How small of a house for a King

[Doc C]

 

[Doc C]

We agreed to buy this house. I will be inspecting the house on Saturday. Is this a king or a princess? I thought it was 8” pipe when I took a quick look at it but I could of been mistaken.

Anything in particular that I need to look for with the model of blaze king?

 

[jetsam]

Well, cloning the stovepipe onto the tile makes it look like a 6" flue.

I think I remember reading somewhere that very old pre-EPA Kings had a 6" flue? Not sure about that.

Get the model number off the back!

 

[Doc C]

View attachment 223088

Well, cloning the stovepipe onto the tile makes it look like a 6" flue.

I think I remember reading somewhere that very old pre-EPA Kings had a 6" flue? Not sure about that.

Get the model number off the back!

I will. This is almost a brand new stove I think. The house is only 7 years old and when the house sold in 2014 it did not have the stove. And I was told it was bought new.

Just wanted to get a heads up before I go inspect the house on Saturday which model this is.

 

[jetsam]

I will. This is almost a brand new stove I think. The house is only 7 years old and when the house sold in 2014 it did not have the stove. And I was told it was bought new.

Just wanted to get a heads up before I go inspect the house on Saturday which model this is.

I would question that because I don't see a cat bypass handle. Maybe it's hidden on the other side?

I would worry more about the install than the stove anyway. A new stove is pretty cheap compared to a new house.

 

[Doc C]

I would question that because I don't see a cat bypass handle. Maybe it's hidden on the other side?

I would worry more about the install than the stove anyway. A new stove is pretty cheap compared to a new house.

Yes. Cat handle is on the other side. It’s single wall pipe up 25’ to a support box. And from there I am not sure since I have not been in the attic. I’m very comfortable assessing the install but the stove itself I don’t have much experience with. I’m leaning towards it being a princess.

 

[Doc C]

 

[Doc C]

Here’s a view from the other side

 

[Rearscreen]

I’m expecting to have an accepted offer in the first week.

Any offers?

 

[jetsam]

Dunno. I don't think it looks like a current princess or king. I will have to defer to the experts on this one.

Here's a princess on legs from BK's website.

 

[Doc C]

Any offers?

On our house? Yes we had 5 offers. A couple over asking but we went with some local folks that seem to be good people and they offered a little under asking.

And then we put an offer in on a different house and they accepted.

 

[Doc C]

Dunno. I don't think it looks like a current princess or king. I will have to defer to the experts on this one.

Here's a princess on legs from BK's website.

View attachment 223091

Thanks. Other then the color of legs it looks very close to me. But pictures are deceiving.

 

[jetsam]

Thanks. Other then the color of legs it looks very close to me. But pictures are deceiving.

Yeah, the apparent ratio of width to height is not the same, but it could be in the photos like you said. Check the tag!

 

[Doc C]

Yeah, the apparent ratio of width to height is not the same, but it could be in the photos like you said. Check the tag!

So operating on the idea that it’s a princess. What do I need to look for stove wise? Not including the install. I don’t know a whole lot about the cat stoves other then how they function.

 

[Rearscreen]

On our house? Yes we had 5 offers. A couple over asking but we went with some local folks that seem to be good people and they offered a little under asking.

And then we put an offer in on a different house and they accepted.

I'm moving to Idaho. It takes 3 years to sell a house here.

 

[Doc C]

I'm moving to Idaho. It takes 3 years to sell a house here.

Wow! In the Sandpoint area it takes about 3 days if the house is clean and in good shape. A house that is priced below $200 per square foot is a steal in this area! This place has turned into what Jackson hole Wyoming was 20 years ago and only people with income from other areas are able to afford to buy a house now.

You can still find a decent house for less then $300k in downtown Sandpoint with a tiny lot but the majority of houses that do not need to be completely gutted are over $300k now.

What area are you moving to?

 

[allan5oh]

Doesnt the newer king come standard with a convection deck?

 

[jetsam]

So operating on the idea that it’s a princess. What do I need to look for stove wise? Not including the install. I don’t know a whole lot about the cat stoves other then how they function.

Well, BKs are extremely difficult to overfire unless there is a factory defect in the thermostat or the user leaves the door open- so the most common used stove issues are unlikely. The house is in idaho, so they haven't been burnimg driftwood in it. A damaged or poisoned cat is possible, but you can't test that without burning it and after 7 years it may (or may not) be time for a new cat anyway. Plan on $200-$300 there- I'd just buy a cat and 2 gaskets, and hold on to the new one until needed. They don't go bad.

I would check for signs of overfire in case they burned it with the door open. If possible, remove the top stovepipe and check the bypass for proper operation (the lever on the right should close the internal bypass door nice and flat; if it doesn't close right, extended high temp operation with the bypass open may have melted the retainers, or the door may be warped, or the gasket may be missing). Squeaky/creaky controls are ok, they just want a dab of high temp anti-sieze.

I'd make sure there's no physical damage to the glass or the steel, and that the thermostat dial opens and closes the air flapper (you can hear this as you operate the dial).

Look at the firebrick if you want, but that's a cheap part.

No tubes, no baffle, no plates.

 

[Doc C]

 

[Doc C]

We inspected the house today. While there I took a look at the stove. It seemed to function properly. The cat was very white and looked kind of brittle. Is this normal on these stoves?

 

[jetsam]

We inspected the house today. While there I took a look at the stove. It seemed to function properly. The cat was very white and looked kind of brittle. Is this normal on these stoves?

Sticker says it's a Princess. It still doesn't look like a princess or a king to me in that first photo! They ship with ceramic cats, so yes white and yes brittle. The cat shouldn't have been visible unless you removed the plate that sits in front of it.

Honestly after 7 years of unknown things being burned in there, be pleasantly surprised if the cat works, but be prepared to replace it also.

 

[ohlongarm]

Yep....another Blaze king thread!

Our house goes on the market the first week of Feb. it’s a hot market and we have the ideal house and we are priced slightly below market value. I’m expecting to have an accepted offer in the first week.

The houses we have been looking at have been around 2100 square feet with vaulted ceilings. Insulation levels standard for houses built in the 1990s.

I like the idea of the king over the princess because of burn times.

I’m hesitating on going that size because of the problem I had with the Englander 30 overheating my house but I realize that the BK are cat stoves and will perform different.

I would rather be a little colder then be to hot.

Is it realistic to put a King in a house around this size or is it overkill?

I read the ratings but I have no faith in SF ratings of manufacturers because of all the variables involved.

I would love to be able to load the stove one time every 30-40 hours.

I'm on my second King ,had the regular king pedestal for a few years but traded two years ago for a King Parlor.
Get the King better to have the extra juice and not need it then to need and not have.
Forget about 30 to 40 hrs burn times,unrealistic but can be done in mild weather,realistically in your well insulated layout 12 to 14 hours between reloads.Can be every ten in bitter weather conditions.Get the ash pan works well enough.My house is at 1800 one level and I have no complaints,cut her back for less heat,crank up for more. A great stove love mine.We've had the coldest winter here in five years and no probs,wood consumption is better than my last BK which baffles the hell out of me ,and startups are quick,nothings changed? Anyway good luck.The BK is a frugal wood consumer for the most part,however colder weather = more wood consumption ,most I've ever burned was about 4.5 cords in a brutal winter about five years ago.

 

[Doc C]

I'm on my second King ,had the regular king pedestal for a few years but traded two years ago for a King Parlor.
Get the King better to have the extra juice and not need it then to need and not have.
Forget about 30 to 40 hrs burn times,unrealistic but can be done in mild weather,realistically in your well insulated layout 12 to 14 hours between reloads.Can be every ten in bitter weather conditions.Get the ash pan works well enough.My house is at 1800 one level and I have no complaints,cut her back for less heat,crank up for more. A great stove love mine.We've had the coldest winter here in five years and no probs,wood consumption is better than my last BK which baffles the hell out of me ,and startups are quick,nothings changed? Anyway good luck.The BK is a frugal wood consumer for the most part,however colder weather = more wood consumption ,most I've ever burned was about 4.5 cords in a brutal winter about five years ago.

Thanks for the reply. We ended up putting in an offer and they accepted it on a house that just so happpens to have a BK Princess in it so I won’t be changing it out. We inspected the house today and the insulation in the attic needs another 8-10” but the rest of the house seems to be insulated well.

It’s a very open floor plan with about 20’ ceilings. 1800 square feet. The stove was running last week and set very low and the house was close to about 75 degrees.

 

[Doc C]

Sticker says it's a Princess. It still doesn't look like a princess or a king to me in that first photo! They ship with ceramic cats, so yes white and yes brittle. The cat shouldn't have been visible unless you removed the plate that sits in front of it.

Honestly after 7 years of unknown things being burned in there, be pleasantly surprised if the cat works, but be prepared to replace it also.

It was built towards the end of 2010 I think it said on the sticker. Not sure when the design changed.

When I looked up inside the stove I could see a white brittle looking honey comb like structure. There was a plate covering it but each side had fairly big holes that I could see thru. I should of taking a picture but it looked factory designed. Didn’t look like someone modified anything.

 

[jetsam]

It was built towards the end of 2010 I think it said on the sticker. Not sure when the design changed.

When I looked up inside the stove I could see a white brittle looking honey comb like structure. There was a plate covering it but each side had fairly big holes that I could see thru. I should of taking a picture but it looked factory designed. Didn’t look like someone modified anything.

Yeah, that's right. That plate can just be lifted off of there- it's a flame shield to keep direct flame off of the cat face.