Is this normal for a Princess

[Fuut Master]

Posting for a friend. He recently purchased a Blaze King Princess 32. He had a Wonderluxe Wood Circulator before. Princess is his first Cat stove. He is concerned with some of the temps he is seeing. Just not sure if they are normal or not. First the set up…. Flue has two 45s, then through the wall to T clean out, then straight up 18 feet. He has an outside air kit as well. He loads the stove, lets it heat up to active, and flips the bypass over. 30 minutes or so after, his temps above the cat( on the stove top ) are over 900 ( maxed out ) according to his thermometer. He has shot it with an IR gun as well. His IR gun top end is 1200. It won’t even read it. Flue thermometer stays around 250-300. Is this normal stove top temps for this stove?

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, it is normal for a new cat. They are still hyperactive and will settle down after a cord or so burned.

The flue temps are a little low tho. Means it's working efficiently but may lead to condensation near the top of the flue.

 

[Tron]

The flue temps are a little low tho. Means it's working efficiently but may lead to condensation near the top of the flue.

I wouldn't worry. Mine are in the same range when turned down, and I only get a cup or two of dry creosote out of the flue on the annual cleaning. Never anything gummy or so.

To dry out, the top of the flue doesn't need to be >212F, the important thing is that the gases going through it have a low moisture content. Which is normally the case near the end of the burn. Then the flue will dry out even when colder.

 

[stoveliker]

Maybe you're right, but I'm not convinced.
Gases contain a significant fraction of water as combustion product. Also at the end of the burn

 

[EbS-P]

on the stove top ) are over 900 ( maxed out ) according to his thermometer. He has shot it with an IR gun as well. His IR gun top end is 1200. It won’t even read it.

Any stove top temps over 900 are problematic IMO. A new car will run hot.

 

[Tron]

Gases contain a significant fraction of water as combustion product. Also at the end of the burn

Yes, they do, but I don't think to saturation levels. The math would not be easy here as you would have to account for both off-gas composition and gas/outside temperature, but my (empiric) stove seems to work that way.

 

[stoveliker]

Any stove top temps over 900 are problematic IMO. A new car will run hot.

I don't know if it is the cat probe or actual stove top temp mentioned here? (The cat probe is on/into the stove top)

 

[Fuut Master]

I don't know if it is the cat probe or actual stove top temp mentioned here? (The cat probe is on/into the stove top)

He says it is what his stove top thermometer shows.

 

[stoveliker]

Sure. Ever seen a BK?
The cat probe looks like it's a stove top thermometer.

 

[Highbeam]

Posting for a friend. He recently purchased a Blaze King Princess 32. He had a Wonderluxe Wood Circulator before. Princess is his first Cat stove. He is concerned with some of the temps he is seeing. Just not sure if they are normal or not. First the set up…. Flue has two 45s, then through the wall to T clean out, then straight up 18 feet. He has an outside air kit as well. He loads the stove, lets it heat up to active, and flips the bypass over. 30 minutes or so after, his temps above the cat( on the stove top ) are over 900 ( maxed out ) according to his thermometer. He has shot it with an IR gun as well. His IR gun top end is 1200. It won’t even read it. Flue thermometer stays around 250-300. Is this normal stove top temps for this stove?

You're missing some key information that doesn't allow us to answer correctly.

"his temps above the cat( on the stove top ) are over 900 ( maxed out ) according to his thermometer"

What does this even mean? If he has set an aftermarket surface thermometer on the stove top like you would with an old wonderluxe then take that thing off and throw it away. Stove top temperatures are meaningless here as the bulk of heat output is from a point source of heat, the 1500 degree cat, under the stove top. Many have made the mistake, including myself. Throw away that meter. On top of the stove should just be the single BK supplied cat meter that doesn't have numbers.

"Flue thermometer stays around 250-300."

Depends. Is he reading surface temperatures of single wall? Or probe meter internal temperatures on double wall? 250-300 is just fine for surface temps of single wall but not hot enough for internal temperatures with double wall. That would be "too cool" as listed on my condar brand probe flue temperature meter. Worst case is he is reading surface temperatures of double wall pipe with a surface meter, that's junk data.

 

[Fuut Master]

It is a surface top thermometer on the stove top. I will tell him to toss it. The flue temps are from surface mounted thermometer as well. It’s single wall pipe. So if he can’t go off of a stove top thermometer or IR gun, how can he determine if his stove is too hot? He says that the BK supplied thermometer (with no numbers) maxes out.

 

[stoveliker]

900 surface temp is near being too high but is a consequence of :

The BK cat probe maxing out is normal for new cats. They'll settle down.

I wouldn't worry to much.
The thermostat helps prevent overfiring