Should I get a Blazeking King or Princess?

[servant119b]

I have read a lot about Blaze King. Everything I can find on the internet. It is just so hard to know what size stove to get without learning from experience by trial and error. I am asking people who have had a Blaze King what they think I should get based on my priorities.

I am very much attracted to the 40 hour burn time of the King. We have a 1 1/2 story house out in the country, 1/4 mile from a cliff overlooking Lake Michigan. We do get the blowing and drifting snow that comes off the lake, but there are quite a few trees breaking the wind between the lake and our house. But more wind then if we didn't live near the lake-shore. The bottom story is 991 ft with a 3/4 story upstairs. It would be a full 2 story home except the 2nd story walls are not 8 ft high on the perimeter of the house. So about 742 ft upstairs. There is no insulation in the house at all, and it was built in the 1890's. I may be putting insulation in the attic at some point. The windows are probably original. We would put the stove in the living room pretty much in the corner that is near the center of the house. There is a normal size doorway leading from the living room into the kitchen and a large door leading from the living room into the bedroom. From there a door from the kitchen and a door from the bedroom lead into the bathroom completing the circle. The door to the upstairs will be right next to the wood stove. There will be numerous open vents leading down to the unfinished basement. The wood stove will be the main heat source. Any back-up heat source will hopefully never be used.

From mid-December though early-March we can count on normal high temps being anywhere from 5 or 10 degrees to 35 degrees. A couple days each winter it may even get down to -20 and a low of 0 is not uncommon. Fahrenheit of course. In October the highs may be in the 50's and November and March can be quite cold. The first snow flakes show up around Halloween.

So, my question is if the King size is doable without roasting us out of the home. I would love to run it on low all the time and take advantage of the large box and long burn times. I will be burning all types of wood (some that has been dead and partially rotted and some that is solid) - oak, maple, cherry, beech, walnut, white pine, red pine, hemlock etc. Please help. If you have any questions please ask. Thanks.

P.S. I'm including a screenshot of average temps from usclimatedata.com but these numbers do seem high to me but are probably accurate.

 

[begreen]

Welcome. If the goal is to insulate then I would probably go for the Princess though either stove should work fine for winter burning. With the King you are primarily adding fuel capacity. Run on low it will still produce about 15,000btus per hour. The Princess will produce about 12,000 btus per hour so you will get a bit better mild weather burning satisfaction out of it.

Definitely invest in insulation. It will increase comfort, reduce temp swings, and bills year round. See if the state has an energy audit and retrofit program to help defray some cost.

 

[DougA]

My wife grew up in a house that is similar and I can tell you that your biggest concern will be distributing the heat, not which model to buy. These rooms will be small and a doorway is just not enough to allow heat to move freely into other areas.

 

[Highbeam]

The king requires an 8" flue and is physically larger. The low burn rates are very close to each other and in the real world I don't think you would notice the difference. The king has two huge advantages.

-One is burn time as you know up to 40 hours from 30 hours on the princess, but rather than look at max burn times look at the percentage of increase. You get 30% longer burn with the king at any particular output setting. Nice to run 24 hours at medium output with the king.

-Range of output. You can idle a king for 40 hours at almost the same output as a princess. A king at 800 will make much more heat than a princess at 800 so you have a wider output range. Sometimes you just need max output.

If you have space for the stove and the proper flue then I would absolutely get the king.

 

[Scoutin Wyo]

I had a king in my tri-level home in windy Cheyenne, WY. Each level was roughly 600sf and the stove was in the lowest level. The King was perfect. As DougA stated, the problem wasn't stove output but trying to get the hot air evenly circulated throughout the house. On those windy cold nights the upper bedrooms on the up wind side of the house suffered. It was a 2x4 house that was cheaply made in the early 1990's and after I put in new windows it was much better but the lack of good vapor/wind barrier the wind would find its way in at every little opening.

The stove price in my area is the same for the Princess & the King. The 8" triple wall will cost more than the 6" triple wall.

My vote would be the King. You can dial it down, have a boring black fire and not have to touch it for 24-40 hours.

Good luck with the project.

 

[rdust]

If you have the room to support the extra stove and flue size get the King and don't give it a second thought. You'll be impressed at how low the King will burn.

 

[Swedishchef]

There is no insulation in the house at all

A princess could work well but I'd bet on the king instead. But first I'd consider blowing some insulation in the walls or perhaps adding 2 inches of foam under the siding....it's sucks when you heat outside continuously. And blow some in the attic. (if you can)

Andrew

 

[servant119b]

Thanks very much for all the posts so far. It helps a lot.

 

[jeff_t]

Realize that you will only see 40 burns at low output. That ain't likely in a drafty, old, uninsulated house in the middle of winter.

 

[Rossco]

Bigger is better.

Dry wood is a key component to the efficient running of either stove! Without it? You're gonna call everyone here a lieing SOB!!

 

[Swedishchef]

By the way, welcome to the forums and congrats on the house! I love old houses..I just wish they were insulated better. As mentioned here, you'll need some DRY wood. And dry does not mean "I just cut/split/stacked it 5 months ago". Try to find a source of wood that has been stacked for a year or two already...then start cutting now for future years.

ALl the best!

Andrew

 

[BKVP]

Servant119B....

I think you should buy one of each! You see I have three grandkids and my eldest son is getting married this September...

Seriously, I have a Sears Home built in 1895. The mail man drops the mail through the slot in the door. There are several slots to chose from as a matter of fact. Heck, the UPS driver can slide a small package through. The R Value in my home is closer to zero than 30.

I live 35 miles from the confluence of the Columbia River and the Snake River. High winds are normal and my house sings just an octave off all the time. I have a King model in a room that is 18 x 24. That stove is able to run me out of the house but I was able to widen the door ways to two adjoining rooms to allow the heat to migrate through the house. I also use the furnace blower only to move air throughout the home.

They guys here are correct about getting some insulation into the walls and attic. Your windows would also be a target.

If you elect to get the King, try to place the stove in such a location as to maxiize keeping the chimney on the interior of the home and exit near the peak of the house. With a recommended minimum run of 15', you will want to captilaize on any placement that keeps the chimney warm.....especially with the wind situation you describe.

You could go with the Princess and use the $1,000 you save on the 6" stack and stove cost difference and for the $1000 spray the attic full of insulation....do a few windows etc. If you are placing the stove in the corner of the room and exiting with most of the 15' in the cold air, go with the Princess.

Or buy one of each and I start a college fund.....

 

[Jags]

Okay - I snickered.

Nice post BKVP.

 

[servant119b]

Thanks for all the advise so far. The stove will be near the chimney which is in the center of the home. The chimney is just big enough for an 8 inch insulated flexible flu. There is in offset where it goes through the chimney--hence the need for a flexible flu. Is there anything bad I should know about a flexible flu or anything I need make sure the professional installer is doing right? I assume it's important to have 2 45 degree angles on the flu before it enters the chimney at a 90 degree angle. From there it has to go through the 2nd level and the attic.

I am glad most people recommend I get the King. I assume even if I insulate the walls and attic a King will still be okay and will not roast us out. I've heard 50% of the heat goes through the roof so the attic is 1st priority and seems easier to me than the walls or windows. I'm going to wait until after the first winter though, both for financial reasons and because I want to see the difference insulation makes. I've never lived in the country before and I've never had a wood-stove or fireplace.

For wood I plan on buying seasoned wood for the first winter, and possibly the 2nd as well. I understand that only hard, dry wood will get me long burn times.

 

[rdust]

For wood I plan on buying seasoned wood for the first winter, and possibly the 2nd as well. I understand that only hard, dry wood will get me long burn times.

Buying truly seasoned(cut/split/stack for a year +) hardwoods is tough. If you buy now you can figure it's be 6 months seasoned by November. Cat stoves are picky you want the best wood you can get. Stay away from oak if at all possible for wood that will be burned this year, oak needs 2 seasons + before it's right. I give it at least 3 but usually ends up being 4 before it sees the stove. Get on the 3 year plan now if you're going to be serious about heating cleanly/efficiently/easily with wood. Sub par wood can take the fun out of heating with wood, the first year is tough for most of us so getting wood put up now is what you need to do.

 

[DougA]

Buy a moisture meter. $20 on sale and a tiny portion of what the rest will cost. The 2 most important things people need but usually neglect is a moisture meter and a good flue thermometer. If the wood is over 20%, you'll have problems with your stove.

 

[servant119b]

Buying truly seasoned(cut/split/stack for a year +) hardwoods is tough.

So if someone advertises it on Craigslist as seasoned wood is it not safe to trust them? Or should I bring a moisture meter with me? Or just ask questions to find out what they mean by seasoned?

If the wood is over 20%, you'll have problems with your stove.

When you say I'll have problems with the stove do you mean beyond just not as long of burn times? I didn't know I was going to be living in this house until earlier this year - a lot was up in the air. There are also a lot of repairs that need to be done which are in the way of me gathering wood. I just figured I would buy seasoned wood until I could get some seasoned. And, I need to acquire the equipment to get wood too, and the other repairs are demanding finances. I don't have a pick-up truck yet, or a splitter, or a large structure to store the wood in. I do have a chain saw . I wish it was next Spring and I had all the equipment in place and plenty of time. At first I was just going to get a pellet stove but decided not to throw money down the drain on a stove and set-up that I wouldn't want more than a few years.

Finances will become more fluid with each passing month. I'm aiming to do the best I can - any more advice on how to find dry wood would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[BrotherBart]

So if someone advertises it on Craigslist as seasoned wood is it not safe to trust them? Or should I bring a moisture meter with me? Or just ask questions to find out what they mean by seasoned?

There is no moisture content definition for "seasoned" wood. What you need is dry wood.

 

[Swedishchef]

So if someone advertises it on Craigslist as seasoned wood is it not safe to trust them? Or should I bring a moisture meter with me? Or just ask questions to find out what they mean by seasoned?

I would 1- ask questions 2- if possible go inspect the wood myself with a moisture meter prior to delivery.

Lots of people who use old smoke dragons think that seasoned or dry wood is wood that has been stacked for 2 months or more.

Andrew

 

[DougA]

I would not trust anyone selling wood. Take a moisture meter and check the wood. Lighter wood such as silver maple, poplar, ash, etc. will dry in 1 yr. if cut, split and stacked in a dry area. Oaks will take at least 2 and quite often 3 yrs. Even experienced people have difficulty telling exactly the % until it goes into the stove, then it's obvious.

Some stoves are more forgiving than others. If the wood is not dry enough, you will have problems starting fires, draft issues, creosote buildup and getting the stove to high temperatures that you will be expecting. Burn times are not a problem because wood that is not dry will actually take longer to burn as the moisture has to burn off first.

There are a ton of threads here each year from people anxious to get their new stove going and are super frustrated. They've been told by their wood supplier that the wood is fully seasoned and it is not.

 

[begreen]

When checking the wood for moisture you should resplit the split in half. Then test the split on the freshly exposed face of wood. Press the probes firmly into the wood and try to do this test at around a temp of 70F.

 

[servant119b]

Now I have a question about where to install the stove. In the attached picture, I was going to put it in location A because it would be close to the center of the home and near the 2 doors and near the chimney in the center of the home. The installer who gave me a quote said not to put it there because the fans would blow the air towards the windows in the living room and not towards the doors. If I put it in the corner of the living room the fans would blow it towards the doors. Also the chimney would need a insulated flexible flu and if we put it in the corner we will install a rigid triple wall flu chimney that goes straight up through the attic (and 9 ft above the roof line) with no bends or angles. Is that high enough with strong winds coming from the lake? If I put it in location A it would enter the chimney through the wall on a 90 degree angle and then the chimney is offset going through the attic so the flexible flu would have a bend in it there too. I realize the bathroom and pantry (which will probably be turned into a laundry room) will struggle to get warm, but I want to know which location for the stove will work best. We are probably going to seal off the door going upstairs and not heat the upstairs. It's just me and my wife right now.

A neighbor said with an un-insulated house we'd be using 15 to 20 cords of wood each year. I'd appreciate feedback on how much wood I might need each year based on the info I've already shared about this house.


So, my questions:

1. Is B a better location for A?

2. Approximately how many cords of oak if it's seasoned 1 year less than optimal? (It will probably be seasoned for a full 1.5 years... of I could get some that is cut this summer that is standing dead with no bark on it sending off sparks when being cut.) Just a guess is all I'm asking for.

3. Is 9 feet from where it comes out of the roof a high enough chimney?

4. I read if I cut, split, and stack black cherry soon it might be ready for the winter after this coming winter. What do you think of this? I have some black cherry trees I want to get rid of. How does cherry compare in the spectrum ranging from good to bad firewood?

5. If I use wood that is not totally DRY, let's say it's oak that has seasoned for 1 1/2 years... will it harm the Blazeking stove or honeycomb combuster? I realize it's too late to heat optimally but I'm wondering if it will harm the stove. I can always clean the chimney.


Thanks for all the help.

 

[prezes13]

You want your stove as central as possible. Have your fans moving cold air towards your stove, most of the time it works better than trying to push hot air away from the stove. Rule of tumb is softwood will take a year to season and hardwood two. But it all depends on climate, location, size of splits, spicies of wood way of stacking it etc. I don't really think you would burn that much wood with a modern stove. In my opinion 8 cords would be a high number, 5-6 is mostlikely. If i was You i would start scrounging wood now. Instead of buying ify wood I would rather buy compressed fuel bricks like eco bricks or northern Idaho energy logs for example. They are great to burn, a bit more expensive than a cord wood at least in ct but there is no guessing game, you know what you pay for.

 

[Swedishchef]

Hey!

1- rooms will heat up no matter where the stove is. Once the warm air reaches the top of the doorway (from the ceiling down), it will start creeping into other rooms. Location A is more central so in my opinion, A is the best. Less distance for the heat to travel.

2- 9 feet above the highest part of the roof is a bit overkill..your chimney needs to be at least 2 feet taller than any point with in 10 feet (the 10/2 rule).

3- if you burn 20 real cords of wood i'll eat my shirt (and I am not a big fan of linens ). I don't think any stove could consume that amount in a winter without overfiring it. HOwever, if his cord is a face cord, than yes (3 face cords per cord): that would meant 5-6 true cords of wood which is possible.

4- Cherry is a very good hard wood and will offer plenty of BTUs. I'd burn it if I had some around me to cut. The Oak may take a little longer to season..try cutting a standing dead one, split a piece and take the moisture content reading with a meter. That'll let you know if it's good.

I think non optimal wood in a cat stove will clog the cat but someone else can chime in on that one..

Start cutting wood!

Andrew

 

[Highbeam]

if you burn 20 real cords of wood i'll eat my shirt (and I am not a big fan of linens ). I don't think any stove could consume that amount in a winter without overfiring it. HOwever, if his cord is a face cord, than yes (3 face cords per cord): that would meant 5-6 true cords of wood which is possible.

I agree and good point. Some guys didn't go to the right school, they were taught that a cord is something other than 128 cubic feet of stacked splits. In my first year with a silly non-efficient noncat stove and a mostly uninsulated house I went through 7 cords and that is a lot.

You're at 1700 SF, two stories, with the #1 most efficient stove on the market. Unless you leave a door open I can't see how you would burn 20 cords.