I have been going back and forth on what wood stove to buy as an upgrade to my little CFM I bought earlier this winter, and I have boiled it down to a Quad 3100 or a Blaze King Princess. Heres my question, with long low burn times on either stove which will produce more creosote? I have been told and read that the BK stoves dont produce much creosote because of the cat and secondary burning, but if a stove is running 24/7 day after day in -20 or -30 temps how often will the stack need cleaned and or which one will burn cleaner?
Creosote Questions
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I doubt you could tell a difference in creosote formation between the two stoves as long as they are fired properly and you used good dry seasoned wood. However, you may be able to squeak out a little more efficiency and a longer burn with the Blaze King.
How about thinking a little differently as to "low" or "high" burn. We don't get the day after day minus 20-30, but we do get those temps, together with -15 to 0 day after day. Almost regardless of outside temperature, we try to burn our stove always at about 300-350 surface stovepipe temperature 18" above stove top. We also burn almost only aspen. Essentially no creosote formation, and clean the chimney once per year.
Sometimes the stove is at this temp day after day, and other times just fire it up in the morning and let it burn out, then again in the evening. Once it has been burning at 300 or so until the stove can't maintain that temp on the load, OK to let it burn down, as what's left doesn't form creosote. Then add wood as needed and bring it back up to 300-350 and hold until it burns down.
I'm pretty well convinced, after 18 seasons of wood heat on the same stove, that efficiency in the burn is more important than high or low burn. We do occasionally push the stove higher, but we don't let it drop below 250 except as the load burns itself out. It doesn't really take too much draft adjustment to achieve this, but a person does have to be around occasionally to check.
Sometimes the stove is at this temp day after day, and other times just fire it up in the morning and let it burn out, then again in the evening. Once it has been burning at 300 or so until the stove can't maintain that temp on the load, OK to let it burn down, as what's left doesn't form creosote. Then add wood as needed and bring it back up to 300-350 and hold until it burns down.
I'm pretty well convinced, after 18 seasons of wood heat on the same stove, that efficiency in the burn is more important than high or low burn. We do occasionally push the stove higher, but we don't let it drop below 250 except as the load burns itself out. It doesn't really take too much draft adjustment to achieve this, but a person does have to be around occasionally to check.
Either stove will be put to 24/7 use in a well insulated house where long burn times are even more important than getting high heat output. Meaning you would rather have a house at 60 degrees all day while you're at work than have a house that stays at 70 for half of your shift and then goes out so that when you come home your house is cold. Remember that your house is steadily loosing energy to the outside at a low rate and to maintain a set temperature inside you need to replace it at the same steady low rate.
Long and low like a barbecue. That's how I think you will want to burn this thing which is not the way that the non-cats run.
Long and low is a very good recipe for creosote on a non-cat, almost ideal conditions for a cat stove. You'll do all sorts of things to try and extend the burn time, or should we say smolder time, of that non-cat like use big chunks of wood, green wood, just so that you will have a reasonably warm home when you return.
Get the BK and run it low.
Long and low like a barbecue. That's how I think you will want to burn this thing which is not the way that the non-cats run.
Long and low is a very good recipe for creosote on a non-cat, almost ideal conditions for a cat stove. You'll do all sorts of things to try and extend the burn time, or should we say smolder time, of that non-cat like use big chunks of wood, green wood, just so that you will have a reasonably warm home when you return.
Get the BK and run it low.
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