quick HELP with BK Princess break-in fire

[RustyShackleford]

Just picked up my BlazeKing Princess, and can't seem to find the thermostat/air-intake knob;
so I've just got a piece of steel coming from the sealed t'stat cover over to the side of the
stove. So I have no idea which way to rotate for fully-open/fully-closed (as in "clockwise
for one, counter-clockwise for the other"). Please advise !

Meanwhile, I'm trying an outdoor break-in fire and having little luck. I'm leaving the
main door open, like they say. But maybe it'd help to have the air intake fully open.
Also, I just have 4ft or so of stovepipe sticking out the top, so doubt the draft is as good
as an actual chimney.

Thanks for the quick replies !

P.S. I could just take the cover off the intake mechanism, but it has the usual dire warnings
about "no user serviceable parts inside". I assume there's no real problem with just pulling
it off and peeking (things don't fall apart when you remove the screws, that kinda thing) ?

 

[SolarAndWood]

Clockwise is open

 

[RustyShackleford]

Ding ding ding - we have a winner - thanks very much !

 

[Lanningjw]

On my Princess insert High is 12 o'clock. 6 o'clock is the lowest setting. So counter clockwise is the highest most air temp setting.

 

[SolarAndWood]

Ding ding ding - we have a winner - thanks very much !

My pleasure...enjoy your new stove.

 

[RustyShackleford]

So counter clockwise is the highest most air temp setting.

Are you sure ?!? The clockwise-is-open answer seems to be working for me.

 

[Lanningjw]

So counter clockwise is the highest most air temp setting.

Are you sure ?!? The clockwise-is-open answer seems to be working for me.

Yup on the insert, must be differnt witht the stove model, thats what you have

 

[weatherguy]

I just checked my princess, its the same as Lanning's

 

[Patapsco Mike]

Mine's like Lannings. Near 12:00 is high/open, turn clockwise towards 6:00 takes it to closed/low.

 

[Lanningjw]

Weatherguy and Mike, How are your burn times with your inserts?

I dont think I could get a 20 hour burn like its advertised with the insert. How about you guys. Jim

 

[Patapsco Mike]

Mine's brand new. The day after my break-in fire the temps climbed to daytime 60's and have stayed there since...

Once it's cold out, a 20 hour burn wouldn't give me enough heat anyway. If I can get 12 hours of decent heat on a full load of my red and white oak I will be thrilled. If I get 10 hour burns that's OK too- that would be 2 hours longer than the amount of time I got real heat out of my larger Avalon Olympic.

What kind of real world burn times are you seeing? What air intake settings are you finding work best?

By mid-November us BK owners will have to get a thread going to discuss what we're seeing. I'm sure a lot of people are curious.

 

[weatherguy]

Mines not in working order yet but Ill be thrilled with 10-12 hours burn times, hell I need to play with stove a little bit thats why we buy theses things isnt it?

Lanning, did you install a block off plate?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Mine's like Lannings. Near 12:00 is high/open, turn clockwise towards 6:00 takes it to closed/low.

I'm thinking maybe since I don't have the knob - I'm just twisting on a piece of steel -
that I must be turning it past the adjustment range, because I'm turning it more than
1/2 turn I'm pretty sure.

It actually looks kind of odd, like it may have broken off, because the piece of steel
does not have a squared-off end (like to key into a knob). Do you guys have a
removable knob ?

 

[SolarAndWood]

The knob on my stove is held on with a set screw. 9:30 is min, 8 is max, top of the normal range is about 3.

 

[Patapsco Mike]

Mine has a black plastic knob with a set screw.

 

[Lanningjw]

Mine's like Lannings. Near 12:00 is high/open, turn clockwise towards 6:00 takes it to closed/low.

I'm thinking maybe since I don't have the knob - I'm just twisting on a piece of steel -
that I must be turning it past the adjustment range, because I'm turning it more than
1/2 turn I'm pretty sure.

It actually looks kind of odd, like it may have broken off, because the piece of steel
does not have a squared-off end (like to key into a knob). Do you guys have a
removable knob ?

You you have the Princess insert or the princess stove? I bet they have different t-stat control knobs. The inserts t-stat control is on the lower right is your facing the insert.

 

[Lanningjw]

My insert burn times:
First off this insert is making to much heat with temps in the 40's for my heating area I don't have to run the fan.
Last night I had a good coal bed going on a lowest heat setting. I reloaded at 8P with maple. while on the lowest setting and the cat was still engaged at 7A this morning and was able to load a couple of big Ash splits and its all good. In a short time after the reload a small amount of fire was showing. The system works and puts out a low and slow amount of heat. I do take my coal rake and bring up the existing coals to front center before the reload.

The insert loves to eat big splits or 8 inch rounds. They kinda smoke and the cat glows a deep red. Its a nice system, but no 20 hours burns for me. Easy 10 hours with the cat being still engaged on a low t-stat setting.The cat can slip out of the engaged zone then you have to burn with the by-pass open until it engages. I am still working on figuring the best and fastest way to do this.

 

[RustyShackleford]

The knob on my stove is held on with a set screw. 9:30 is min, 8 is max, top of the normal range is about 3.

Man, I am getting about as many different answers as answers. Sounds like you're saying almost a full turn.

BTW, mine is free-standing stove (NOT insert).

What does the knob read against (for the various settings) ? In other words, if it's just
floating in free space there at the end of the steel rod sticking out of the thermostat,
what do you set it against (for the 1/2/3 settings) ? I want to make sure I'm just missing
the knob and not something else.

Insert owners please bow out (but thanks), sounds like they ARE pretty different.

 

[Wet1]

Rusty, you do realize Solar has a King model, correct? I wouldn't assume the control is the same on the Princess/King/Princess insert... Have you called BK?

 

[RustyShackleford]

Rusty, you do realize Solar has a King model, correct? I wouldn't assume the control is the same on the Princess/King/Princess insert... Have you called BK?

Duh, no I didn't realize that; I should have bothered to check people's signatures -
thanks for the heads-up.

In fact, looks like none of the responders has a free-standing Princess. Hope to hear
from one of them soon ...

 

[Wet1]

Send a PM to "north of 60", he has a Princess Ultra which I would think is nearly identical to yours... or call BK.

 

[Chopslide]

rusty I have a free standing princess ultra =When my thermo knob points ceiling it is on one 1 when it points t the floor its 3,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, high goes a little paat 3..
my burn times have been in the double didgiits since we broke it in on red fir and tamarack (doug & larch) really amazing stove ... so clockwise to furn it up and counter......................down
Hope that helps

 

[North of 60]

Hey Rusty look at the attached pic. The set screw at this position in the pic that holds the knob on is facing toward the front of the stove. That would be the flat spot side of the shaft.
This should help. Sorry about the pic quality.
N of 60

 

[RustyShackleford]

Hey Rusty look at the attached pic. The set screw at this position in the pic that holds the knob on is facing toward the front of the stove. That would be the flat spot side of the shaft.
This should help. Sorry about the pic quality.
N of 60

Thanks; this whole thread is testimony to the helpfulness of this group. The first
answers were received within 10-15 min.

Looks like the piece with the 1/2/3 numbers is attached to the side shield.
I asked for the side shields to be removed before mine was painted. Meanwhile,
there IS no "flat spot" on the shaft on mine. Hmm ...

When you turn in to 3 (or just past three) do you hear a little "clink" sound like
something bottoming-out ? I guess I'll just remove the thermostat cover
and get to the bottom of things.

 

[Chopslide]

When you turn in to 3 (or just past three) do you hear a little “clink” sound

I messed around with my thermo before the install and passing 3 indeed made a sound.... I think it is the butterfly opening fully