Blaze King when to worry about overfiring

[sprawlnstall]

This will be my first year of burning full-time, Blaze king princess was installed last April. I believe the chimney is 24 feet tall and is drafting properly. I'm burning well seasoned oak the few pieces I have tested are between 10-12% moisture. I really loaded the stove up yesterday and once the cat was active the bypass was closed and the air control left on high. It didn't take long for the stove top to reach 700 degrees. I turned the air control down and the stove leveled off at 600 degrees. I'm not sure if the stove temp would have continued to rise if I would have let it run wide open. I'm concerned when the temps get colder the stove may overfire. I will need to run the stove on high when I leave for work. Is overfiring a legitimate concern in my situation?

 

[jetsam]

Short answer: No, don't worry about it.

Long answer: Yes, the following can cause overfires:

• Air entering the stove from anywhere but the thermostat (door left open, bad gaskets, door latch needs adjustment, cracks in the stove, etc.)
• Inappropriate fuel (full load of kerosene-soaked cardboard? Never heard of this one actually happening)
• Damaged/miscalibrated/jammed thermostat/flapper
• Extremely high draft

In general, you can take a hot stove in the middle of a burn, pack 'er full of wood, close the bypass, set the thermostat, and walk away. Running these stoves at full throttle is fine and is how a lot of owners run them in the deep winter.

As a precaution, I would monitor a new stove the first time I ran it hard, but if it is working right, it is designed to do that safely.

The most likely problem you would have is a leaky door gasket, and the thermostat will compensate for small leaks. Dollar bill test your gasket all the way around at least once a year.

Even longer answer: You won't run it on high when you go to work anyway. Does it make more sense to do a 4 hour burn and come home to a cold stove 6 hours after it burns out, OR to set the thermostat lower for a 10 hour even burn, and have a hot stove and lots of coals when you get home? Bear in mind that you also put more heat into the house with the lower longer burn- it's more efficient.

High burns are for when someone is around to put more wood in.

 

[Highbeam]

Stop measuring stove top temperatures. That is not how you determine if this cat stove is too hot. Remember, right underneath the stove top is a searing hot cat at 1500+ degrees!

You will learn to trust the automatic stove controls. Your job is to be sure that the door gaskets are properly tensioned and to be sure that you engage the cat as soon as the stove top cat meter says “active”.

 

[Ashful]

You can’t overfire a BK in proper working order, so don’t worry about it... unless you suspect a maintenance issue. Bad door gaskets are the #1 failure mode.

 

[black smoke signals]

Excellent jetsam highbeam ashful posts very well explained

 

[jetsam]

You'll also figure out through experience where to set the dial for 8, 12, and 24 hour burns. Nobody can tell you where those settings are; too many variables.

It is really amazingly repeatable once you get it figured out for your setup, though.

 

[bholler]

All of these guys are absolutly correct. They cant overfire if working right. But we just had a case where one was overfired so dont get over confident you still need to pay attention and make sure everything is working correctly. The other guys said it i just wanted to stress that point a bit. I am sure if that other poster had paid more attention the problem could have been caught before any serious damage was done

 

[Ashful]

Haha! That wasn't an overfire, but something definitely went wrong, that night. The plugged chimney explanation seemed most likely, but I believe it was disproven, leaving us without a probable cause. He wasn't running the stove, his wife had loaded and tended it, so he wasn't really sure what had happened.

In the end, I think the only serious damage done was to his shorts, and his mood.

 

[weatherguy]

I think a strong draft complicates things, you just have to stay on your toes. Your better off finding what setting gives you the burn that lasts while you work and just refill when you get home.

 

[bholler]

Haha! That wasn't an overfire, but something definitely went wrong, that night. The plugged chimney explanation seemed most likely, but I believe it was disproven, leaving us without a probable cause. He wasn't running the stove, his wife had loaded and tended it, so he wasn't really sure what had happened.

In the end, I think the only serious damage done was to his shorts, and his mood.

No the one i am referring to was a princess that was destroyed in 3 years clearly overfired

 

[Ashful]

No the one i am referring to was a princess that was destroyed in 3 years clearly overfired

Oh, got it. I thought you were talking about our favorite kiln-building Alaskan nurse.

 

[bholler]

Oh, got it. I thought you were talking about our favorite kiln-building Alaskan nurse.

Nope

 

[lsucet]

I don't know if just a single overfire can get that in that condition so bad my. I assume multiple overfires. If door gasket is bad that will create multiple issue till is addressed, ash plug out of place will also have the same results.
A bad thermostat can also do it.

The bypass will just possibly damage retainer if still open but the thermostat still controlling the air. This is a good one.

 

[bholler]

I don't know if just a single overfire can get that in that condition so bad my. I assume multiple overfires. If door gasket is bad that will create multiple issue till is addressed, ash plug out of place will also have the same results.
A bad thermostat can also do it.

The bypass will just possibly damage retainer if still open but the thermostat still controlling the air. This is a good one.

No i am sure it wasnt a single overfire. Which is why i said it could have been caught if it was noticed earlier. I am just pointing out what i always said when people say blazekings cant be overfired. If everything is working as it should be the stove wont overfire. But you still need to pay attention to make sure everything is working right.

I know most of the seasoned guys here do pay attention. But telling inexperienced people a stove cant be overfired could lead to problems.

 

[Ashful]

Hey, waitaminnit... when did bholler become staff?!?

 

[bholler]

Hey, waitaminnit... when did bholler become staff?!?

About 2 weeks now

 

[jetsam]

About 2 weeks now

Okay... this year bholler got a BK, AND now he has to be nice to everybody.

Is this a put-on?

 

[weatherguy]

Okay... this year bholler got a BK, AND now he has to be nice to everybody.

Is this a put-on?

 

[bholler]

Okay... this year bholler got a BK, AND now he has to be nice to everybody.

Is this a put-on?

No one told me being nice was part of the job. I quit lol.


And for the record i have never been anti bk. I just dont think they are the right fit for every situation.

 

[chemie]

No i am sure it wasnt a single overfire. Which is why i said it could have been caught if it was noticed earlier. I am just pointing out what i always said when people say blazekings cant be overfired. If everything is working as it should be the stove wont overfire. But you still need to pay attention to make sure everything is working right.

I know most of the seasoned guys here do pay attention. But telling inexperienced people a stove cant be overfired could lead to problems.

Bholler, Ashful
I am almost brand new to wood burning with brand new BK Ashford 25. One of main reasons we went with BK was that it doesn’t overfire.
Am I wrong then? What should I do to avoid overfiring. Should I buy a thermometer to place on the top of the insert to measure the temperature?It is still not cold outside to run BK but now I am a bit worried that I may damage the stove.

 

[bholler]

Bholler, Ashful
I am almost brand new to wood burning with brand new BK Ashford 25. One of main reasons we went with BK was that it doesn’t overfire.
Am I wrong then? What should I do to avoid overfiring. Should I buy a thermometer to place on the top of the insert to measure the temperature?It is still not cold outside to run BK but now I am a bit worried that I may damage the stove.

If everyting is working as it should it wont overfire. Just pay attention to it. Either have a stove top or pipe thermometer and check it occasionally for abnormal temps. Keep an eye on the stove for anything abnormal as well.

 

[jetsam]

You don't need an extra thermometer (although I do recommend an IR temperature gun, because it's fun and you can use it for all kinds of stuff around the house).

Do the dollar bill test on your door gasket every year. Close a bill in the door, try to pull it out. Should be very difficult unless you have a graphite (black) gasket. Go all the way around the door testing. If there is an issue, adjust the door. If the door can't be adjusted any more, replace the gasket.

In summary:
1) Follow all the directions in the manual
2) Check your door gasket at least yearly
3) Keep an eye out, but don't worry too much about the rest.

For further overfiring tips, read this thread from the top, but user error and door gaskets are the common ones.

Regarding the overfire bholler was talking about- check me if I'm wrong here, but that was the first time that we have heard of that happening due to excessive draft. It's not even usual amongst people who have tall flues.

Think of it like a car. Can it catch fire? Yes. Has that happened? Yes. Is it likely? No. Can I prevent it with inspection, attention, and maintenance? Yes.

Bonus: it's a lot easier to keep an eye on your stove than it is to inspect your whole fuel system regularly.

Double bonus: Used the car analogy to provoke Ashful into telling a car fire story, which I am hoping he has one of. Hopefully there are JATO bottles involved.

 

[bholler]

You don't need an extra thermometer (although I do recommend an IR temperature gun, because it's fun and you can use it for all kinds of stuff around the house).

Do the dollar bill test on your door gasket every year. Close a bill in the door, try to pull it out. Should be very difficult unless you have a graphite (black) gasket. Go all the way around the door testing. If there is an issue, adjust the door. If the door can't be adjusted any more, replace the gasket.

In summary:
1) Follow all the directions in the manual
2) Check your door gasket at least yearly
3) Keep an eye out, but don't worry too much about the rest.

For further overfiring tips, read this thread from the top, but user error and door gaskets are the common ones.

Regarding the overfire bholler was talking about- check me if I'm wrong here, but that was the first time that we have heard of that happening due to excessive draft. It's not even usual amongst people who have tall flues.

Think of it like a car. Can it catch fire? Yes. Has that happened? Yes. Is it likely? No. Can I prevent it with inspection, attention, and maintenance? Yes.

Bonus: it's a lot easier to keep an eye on your stove than it is to inspect your whole fuel system regularly.

Double bonus: Used the car analogy to provoke Ashful into telling a car fire story, which I am hoping he has one of. Hopefully there are JATO bottles involved.

Good post but i still recomend another thermometer just to help keep an eye on things. I am sure the other case had more going on than just the height of the chimney. But that height made what ever problem they had cause damage much quicker than it would have on a shorter chimney. I am also sure that was not the first failure of a bk caused by overfire. They are good at protecting themselves but things go wrong with everything.

 

[Highbeam]

That nice tight door seal is also required to prevent what causes 95% of all premature cat failures which is thermal shock from cold air leaking past the door gasket. At least that’s what the manufacturer reports.

 

[bholler]

That nice tight door seal is also required to prevent what causes 95% of all premature car failures which is thermal shock from cold air leaking past the door gasket. At least that’s what the manufacturer reports.

Yes very important in all stoves