave and need to top up on a half empty firebox), closing the bypass will pretty quickly make that glow stop. Why? The cat only gets part of its heat from the heat produced in the firebox. It produces a large part of its heat itself. And that is quite effectively bypassed (...) when gases escape through the open bypass.

 

[BC_Josh]

I think the cat does cool down when opening the bypass; if it is glowing (say because I have to leave and need to top up on a half empty firebox), closing the bypass will pretty quickly make that glow stop. Why? The cat only gets part of its heat from the heat produced in the firebox. It produces a large part of its heat itself. And that is quite effectively bypassed (...) when gases escape through the open bypass.

It may be that it has more impact when you open the door to the firebox than merely opening the bypass with the firebox door closed. Generally, the fire rages a little more with the bypass open, at least in my little stove.

 

[begreen]

There are conditions in which the thermostat can't protect the stove from overfiring. I just came upon this statement in the BK Ashford 30.2 manual:

The appliance has not been designed to be installed in a concrete, uninsulated basement or in a shop/garage environment. Such applications may cause the thermostat to be unresponsive due the constant call for heat resulting in appliance being in a constant over fire situation. Consequential damage from this type of operation will deem the warranty null and void.

 

[stoveliker]

It may be that it has more impact when you open the door to the firebox than merely opening the bypass with the firebox door closed. Generally, the fire rages a little more with the bypass open, at least in my little stove.

Yes, the fire rages more, but that heat doesn't go much through the cat. Moreover, the cat-fuel (smoke) will be 1 less (because the fire rages more because there is more airflow because the total impedance for the air is lower because the bypass is a path of lower resistance than the cat), and 2 will go more thru the bypass than through the cat.

It is not so much the firebox heat that heats a cat (yes, it does so initially) but the heat that the cat generates by combusting smoke and gases that makes a cat hot.
Hence,.open the bypass and the cat will decrease in temperature.
I've actually seen it (glowing less hard) and measured it (behind the cat).