Highbeam
Minister of Fire
True but 20 years old with thermostat means it’s a king or princess and Terri’s username is “king me”.
Plus seems like only the kings are rusting out.
So Terri, king model?
Blaze King Too Hot!!
- Thread starter Kingme
- Start date
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Plus seems like only the kings are rusting out.
So Terri, king model?
I love our Blaze King, yes it is a King! I would never own a different stove, it is unbeatable!
We have ran our King for over 20 years, 6 months of the year and it has been flawless!
Obviously, everything has a life span and I think we found it!
Here is a synopsis of the problem and solution posted previously:
FYI: We know how to load, run and use a Blaze King and have been successfully doing so for over 25 years!
Symptom:
The stove was getting too hot, pegged on maximum heat with our basement room (huge) getting up to 90 degrees.
The thermostat (not the thermometer) had no effect when turned, the stove ran hot at any and all settings and only when the full wood supply (yes, dry) ran down did the temperature start coming down.
Criteria:
We have a clean chimney and clean stove inside and outside.
Process:
Got a new glass door (old one cracked due to idiot trying to improperly shut it).
New gasket on the door and door adjusted tightly.
New catalytic converter.
Opened the thermostat cover to assure that "butterfly" is working correctly.
Checked air flow tube to eliminate any obstruction.
Visually and with hand and flashlight looked for any cracks.
Still too hot with no ability to adjust.
Called Walla Walla Blazeking and with all this information was told "that's how you know it's working"!
The woman obviously didn't listen and didn't know. She assumed we don't know how to run a stove.
We tried two different BlazeKing dealers and neither of them suggested the problem we eventually identified.
Logged on Hearth.com and asked for help! Thank you all for responding!
Finally:
After all this, I was re-reading any and all information and decided to look one more time. As I was inspecting the firebricks I happened to see a small hole on the back steel stove wall. It looked like just crackly creosote at first but with prodding it broke through completely and there are actually three holes. The large hole started as two small holes but grew with prodding! Tough to see this as the holes go in to the fan enclosures so therefore it still looks dark from the inside. Upon removal of the fans though, very visible. Here was the air leak which causes the overheating!
Conclusion and Solution:
We did not realize that even the small amount of creosote could literally eat through the steel plate! I guess I should have known that!
BlazeKing central should know this and offer that when a stove is this old! I guess that would be bad advertising!
We are having a partial steel plate welded on and will be running again soon!
BlazeKing Stoves Rock but
BlazeKing central, not so much!
Terri
Photos show inside right corner, inside left corner and back of stove with fans removed.
We have ran our King for over 20 years, 6 months of the year and it has been flawless!
Obviously, everything has a life span and I think we found it!
Here is a synopsis of the problem and solution posted previously:
FYI: We know how to load, run and use a Blaze King and have been successfully doing so for over 25 years!
Symptom:
The stove was getting too hot, pegged on maximum heat with our basement room (huge) getting up to 90 degrees.
The thermostat (not the thermometer) had no effect when turned, the stove ran hot at any and all settings and only when the full wood supply (yes, dry) ran down did the temperature start coming down.
Criteria:
We have a clean chimney and clean stove inside and outside.
Process:
Got a new glass door (old one cracked due to idiot trying to improperly shut it).
New gasket on the door and door adjusted tightly.
New catalytic converter.
Opened the thermostat cover to assure that "butterfly" is working correctly.
Checked air flow tube to eliminate any obstruction.
Visually and with hand and flashlight looked for any cracks.
Still too hot with no ability to adjust.
Called Walla Walla Blazeking and with all this information was told "that's how you know it's working"!
The woman obviously didn't listen and didn't know. She assumed we don't know how to run a stove.
We tried two different BlazeKing dealers and neither of them suggested the problem we eventually identified.
Logged on Hearth.com and asked for help! Thank you all for responding!
Finally:
After all this, I was re-reading any and all information and decided to look one more time. As I was inspecting the firebricks I happened to see a small hole on the back steel stove wall. It looked like just crackly creosote at first but with prodding it broke through completely and there are actually three holes. The large hole started as two small holes but grew with prodding! Tough to see this as the holes go in to the fan enclosures so therefore it still looks dark from the inside. Upon removal of the fans though, very visible. Here was the air leak which causes the overheating!
Conclusion and Solution:
We did not realize that even the small amount of creosote could literally eat through the steel plate! I guess I should have known that!
BlazeKing central should know this and offer that when a stove is this old! I guess that would be bad advertising!
We are having a partial steel plate welded on and will be running again soon!
BlazeKing Stoves Rock but
BlazeKing central, not so much!Terri
Photos show inside right corner, inside left corner and back of stove with fans removed.
Todd
Minister of Fire
That’s too bad but looks like you have a fix in mind. I would remove all bricks and do a thorough inspection for any other possible corrosion areas. The stoves create a lot of corrosive creosote in the firebox and I think BKVP has stated to make sure you burn some occasional hot fires to burn that stuff up and also remove the bricks occasionally and inspect.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Hey, 25 years ain't terrible for anything that carries fire, all day everyday.
Each of my Jotuls had failed and been rebuilt multiple times before age 25. Not the cast panels, but the cement between them, which required full disassembly and re-gluing.
Each of my Jotuls had failed and been rebuilt multiple times before age 25. Not the cast panels, but the cement between them, which required full disassembly and re-gluing.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Thank you for the follow up with pics. That seems to be the common place where the kings rot out. Luckily not behind the welded in heat shield .
Okay, now I am disappointed. When we pulled the King out we found the date and the guy is only 14 years old! We had one we gave to my Dad and then a pellet (sucked) and went "stoveless" for longer than I realized. I do not think this should have happened this quickly and yes, we have always cleaned it and ran a hot fire.
Fixable but NOT GOOD
Fixable but NOT GOOD
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Yeah, 14 years ain't great. Any chance water has been getting down the flue into the stove in the off-season?
No, no water. The chimney is capped every spring. We have had a huge bird nest (had to burn it out) and then a honey bee nest previously!
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Sorry to see this, but I'm glad you have an answer. The question now is whether a plate welded over this area will suffice or is the stove toast?
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
Of the 15-20 forum members I’ve ever seen with kings, I’ve seen 3-4 rust out. I have no idea how that sample size translates but I’m sure BK will tell us that it’s rare.
I don’t remember the age of the stoves but they were all the most current, but pre king40, version king.
Yes, there recently was another case. That's why I suggested that Kingme look for this issue.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
The only advice we get from BK is regular high burns to dry out the corrosive goo that forms with constant low burns that these things are optimized for. Weekly?
This’ll be my 8th heating season with my King, it’s been heating somewhere near 5,600 sq ft. in central Pa. , running on low/medium t-stat settings..
If it rotted and fell in half in a giant heep of rust tomorrow..
I’d have another new one by the end of the weekend !!
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Ditto. There was a time when I looked at woodstoves as some part of the house, that should last forever, but that was before I ever started actually using them to heat a house full-time. They're appliances, no more an heirloom than my dishwasher or oven, and will be replaced as required or any second thought given. As long as BK keeps making the Ashford 30, and doesn't do anything to screw up its current magic or looks too badly, that will be the replacement for any failed stove in this house.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
There’s really no alternative with similar performance to the bk line. Like a tube stove there’s a dozen or more that are as good as my nc30.
I believe I remember BKVP saying weekly hot burns on that last thread where a BK rotted out
Let me be clear.....we LOVE our BlazeKing, there is nothing else like them, and we will always have one!
We are working on repair today and I will post process and results soon!
We are working on repair today and I will post process and results soon!
Actually there are many that are quite a bit better than the nc30.
The closest thing to the bk line is the Regency pro line but without a thermostat they will never run as low and slow as a bk
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