Ready for first large burn and have questions

[jttoad1968]

Hi. So we have done our first 3 small burns in our new regency i3100L and ready for first larger burn and have a few questions.

The manual doesn’t mention 3 small. That is what dealer said and I read here. The manual mentions a couple logs and then about reloading. Anyway I went with 3 small. It mentions in the manual about smelling the paint the first few hours and I did not. The dealer said on the first bigger fire I will. So I’m unsure what I should have expected. The 3 fires were maybe an hour each of burn and then coals for an hour or so. So for my questions.

Did I burn it hot enough? For the next fire what is recommend procedure? The insert is cold. Not burned since this morning. I don’t want to damage it. Also it mentions not to put anything on it until paint cures. So I can’t put on the magnetic thermometer. I do have an infrared gun I can use. Where should I aim it and what temp do I shoot for? If it gets too hot do I just close the intake all the way? Any other advice? Thx!

 

[begreen]

Pack it. Time to rock and roll. Steel stoves don't need a lot of breakin.

 

[jttoad1968]

Pack it. Time to rock and roll. Steel stoves don't need a lot of breakin.

Do I need to worry about the temp I go up to and how do I measure it with the temp gun? Do I just take a temp of the front metal above the door? What would be max I should get to and do I just close the intake to bring it down? Sorry so many questions.


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[begreen]

Try loading the stove N/S, with the wood stacked parallel to the sides of the stove and not much of an air gap between the pieces. Start turning down the air as soon as the wood starts burning well. Turn it down until the flames start getting lazier, maybe 50%. (probe flue temp around 400º, surface temp around 200-250ºF) Then wait about 5 minutes for the flames to regain strength. The flue temp will rise again. Now, turn down the air again until the flames slow down once more. Try to keep the probe flue temp under 5-600º (surface temp reading 250-300F). Once the flames recover strength, close down the air all the way if possible or until the flames slow down again. The stove temp will rise as secondary combustion gets strong, but the goal is to keep the flue temp under 600ºF. Ideally, when things settle down and the stove is cruising, the stovetop will be around 650º with the flue temps around 550º.

 

[jttoad1968]

Try loading the stove N/S, with the wood stacked parallel to the sides of the stove and not much of an air gap between the pieces. Start turning down the air as soon as the wood starts burning well. Turn it down until the flames start getting lazier, maybe 50%. (probe flue temp around 400º, surface temp around 200-250ºF) Then wait about 5 minutes for the flames to regain strength. The flue temp will rise again. Now, turn down the air again until the flames slow down once more. Try to keep the probe flue temp under 5-600º (surface temp reading 250-300F). Once the flames recover strength, close down the air all the way if possible or until the flames slow down again. The stove temp will rise as secondary combustion gets strong, but the goal is to keep the flue temp under 600ºF. Ideally, when things settle down and the stove is cruising, the stovetop will be around 650º with the flue temps around 550º.

Thank you again for your replies. How do I check the flue temp? It is an insert so not sure how to do that. Thx.


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[begreen]

You would need a remote digital probe for an insert liner. Turn down the air in increments as soon as the fire starts burning robustly.

 

[xman23]

Learn the stove. The wood load and burn rate will control the stove temp. Once you learn to control it, you can easily raise the stove temp up and down. The goal is to control the stove to maintain a comfortable house temp. You've done it right when you can't tell whats heating the house.

 

[Wiess]

This is good information, it is what I followed while learning the stove. One year in with the new stove and still learning!

A good candidate for a sticky note.

Try loading the stove N/S, with the wood stacked parallel to the sides of the stove and not much of an air gap between the pieces. Start turning down the air as soon as the wood starts burning well. Turn it down until the flames start getting lazier, maybe 50%. (probe flue temp around 400º, surface temp around 200-250ºF) Then wait about 5 minutes for the flames to regain strength. The flue temp will rise again. Now, turn down the air again until the flames slow down once more. Try to keep the probe flue temp under 5-600º (surface temp reading 250-300F). Once the flames recover strength, close down the air all the way if possible or until the flames slow down again. The stove temp will rise as secondary combustion gets strong, but the goal is to keep the flue temp under 600ºF. Ideally, when things settle down and the stove is cruising, the stovetop will be around 650º with the flue temps around 550º.

 

[spudman99]

Like you I have a new BK Princess insert and have been burning for 2 weeks. I have a handheld IR thermometer like this.



Lets me instantly check the top of the insert. If the shroud is not on you can check the liner and the appliance connector. I was timid at first, not letting the insert get above 450deg. I now let it get closer to 525deg, constantly checking the clearances and heat around the unit to make sure all is safe. I run it on low at night, get nervous when the firebox is full of flames (like I am going to ruin the combustor or damage the inside). I am told not to worry but like a kid, I am taking baby steps. I suggest the same.

 

[kennyp2339]

Quick and easy method here, load the stove up, light the fire, wait 15-20 min for the fire to be established, start turning the air down in increments, waiting a minimum of 15 min between each movement, after 15min go outside and check your chimney, you should only have heat vapors coming out of it, very little to no smoke is what your aiming for. Its ok for these stoves to get 600-700 deg, they will handle that no problem.

 

[begreen]

Like you I have a new BK Princess insert and have been burning for 2 weeks. I have a handheld IR thermometer like this.

View attachment 251438

Lets me instantly check the top of the insert. If the shroud is not on you can check the liner and the appliance connector. I was timid at first, not letting the insert get above 450deg. I now let it get closer to 525deg, constantly checking the clearances and heat around the unit to make sure all is safe. I run it on low at night, get nervous when the firebox is full of flames (like I am going to ruin the combustor or damage the inside). I am told not to worry but like a kid, I am taking baby steps. I suggest the same.

Startup and operation of the BK will be a bit different than the Regency.

It's hard to damage your stove from overfiring due to the thermostatic operation. Post questions as they popup in the long BK performance thread.

2019-20 Blaze King Performance Thread Part 1 (Everything BK)

And we're off! I got no predictions for weather this year. Everything messed up, but I am sitting on eight cords around 12 or 13 % MC and am not worried. Stay safe y'all.

www.hearth.com

 

[begreen]

load the stove up, light the fire, wait 15-20 min for the fire to be established

This depends on the wood being burned and size of splits. The time will be shorter with pine or fir. With good dry wood and kindling our stove might be in overfire with flue temps over 1000º if I waited that long before turning down the air. It's not uncommon for me to start turning down the air after 10 minutes.

 

[jttoad1968]

Ok so I did the stacking with N/S as suggested. I first did a small fire to heat it up and when was mainly coals I loaded the box just around half high with larger wood N/S. Whenever I close
The damper a little it nearly stops having flames. This is with the damper pushed in around an inch. Is this Ok? The temp with a temp gun to the front of the stove above the right side of the door is reading around 250. I can’t upload a video. This is what is looks like now (link to video I uploaded to YouTube) Logs were added on top of coals around 40 min ago.

 

[weatherguy]

Once it stops having flames what happens if you wait 10 minutes? Do the flames eventually come back?

 

[jttoad1968]

Once it stops having flames what happens if you wait 10 minutes? Do the flames eventually come back?

I didn’t wait 10 min. I assumed I was smothering the fire let me try and will report back


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[begreen]

That's not bad. See if you can turn it down a little more to make the flames lazier, but without snuffing out the flames.

 

[jttoad1968]

I can only the damper rod around 2 inches or less and it will shut down the flames. The rod prob has around 4or 5 inches that it can be pushed in. Does it sound like that is not set up correctly? It was installed by an installer from the distributor I purchased from.


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[begreen]

Much too early to tell. the position of the air control is going to be relative to the fuel quality and quantity and the draft.

Is this on an insulated 6" stainless liner? How tall is the liner? What is the outside temp?

Tell us more about the wood being burned. When was it split and stacked? What species? Has it been tested for moisture content?

 

[weatherguy]

1/8 inch on my rod can mean the difference between snuffing the fire out and having it just right with my stove. Takes time to get to know your rod

 

[jttoad1968]

Much too early to tell. the position of the air control is going to be relative to the fuel quality and quantity and the draft.

Is this on an insulated 6" stainless liner? How tall is the liner? What is the outside temp?

Tell us more about the wood being burned. When was it split and stacked? What species? Has it been tested for moisture content?

Got it. This is my very first rodeo

It is stainless liner inside of a brick chimney. I don’t know if 6” but assuming so. I only saw the end that connected to the top of the insert when they were trying to connect it but that is all. I don’t know the height to be honest. Below is a photo is my house and you can see the chimney. The fireplace is on the first floor.

The wood is from what I was told a mix of things like ash maple and oak. I don’t know how to tell the difference. They said it was split in January. I stacked in over two weekends ending two weekends ago. I do have a moisture meter and have split some for kindling or to make a little smaller and most is falling in the 17-19 range. I have found a couple at around 21ish. The ones I find above 20 I am not burning yet but I have burned a couple without splitting which could have been slightly higher. I can’t see now as it is dark but earlier I went outside a few times and other than when I first started I am not seeing smoke out the chimney.

The outside temp currently is 27 degrees. It was in the 30s earlier today.

Thank you for the help
Mike

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[jttoad1968]

1/8 inch on my rod can mean the difference between snuffing the fire out and having it just right with my stove. Takes time to get to know your rod

I figured they may all be slightly different. It is easy for me as of yet to go from flames to none.


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[blacktail]

Quick and easy method here, load the stove up, light the fire, wait 15-20 min for the fire to be established, start turning the air down in increments, waiting a minimum of 15 min between each movement, after 15min go outside and check .

If I waited that long to make adjustments, my stove would have been trashed a long time ago.

 

[begreen]

2 story chimney is good as is the outside temp. The likelihood is that the draft is good. That leaves the wood. Oak and maple are going to need longer than 10 months to season. Try burning the ash, that should dry out fastest. See how a stove full of the ash works. The maple may dry out next, oak typically takes 2 yrs. to dry out.

 

[jttoad1968]

2 story chimney is good as is the outside temp. The likelihood is that the draft is good. That leaves the wood. Oak and maple are going to need longer than 10 months to season. Try burning the ash, that should dry out fastest. See how a stove full of the ash works. The maple may dry out next, oak typically takes 2 yrs. to dry out.

Ok thanks. How can I tell what is what? Sorry I don’t know how to tell.


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[begreen]

Ok thanks. How can I tell what is what? Sorry I don’t know how to tell.


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That's a question for the Wood Shed forum here. The oak is probably heavier. The bark and the smell of the wood are also clues.