lsucet
Minister of Fire
For what I am seeing you need to adjust the knob or there is something wrong with the tstat. First step is adjust it. If still having issues I am sure BKVP and many here will help you to get it running right.
Moved to house with BK Princess and have a few questions
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BKVP
Minister of Fire
The effective range, based on stack length, m.c. of fuel would be 2-6, referencing the face of a clock. In warmer weather is could be 2:30_6.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Tarzan might have been right when he said 'clogged cat' too... maybe they were burning loads of cardboard in there!
Get a flashlight, clean paintbrush, and a shopvac. Take off the cat flame shield when the stove's cold (no tools required, just sits on a little ledge), and hit the face of the cat with the brush and then the shopvac. Look through it with the flashlight as much as you can and make sure you can see all the way through.
Even if that's not the problem, it can't hurt.
Get a flashlight, clean paintbrush, and a shopvac. Take off the cat flame shield when the stove's cold (no tools required, just sits on a little ledge), and hit the face of the cat with the brush and then the shopvac. Look through it with the flashlight as much as you can and make sure you can see all the way through.
Even if that's not the problem, it can't hurt.
So I just went to adjust it following these directions and it’s already set up like that
I kept the door open until the fire was absoluting raging.
Closed the door and with the damper wide open the fire died down drastically.
Closed the door and with the damper wide open the fire died down drastically.
Ok. I need clarification on something.
I followed the directions for setting the damper that BKVP posted and it was set up like that already.
But one thing that got me thinking was the white line. When turning the know down the white line will go way past the #1 before stopping. Should I be using the white line as the pointer for lack of a better word and putting it between 2-6 o’clock? I have basically been having the white line pointed at about 10-11 o’clock but turned down not up to get to that point. The screw in the know should be pointed at like 5-6 the way I’ve been doing it
I followed the directions for setting the damper that BKVP posted and it was set up like that already.
But one thing that got me thinking was the white line. When turning the know down the white line will go way past the #1 before stopping. Should I be using the white line as the pointer for lack of a better word and putting it between 2-6 o’clock? I have basically been having the white line pointed at about 10-11 o’clock but turned down not up to get to that point. The screw in the know should be pointed at like 5-6 the way I’ve been doing it
jetsam
Minister of Fire
The fire should obviously be at its maximum with the door open (don't burn the stove this way), but with the thermostat open all the way and the door closed it should be raging in the firebox.
Here's a clogged cat test: Close the door and observe the fire for a few minutes, then close the bypass and observe the fire for a few minutes. If the fire dies down when you close the bypass, you have an airflow problem through the cat.
If the fire dies down when you close the door but closing the bypass doesn't make any difference, I'm back to thinking that you have an issue somewhere on the air intake side.
Here's a clogged cat test: Close the door and observe the fire for a few minutes, then close the bypass and observe the fire for a few minutes. If the fire dies down when you close the bypass, you have an airflow problem through the cat.
If the fire dies down when you close the door but closing the bypass doesn't make any difference, I'm back to thinking that you have an issue somewhere on the air intake side.
Thank you. I’ll do this when I get back home. Any idea about my post above with the white line on the knob?
jetsam
Minister of Fire
No idea about knob calibration- I've never messed with it, and I have a different setup.
It is normal for the fire to die way down with the door shut if the stove is hot and the thermostat isn't set high- the thermostat has the intake air closed off a lot in this case. If you set the thermostat low or medium low and watch the stove for an hour, you'll see the fire keep flaring up as the firebox cools and the thermostat calls for more air, and then it will die off again when the firebox heats up and the thermostat chokes back on intake air.
I just found the manual online. It looks like the white line is the pointer. So basically I have been turning the stove way down like past 0 if that’s even possible. This explains why the stove has been dying out. I was using the other aide of the knob as the pointer, the side with the Allan screw in it. The white line is so worn down that I can barely see it was a flashlight pointed at it.
lsucet
Minister of Fire
The white line on the knob should be pointing down or at 6 o'clock when at wide open. At the same time you should feel the stopping point.
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lsucet
Minister of Fire
Ok. I have a problem then.
My knob is set like BKVP says to do.
Now with that being said. I can turn my knob about 350 degrees before I hit the stops.
lsucet
Minister of Fire
Turn it clockwise all the way till it stops. Loosen the screw and rotate the knob till is pointing at 6 o'clock. Be sure the shaft doesn't move during this process and tight the screw back on. That should be it
lsucet
Minister of Fire
Already did this. It was already set like this. But it still rotates almost all the way around
lsucet
Minister of Fire
If it stops at 6 o'clock clockwise it's ok. Counterclockwise it does go real far and that is ok also. You just need to find the setting that works for you into the range of the sticker or numbers according to the system you have.
kennyp2339
Minister of Fire
This explains exactly what it’s doing. Glad to know it’s normal.
I think it’s because I was using the wrong side of the knob to set the temp.
Couldn’t see the white line. I’ll experiment more when I get back home.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Yes, the knob will turn vastly beyond the actual low point. Remember 2-6 is the effective range of use....
Where I think I got messed up is my white line was worn away on the knob.I had to really search for it when I was following your directions to calibrate the knob.
I was essentially using the alen head side of the knob to set the heat range which was putting me 180 degrees BELOW the setting I thought I was on.
jetsam
Minister of Fire
Problem solved! Now to see if your old cat works. If it glows red with a raging fire, it's alive to some degree.
If it makes lots of heat and eats all the smoke (just go outside and look at the chimney) on a very low burn, it's alive and well. It won't glow visibly when burning low.
If it makes lots of heat and eats all the smoke (just go outside and look at the chimney) on a very low burn, it's alive and well. It won't glow visibly when burning low.
I got home about 2 hours ago. The fire was out. I restarted it and let it get going. Engaged the cat and turned the WHITE LINE to about 3 o’clock. Seems to be holding on the upper end of the active zone for last hour and a half or so.
Cat does have a glow to it. Going to turn it down a little more in a bit. Probably to about 2 o’clock position and see what happens.
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