New Blaze King

[bloyet03]

Well, I'm a little late but installed a new Blaze King about a month and a half ago. So far love it. My wood, yeah not so much. Need to catch up and get some dry stuff.

Basement install, heating about 3400 sqft. After I installed it, I was able to identify that the attic was SEVERELY under-insulated. R-20 if I was lucky and bare drywall in spots as well. Now I have about R-60 and wow what a difference that made. I plan to air seal the rim joists in the basement and eventually replace two doors that are big heat losses.

So far I love this thing. Only thing I had happen is when I went to adjust the door, its like the outer nut is "welded" to the latch. Need to get with Blaze King to get that replaced here soonish.

Also just placed an order for a 28 pro wolfe ridge splitter last night so that ought to assist in getting the firewood situation better set... I'll put a review that beast up once I get it in January.

 

[begreen]

Congratulations. Insulation and sealing are good. Are the basement walls insulated on the exterior side?

 

[jetsam]

With wet wood, try to burn hotter and sweep the flue more frequently. I'd suggest sweeping it very often (once a month or less) to get a feel for how often you actually need to do it. Remember that the lower you burn, the more often you need to sweep, so as we go into spring you'll want to do it more often.

You may want to consider putting a new floor in the stove room if there's no insulation under that tile. A stove sitting on a slab will have significant heat loss to the ground. Kind of a PITA now that the stove is installed, though. Are those exterior walls insulated under the paneling? Same deal.

 

[bloyet03]

Congratulations. Insulation and sealing are good. Are the basement walls insulated on the exterior side?

Not yet. That's on a longer range plan. Having just bought the house in May, redoing the kitchen, repainting the house and getting this in, I'm happy with what I've done. I need to put a shed up next, wanting a 36-40 by 50 pole barn. Need to get my boat under roof. So one thing at a time.

Around the stove its going to stay like that I think (other then some sort of covering). I have one wall that really needs some sort of attention that might result in doing something sooner because the concrete is exposed outside. I've seen temps of 50 on it when it was 25 to 30 outside. Definitely a problem. I'm wanting to change the layout a little in the basement so till I figure that out, I'm not getting to aggressive with it.

 

[bloyet03]

With wet wood, try to burn hotter and sweep the flue more frequently. I'd suggest sweeping it very often (once a month or less) to get a feel for how often you actually need to do it. Remember that the lower you burn, the more often you need to sweep, so as we go into spring you'll want to do it more often.

You may want to consider putting a new floor in the stove room if there's no insulation under that tile. A stove sitting on a slab will have significant heat loss to the ground. Kind of a PITA now that the stove is installed, though. Are those exterior walls insulated under the paneling? Same deal.

This honestly is the first round that has been ridiculous. (30-33%) Before that I was seeing 20-24. But I have been running it hot for the most part. I have another section of Class A that needs to go on top bringing me to a total of 33ft of Chimney on a 12-12 roof (I need to shoot the guy that built that) so I'll look at it pretty close then. I have the spark arrestor in the cap so that should tell me if I'm developing problems and so far it looks alright when I check it out.

This is my first Cat stove. Grew up on a Lopi smoker and had a Quadra-Fire Explorer II in the last house.

 

[begreen]

Not yet. That's on a longer range plan. Having just bought the house in May, redoing the kitchen, repainting the house and getting this in, I'm happy with what I've done. I need to put a shed up next, wanting a 36-40 by 50 pole barn. Need to get my boat under roof. So one thing at a time.

Around the stove its going to stay like that I think (other then some sort of covering). I have one wall that really needs some sort of attention that might result in doing something sooner because the concrete is exposed outside. I've seen temps of 50 on it when it was 25 to 30 outside. Definitely a problem. I'm wanting to change the layout a little in the basement so till I figure that out, I'm not getting to aggressive with it.

You will note a marked improvement once the basement walls are insulated. Up to a third of the heat can be sucked out uninsulated basement walls.

 

[bloyet03]

You will note a marked improvement once the basement walls are insulated. Up to a third of the heat can be sucked out uninsulated basement walls.

What I've seen from watching the ceiling temps upstairs being lower then the room temps, I believe it. What I do have in my favor is that most of the heat is noticeably going straight upstairs thanks to how its all laid out. The other doorways leaving the stove room downstairs seem to act as a dam while its able to go straight up the stairwell. Its actually pretty darn impressive to me. Its like a small wind tunnel.

 

[moresnow]

Good to hear this is working out for you. As mentioned, un insulated basement walls and wood stoves = frustration for many. If you are getting by now imagine how well it will be if you get those basement walls insulated.

 

[Highbeam]

I have another section of Class A that needs to go on top bringing me to a total of 33ft of Chimney on a 12-12 roof (I need to shoot the guy that built that) so I'll look at it pretty close then. I have the spark arrestor in the cap so that should tell me if I'm developing problems and so far it looks alright when I check it out.

Unless you are required to have a silly smoke filter on your chimney cap for some reason, I would get rid of that thing ASAP. Especially way up high on a 12:12 roof you don't want that stupid thing clogging up in the winter.

Is that a king model? 3400 is a lot of area but even if it can't keep the house warm on the coldest nights, every stick of wood burned is money saved on furnace fuel.

 

[jetsam]

Google "Sooteater". You can sweep the whole thing from the bottom without any climbing.

And as everyone is saying, get those exterior walls (and optimally also the floor) insulated!

As a quick and dirty temporary fix, maybe put some rugs on the floor outside of the stove/hearth area.

Paneled basements could have firring behind the paneling, but it could also be 2x3 or 2x4 if you are lucky. If it has dimensional lumber, you can just pop off the paneling, roll in R11 (2x3) or R15 (2x4) and put the paneling back up. If it's firring, maybe just hang foam board on the paneling outside of the stove's clearances, until you have time to frame in the wall.

 

[pjohnson]

Congrats on new stove and splitter, I have both a blazeking and Wolfe ridge splitter, you’ll love the splitter more impressive in person then in the pics.

 

[Woody Stover]

Unless you are required to have a silly smoke filter on your chimney cap for some reason

This is the first I've heard of a smoke filter requirement..can you flesh out any details on this?

 

[bholler]

This is the first I've heard of a smoke filter requirement..can you flesh out any details on this?

High beam can't keep the screen clean on his cap so he thinks they are evil. Lol. They are needed in this area unless you want to clean out birds nests everytime you shut down for a while.

 

[Woody Stover]

High beam can't keep the screen clean on his cap so he thinks they are evil. Lol. They are needed in this area unless you want to clean out birds nests everytime you shut down for a while.

I never have a problem with my bird screen clogging, if that's what he's talking about when he says "filter." But I guess if it's normally 50 outside every day, and you're trying to run in putt-putt mode all the time, that might be a problem.

 

[bholler]

I never have a problem with my bird screen clogging, if that's what he's talking about when he says "filter." But I guess if it's normally 50 outside every day, and you're trying to run in putt-putt mode all the time, that might be a problem.

Well there are certain areas require a spark arrestor screen also. They are fine enough to cause problems often

 

[begreen]

I only had an issue with the 1/2" screen on the cap clogging when I burned a bunch of damp maple. That clogged the screen in a couple of months. Still, in our area when it is burning season it is mostly damp so the screen is optional. I took ours out.

 

[ohlongarm]

Well, I'm a little late but installed a new Blaze King about a month and a half ago. So far love it. My wood, yeah not so much. Need to catch up and get some dry stuff.

Basement install, heating about 3400 sqft. After I installed it, I was able to identify that the attic was SEVERELY under-insulated. R-20 if I was lucky and bare drywall in spots as well. Now I have about R-60 and wow what a difference that made. I plan to air seal the rim joists in the basement and eventually replace two doors that are big heat losses.

So far I love this thing. Only thing I had happen is when I went to adjust the door, its like the outer nut is "welded" to the latch. Need to get with Blaze King to get that replaced here soonish.

Also just placed an order for a 28 pro wolfe ridge splitter last night so that ought to assist in getting the firewood situation better set... I'll put a review that beast up once I get it in January.

Congratulations on your new BK,been burning one 8 years now,no better stove IMO out there.However you will never get the real scope of how great it is if your wood is sub par,BK'S like dry wood 20% or lower. Anyway good luck and report back.

 

[bloyet03]

So finally had a good cold snap, well at least for this area, and broke down and ordered some steel stud material and insulation. Hopefully be in soon and two rooms (the worst two) are getting insulated pronto. Infared thermometer measured 45°, yeah not going to fly. I've got some 2 inch foam board pinned to it for right this moment. That backed the cold draft in the basement down a bit. Be interesting to see how much the entire rooms insulated does. After that, I'm hoping to wait till I've got a shed built and figure out what I'm doing with the rest of the basement as far as remodeling.

 

[bloyet03]

Congrats on new stove and splitter, I have both a blazeking and Wolfe ridge splitter, you’ll love the splitter more impressive in person then in the pics.

Which model splitter do you have?

 

[pjohnson]

Which model splitter do you have?

I bought the 28 pro like you. I got it last year with the 4 and 6 way wedges very happy with it.