Creosote in fire box

[stoveliker]

And the end range of the cat gauge is not an issue; you have a new stove, with a new cat. They often are still hyperactive, meaning they get hot, HOT. That'll settle down when they mature out of their teenage weeks...
For me I reached "steady state" in cat behavior after burning about a cord of wood.

Basically it's fine. It'll settle down. If after a cord of wood you regularly go beyond the scale, then I'd think you have something worth looking into. Before that, it's okay.
This is why they don't give numbers on the gauge; it's just a binary "do I need to close the bypass or not" indicator.

 

[vallieweck]

That's exactly it: with the BK, you don't vary the load size to adjust temperature. That's because the thermostat does that, it varies airflow to set the combustion rate. You stuff it to the gills and set the thermostat accordingly and just let it be.
Of course, there's a limit to where you can dial it down, at some point the cat will drop out of active range. But that's entirely independent of the amount of fuel in the stove.

Turned down, the flue temperature is not a problem at all. Like I said, I mostly use it after a reload as not to overfire the flue/bypass with the bypass open. That's something that can happen, the bypass door hinge and gasket don't like having the door open and the thermostat at full for extended periods of time. I do that just enough to get the load going and then close the bypass and dial down the thermostat.

But a flue thermometer is easily installed: just drill a 1/4" hole through both pipes and stick this in there:

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Thanks for your insight. What do you think about the creosote in the firebox?

 

[vallieweck]

And the end range of the cat gauge is not an issue; you have a new stove, with a new cat. They often are still hyperactive, meaning they get hot, HOT. That'll settle down when they mature out of their teenage weeks...
For me I reached "steady state" in cat behavior after burning about a cord of wood.

Basically it's fine. It'll settle down. If after a cord of wood you regularly go beyond the scale, then I'd think you have something worth looking into. Before that, it's okay.
This is why they don't give numbers on the gauge; it's just a binary "do I need to close the bypass or not" indicator.

Sooooo much to know! 😂 I bet I’m right around a cord at this point. You were the one who said creosote in the box is part of the low and slow lifestyle right?

 

[stoveliker]

Sooooo much to know! 😂 I bet I’m right around a cord at this point. You were the one who said creosote in the box is part of the low and slow lifestyle right?

I'm not sure those are my words, but I could have said them.
Just follow the flow of air/gas.
You create creosote in the firebox (if you burn slow). You clean it up with the cat. So between the location of creation and the cat, you'll get dirty. That is firebox and windows.
I can get my window clean (enough) in 20-30 minutes. My firebox needs more time and I only do that at the end of the season (or naturally during polar vortex events ).

 

[vallieweck]

I'm not sure those are my words, but I could have said them.
Just follow the flow of air/gas.
You create creosote in the firebox (if you burn slow). You clean it up with the cat. So between the location of creation and the cat, you'll get dirty. That is firebox and windows.
I can get my window clean (enough) in 20-30 minutes. My firebox needs more time and I only do that at the end of the season (or naturally during polar vortex events ).

Oh no, that wasn’t you. You were the one talking about a full load and letting it rip! I can’t get my window clean AT ALL. Like I said, burning it hot for up to an hour, does nothing…

 

[Tron]

What do you think about the creosote in the firebox?

Nothing, really.
My firebox is also full of creosote, especially on the sides behind the plates. I use a bottle brush to clean that out at the end of the season.
My glass is also mostly dirty, as it's been said that's just the way it is when burning low. Sometimes when I empty the ashes I take a razor scraper and mechanically clean the creosote off, but it never lasts very long.