First real Test For My New Blaze King

[Todd]

Started a fire last evening about 6:30pm. Good pile of kindling to get things going then loaded her up 3/4 full with Silver Maple and Black Locust. Engaged the cat at #3 after about 15 minutes into charring the load. Had a real nice fire going with plenty of flame and the stove temps climbed rapidly so I cut back to #2.5 and continued burning for about 30 minutes then turned it down to 1.5 for the rest of the night.

Basement temps rose from 68 to 74 and held steady once I turned it down to low burn. I was a little worried that I would be opening windows but it held at 74 all night in the basement and was a perfect 72 upstairs. This stove has awesome control!

8:00am still going with some good chunks of Locust in there. Stove top 300 with an active cat. I figure to just let it go til it's inactive and see what I have for coals and maybe reload depending on the weather.

 

[Todd]

Like others have mentioned this stove seems to burn through the center and leave most of the leftovers on each side and a little in the back.
I loaded the first row E/W and top row N/S, anyone notice anything different in different loading techniques?

 

[jeff_t]

I have only loaded N/S, unless I'm burning up some chunks and oddball pieces. Just do whatever it takes to stuff it full

 

[Todd]

Going on 16 hours and there's still chunks of wood in there but the stove top has dropped down to 250. Cat is still active. I'm tempted to fill her up full later on today and turn it all the way down to #1 and see what it will do but I don't think I need the heat, the house is still mid 70's.

I got to say the heat this stove gives off at a low burn is very soapstone like. I had no problem sitting 10' away watching the game last night. I thought I might need the side shields to calm the searing radiant heat down but it seems fine as is.

 

[Highbeam]

The sides of the stove only enclose a smoldering pile of coldish logs. That cat is where the heat is.

Why the first row of e/w? I expected that above the bricks, the firebox would be much wider but it really isn't since BK put in those steel shields. Luckily, the stove is actually more than 17" deep in the bottom so I can use my 16" supply all N/S.

Can't wait to test the stove. We are in another dry streak. Temps to hit 80 degrees again and only a penny's thickness of rain in the last two months.

 

[Todd]

Why the first row of e/w? I expected that above the bricks, the firebox would be much wider but it really isn't since BK put in those steel shields. Luckily, the stove is actually more than 17" deep in the bottom so I can use my 16" supply all N/S.

After I raked all the coals forward to load, I just thought it looked easier to lay some splits behind the coal bed to level it out then go N/S on top.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I had the side shields on the King for less than a month, but decided they weren't required and haven't looked back.
My loading preference is N/S but that rarely happens unless I cherry pick from the stacks. Usually I'll run 2-3 N/S for the first layer, then the rest E/W.
Last night I had no choice but to go all E/W, you just end up with a few charred splits at the back when you wake up.
Cat is about 900 right now, after about 16 hrs. but I shut the fans off. The fans make a difference in length of burn.

 

[Highbeam]

The fans make a difference in length of burn.

And then we can assume total heat output for a given stat setting as well? I've never liked noisy blowers but I have them with the BK and plan to use them when I want to make some heat. They sound about as loud as a refrigerator running.

 

[Beetle-Kill]

And then we can assume total heat output for a given stat setting as well? I've never liked noisy blowers but I have them with the BK and plan to use them when I want to make some heat. They sound about as loud as a refrigerator running.

Yeah, on low the fans aren't bad.
This time of year the fans won't get much use, so the T-stat setting can be lower to keep the CAT in the sweet spot. Consequently you'll enjoy longer burn times. In a month or so I'll have the fans on low almost 24/7, so my T-stat setting will be a bit higher to compensate and keep the CAT hot. More air/ hotter fire/ lowered duration of burn time.

 

[rdust]

I always try to load n/s unless I'm loading with chunks and uglies then I just cram as much as I can in the stove.

I may have to light off my first fire of the season tonight, 60's today with no sun and lows in the 40's are expected tonight. Guess I should sweep the chimney after work.

 

[Todd]

No blower here and I don't think I'll need one since I have good air movement. Just reloaded with a full load of Oak, Maple and Locust. I think it's going to get hot in here!

 

[blujacket]

You wood pile must be full of Oak & Locust. Those are Jan-Feb woods to burn.

 

[Todd]

You wood pile must be full of Oak & Locust. Those are Jan-Feb woods to burn.

Yeah, pretty much all I got for this year.

 

[Todd]

Cat probe up to 2000! She shoots up fast and did the same last night but I don't think the probes are that accurate at higher temps because the stove tops radiant heat affects the coil. I can see why BK doesn't have numbers on their probe, probably get lots of panicky calls.

 

[Woody Stover]

Wow, your glass is staying really clean!

2000? Yikes. I wonder if you could stick some kind of thin asbestos sheet or something between the stove top and thermo to see if that's an accurate reading...

 

[rdust]

Cat probe up to 2000! She shoots up fast and did the same last night but I don't think the probes are that accurate at higher temps because the stove tops radiant heat affects the coil. I can see why BK doesn't have numbers on their probe, probably get lots of panicky calls.

I think I remember Chris posting that they were working on a solution for this. I just let mine burn and don't really worry about it, Chris has posted just to let it burn in a post or two so that's what I do.

 

[Todd]

Yeah I remember Chris posting about this and there has been some independent testing done with these Condar probes right here on hearth.com. I'm not too worried about it but I would like to see something more accurate.

Woody, just turned my stove down to 1 and the glass dirtied up nicely and the temps are dropping. Stove top only 400, flue 300, cat about 1100.

 

[tcassavaugh]

nice commentary....gotta seriously look at one of the BK's

cass

 

[Todd]

It's been around 7 hours since I reloaded and I don't think even half of the wood is gone yet. Stove top 350, flue 280 and cat temp about 900. This stove is throttled down way more than my Woodstocks. You can fill this baby up with twice the wood of my Keystone set it at a low burn and it seems to produce less heat output than the Keystone at it's lowest setting and it will also burn twice as long.

House temps have been steady all day with outside temps in the 50's going into the 30's tonight. I can burn it hotter for about 30-60 minutes to bring the house up to desired temp then throttle down for a long burn and the temps hold all day. This is the perfect stove for the shoulder seasons imo.

 

[Todd]

What little I've burned it on high it sure can put out the heat and a nice flame show. Glass starts to get dirty under #2 but burns off on #3. I won't need it to burn in the higher modes since I have 2 stoves but it nice to know I have the extra fire power if I need it.

 

[rdust]

It's been around 7 hours since I reloaded and I don't think even half of the wood is gone yet. Stove top 350, flue 280 and cat temp about 900. This stove is throttled down way more than my Woodstocks. You can fill this baby up with twice the wood of my Keystone set it at a low burn and it seems to produce less heat output than the Keystone at it's lowest setting and it will also burn twice as long.

House temps have been steady all day with outside temps in the 50's going into the 30's tonight. I can burn it hotter for about 30-60 minutes to bring the house up to desired temp then throttle down for a long burn and the temps hold all day. This is the perfect stove for the shoulder seasons imo.

At 7 hours things are just getting settled in. I can remember last year loading the stove after work and waking up the next morning trying to find room to put a couple splits before work. I quickly learned that I didn't need to do that and just went to work. During the shoulder season type weather I would load in the evening, wake up in the morning, turn the t-stat up while getting ready for work to get the cat way up in the active range and dial it back down before work.

What little I've burned it on high it sure can put out the heat and a nice flame show. Glass starts to get dirty under #2 but burns off on #3. I won't need it to burn in the higher modes since I have 2 stoves but it nice to know I have the extra fire power if I need it.

I was worried when I bought mine that it wouldn't put out enough "raw" type heat when I needed it. The stove it replaced was rated at 70K BTUs and the Princess was just a touch over half that so "how could it keep up". After the first few days in the teens I realized I was just being silly.

 

[North of 60]

Hmmm, This all sounds so familure. Do any of my posts back in 2007 make any sense now?
LOL

 

[PapaDave]

I was really hoping for an ultra, but the wife doesn't like the look "of the one with the silver on the door". Jeesh.
Keep the posts coming. I'll live vicariously.

 

[daleeper]

I was really hoping for an ultra, but the wife doesn't like the look "of the one with the silver on the door". Jeesh.
Keep the posts coming. I'll live vicariously.

Get the ultra with a black door.

 

[TX-L]

Todd,

How about an update? How long did your effective/useful heat/active cat burn go since yesterday afternoon, and what are your impressions?

Inquiring minds want to know!



Also, here is a snow picture to reflect upon...