We’ve had the King for a number of years and have been very happy with it. So when the time came to replace it, the King 40 was the obvious choice. Tail end of last season, the thermostat lost its tension and stove got really hot. I watched the video on here how to restore tension, and it felt much better. However, it has never worked as well as the old stove or how it was before it lost tension. It seems very very sensitive when I adjust it, and I never know if it is going to take off and be too hot or not (even when it is set to the normal middle setting). If it seems like it is getting too hot and I adjust it slightly down, all of sudden, it is down under the active zone again. Something is definitely up, but I don’t know what and how to fix it. Any help appreciated.
King40 thermostat issue
- Thread starter Yoshi1
- Start date
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Sounds like you've had the stove awhile, and it's a long shot, but check out my post about faulty (reverse-wound) thermostats.
You mean you adjusted the spring tension that holds the knob setting? Had your knob setting been wandering? There's nothing else to adjust on the thermostat other than rotating that collar which is not a good idea.
Your old stove probably had a nice ceramic cat but these new stoves come with steel cats. The steel is much more likely to clog up and cause a bad time. I would think unexpected stalling is one of those things. If your knob is not wandering then I'd look elsewhere. Even wet wood can cause cat stall at hotter stat settings than dry wood.
Your old stove probably had a nice ceramic cat but these new stoves come with steel cats. The steel is much more likely to clog up and cause a bad time. I would think unexpected stalling is one of those things. If your knob is not wandering then I'd look elsewhere. Even wet wood can cause cat stall at hotter stat settings than dry wood.
Thank you for your input. Yes, the spring tension. I do not know if it has been wandering or not, but I don’t think so. It lost tension, but seemed to still turn like normal, just without the tension. Is there a way to know for sure if it has wandered?
I had a steel cat in the old one as well. Same kind of seasoned firewood. I’m honestly a little scared of burning in it atm, at least I do not fill it up very much, as I am scared it will suddenly take off uncontrollably on me when set at the normal medium setting and left.
If you've been in far enough to adjust that knob tension then you've had the stat cover off. I'd take that cover off and watch the thermostat blade work. Make sure it moves freely and fully closes and that it automatically closes as the stove warms up.
One of the biggest benefits of the BK design is that thermostat. It makes us extra confident that the stove won't get too hot.
When you put that cover back on you have to be sure the stat flapper is fully closed or else the lid can hold open the intake flapper which would cause uncontrolled overfire. Maybe you did that. Check it.
yeah, I have been careful not to have the flapper open when replacing the cover. Thank you, I will definitely watch what it does tonight.
So I just did a test, starting with the stove in the inactive zone, marking where the flapper was. I let it get real good and hot, and the flapper did not move at all during the whole process. So it does not appear that the thermostat is reverse wound, just that it isn’t working at all. I don’t know what would cause that, and if it is fixable? It probably means I would need to order a new thermostat as it seems to be something us regular folk shouldn’t be tampering with?
When the stove "take's off" is the wood load becoming fully active/involved in flame?
Or... Is the Cat gauge simply going waaaay into or beyond the normal spot that you are used to?
Curious
I know for sure that the gauge is way beyond the normal spot and the stove is just radiating heat like crazy, so I am assuming the load is fully active. It’s just a scary situation not knowing when it will happen next. I do not fill this stove up with wood like I used to do the old one.
Soooo?
The Cat gauge is going beyond normal. Check.
The stove is producing big heat. Check.
Is the fuel load becoming fully involved in flame while this occurring? If no.
Your stove/thermostat is perhaps simply cycling. Can be very normal.
My stove went from super hot after engagement back down to normal or even a tad low.
4.5 hrs later the stove slowly increased heat production/output until the Cat gauge was buried beyond its normal operating range. Really pumping heat. No flame the entire time.
This does occur and is nothing to fear IMO. Food for thought.
If you are concerned consult your dealer.
