Simple Thread: Blaze King Princess Burn Times

[mrmojo182]

I'm looking to buy a new stove, and I'm very interested in the Blaze King Princess, mostly because of the reported long burn times. I'm in MA, and close to the water, so super heating the houses isn't a priority, its more about long, even heat for me. I'm guessing I'll be keeping the T-stat at the 1.5 mark (don't know what dot that would be on the insert) as we don't like the house too hot (upper 60's, in a single level 1600 sqft ranch).

I'm just looking for what people are getting for burn times based on: wood, sqft heated, t-stat setting, average temp in house, and where you are located.

The reason I wanted to start this thread is when I search the forum, I keep getting tons of different answers, and sometimes the threads get really off topic (only sometimes ). I'm trying to figure out what I can reasonably expect with this stove, as I'm hesitant to bite the bullet on the $3,000!

Thanks for your help, and I want to say that while I don't post much, I really appreciate everyone's participation in the forum, it really has helped me out a lot over the years.

Jon

 

[rdust]

A lot of variables, the insert and freestanding guys also report pretty big differences. My typical burn time on 1.5 in the warmer weather is an easy 24 hours. With temps in the high 20's/low 30's at night I'm able to burn 24 hours pretty regular. I've only had one or two days this season so far where I couldn't make it 24 hours on a load keeping the house in the 72-68 range.

I asked these same questions before I bought mine, here is that thread. https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads...anding-users-insert-users-also-welcome.64225/

Performance thread from this year.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/2012-2013-blaze-king-performance-thread-everything-bk.93182/

Performance thread from last year, this one has some pretty detailed burn info.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/the-blaze-king-performance-thread.79511/

 

[rdust]

This was a detailed burn from last January that I posted.

8:00 pm
Stove top 260*
Loaded stove with 46.6 pounds of oak and silver maple(wife thinks I'm insane)
8:25 pm
Outside temp. 23* NW wind 14mph
Inside hallway temp 70*
Stove top 746*, t-stat just below the "n" in normal or just below "2", fans on low

Tonight is supposed to get to 14* with NW winds near 20 mph, we'll see how it goes, I'm not sure what t-stat setting I need to keep the heat up and get me through the night with enough heat since we haven't had many cold nights yet. I may have to experiment with the t-stat settings some in this weather to get my desired inside temp.

Edit: another layer of small splits would be possible if I'd take some ash out, it's an inch or so below the bricks so I have about 5 inches of ash in the bottom.

10:00 pm stove on 1.75, stove top 546*
Outside temp 22*
Inside hallway temp 71*

10:40 pm stove on 1.5, stove top 434*
Outside temp 21*
Inside hallway temp 71*

I turned the stove down to 1.5 since the draft is stronger tonight due to the colder temps., it was getting a little warm in the family room.

The house is a two story house just shy of 2K(1968 I think) built in 1980 so probably terrible wall insulation with newer windows.

11:55 pm stove on 1.5 stove top 43x*
Outside temp 18*
Inside hallway temp 70*

The stove top was up about a half hour ago in the 500 range but settled back in. Not sure if it's the draft or what since I've never really followed the temps that closely. The flapper could have opened and closed a little bit for all I know.

I don't think the t-stat at 1.5 is going to cut it all night, I think I need to be a little hotter to make it through while keeping temps in the low 70's but we'll see. Worst case I'll turn up the t-stat before reloading before work, actually the wife will turn it up when she gets up if she's cold.

Time for bed......

Quick morning report as I walk out the door.

5:00 am hallway 70* stove top 400* wife moved coals to center and turn up to 2.5 to make room for wood before I got up
7:30 am stove hotspot 350* big nasty coal bed hallway temp 70* outside temp 17*

7:45 am
Stove is just shy of 600* loaded with almost all oak and two pieces of silver maple on the bottom center. I'll give it a few more minutes and dial it down to 1.75 and head out the door. Curious to see how it makes out today since we shouldn't get out of the low 20's.

5:45 pm stove on 1.75, stove top 33x fan on low
Outside temp 18*
Inside hallway temp 68*

I just raked the coals to the middle of the stove and turned the t-stat up. Still plenty of fuel in it so I'm hoping the stove top will get back into the 400* range so I can get some heat back in here before the wife gets home. :lol: I think I would've had better luck burning it on 2 or above since I still have a lot of fuel left in the stove.

6:00 pm stove on 3, stove top 40x with fans on medium I can feel some decent heat coming out now
Inside hallway temp 69* and rising

With the Endeavor I would've had the doors to the living room closed and the 2 out of the 4 bedroom doors closed when it got below 30*. I've been able to keep all the rooms open so far, I'm sure at some point the living room doors will get closed though. The living room is 300 sq' with three outside walls so it's typically the cold room in the house. To be fair the Endeavor was also smaller but only by a couple medium sized splits when I have the BK full of ash. The house would've been in the lower 60's with the Endeavor on a day like today when I got home from work with just enough coals to start the next load. I should be able to load around 8:00pm if things go right.

To close this stove is a bad little lady that I couldn't be happier with. Sure the fire isn't as pretty but honestly the trade off of less hassle wood burning is well worth it. No sitting in an uncomfortably hot family room anymore or laying on the floor to escape the heat :lol: running in right after work to load the stove, filling the stove 3+ times a day, over heating the house to make it through the night, dealing with runaway stoves etc. I do think if winter ever gets here and stays I'll need a small fire after work to get me to the night reload since I think burning the stove hotter during the day would help keep the temp up when it stays in the bottom 20's or lower.

I probably won't have much to add until we get single digit or zero type cold. Who am I kidding I'll have something to say sooner than that! :lol:

Anyway I hope my ramblings helped answer some of the questions people had/have.

 

[Todd]

24-30 hours with a full load of Oak at 1.5 will maintain my 2200 sq ft house in the 70's when the outside temps are in the 30-50 degree range. My stove is also located in my finished basement so when it's colder I need to burn it a little hotter at #2 or a 12 hour burn to get the heat upstairs or burn my Keystone.

 

[nellraq]

I am a relatively new BK owner - have been burning the Chinook 30 for just shy of a month. The ch 30 has a 2.75 cu. ft. box...the Princess has a 2.8 cu. ft. box ---so virtually the same. I read somewhere on Hearth.com that they use slightly different Tstats (can anyone confirm this?) - which actually gives the Chinook a slightly longer burn time.

+1 to all the favourable comments that rdust made above.

I burn mainly fir and larch and have no trouble getting 24 hours on 1.5 with lots of coal left for a restart. I usually rake the coals to the front after 24 hours and burn them hot for another hour or so. Stove top in this cycle: 550 +/- at the beginning to just under 300 at the end. Outside temps have been just around freezing (dipped to -5C a few nights).

The stove is in a partially finished basement ...in the process right now of framing and insulating the cold 7' concrete north wall. I am very surprised (and thrilled) at how well the Chinook has heated the upstairs -lowest temp since I got the stove was 19.5C - about 69F.

Will be interesting to see what the Chinook will do after the north wall is insulated.

Love the fact that I no longer feel like a slave to the stove ...load it, burn on Hi for awhile, turn Tstat down and forget it for 24. hours.

IMO it's hard to go wrong with a BK! It's even got a 10 year warranty on the combuster.

 

[Highbeam]

I have a smaller 1700 SF home, single story, built in 1963 and my climate is moderated by the puget sound. Most days, the outside temps run from 40-50. Chimney is 12-13 feet long overall, vertical pipe, and indoors. My elevation is at about 700 feet in the cascade foothills.

I burn softwoods and low density hardwoods. Most of my experience with the princess has been with overly dry (slight punk) willow and red alder. Low burn is at 1.5, easy 24 hours, house temps in the mid 70s in the stove room but right at 70 in the bedrooms.

 

[mrmojo182]

Thanks everyone who responded!.

rdust, I'm also hung up on whether or not to go with the insert or the free standing unit. My set up is below. I know there has been lots of discussion between putting a freestanding in an install like this. The few prices I have been quoted, there seems to be a big different between say the princess classic vs. the insert. I'm leaning toward the free standing, but not sure.

 

[mrmojo182]

oh, and i should say I really wanted the king, and if it would fit (which I'm pretty sure it won't) I would re-line the chimney, and get that in a heart beat!

 

[weatherguy]

Thanks everyone who responded!.

rdust, I'm also hung up on whether or not to go with the insert or the free standing unit. My set up is below. I know there has been lots of discussion between putting a freestanding in an install like this. The few prices I have been quoted, there seems to be a big different between say the princess classic vs. the insert. I'm leaning toward the free standing, but not sure.

View attachment 83165

If its doable Id go with the freestander, you'll get more heat and longer burn times, there is a difference between the two.

 

[mrmojo182]

That's what I'm leaning toward, and it will fit. Its similar in size to the englander

 

[bag of hammers]

once again you guys are making me like the idea of a cat stove more and more...

 

[speyside]

I do not usually post on forums, however I am so impressed with my blaze king chinook I felt I had too.

Put simply - it is the best $3000 I have ever spent.

Thank you.

 

[Ricky8443]

Little disappointed with burn times here. Heard a lot about blaze king burn times and I'm not getting same results as everyone else.. I'm getting about 9 hour burn times with the princess insert and keeping my downstairs 1800 sf house at 73 degrees F and upstairs around 70 degrees F when its 35-40 degrees outside one medium/low setting. Burning mix of hardwoods (oak, ash, beech), seasoned 18 months with roughly 18% moisture content. If I put on low I get about 13 hours of heat, but only coals for the last 2 hours. If I burn on high its completely burned out in about 5-6 hours. Average draft in chimney, average insulation in house, tight window/door gasket, catalytic combuster seems to be working fine. Stove top temps are about 400 degrees and combuster is 'active'. It just seems like i'm not getting the same burn time as everyone else. Little frustrating in the mornings when its not putting out much heat.

 

[weatherguy]

Little disappointed with burn times here. Heard a lot about blaze king burn times and I'm not getting same results as everyone else.. I'm getting about 9 hour burn times with the princess insert and keeping my downstairs 1800 sf house at 73 degrees F and upstairs around 70 degrees F when its 35-40 degrees outside one medium/low setting. Burning mix of hardwoods (oak, ash, beech), seasoned 18 months with roughly 18% moisture content. If I put on low I get about 13 hours of heat, but only coals for the last 2 hours. If I burn on high its completely burned out in about 5-6 hours. Average draft in chimney, average insulation in house, tight window/door gasket, catalytic combuster seems to be working fine. Stove top temps are about 400 degrees and combuster is 'active'. It just seems like i'm not getting the same burn time as everyone else. Little frustrating in the mornings when its not putting out much heat.

It'll take you a while to learn the nuances of the stove and get I dialed in, that said, the insert doesn't get as long a burn time as the free stander, in the cold weather I was happy with 8-9 hours with heat pouring out.

 

[Ricky8443]

My owner's manual says it'll burn 27 hours on low. Unfortunately not even seeing half of that. Maybe the nuances will become apparent in the future? I pay high attention to detail and it seems like a fairly straightforward operation as far as engaging the cat when hot enough, so I have a hard time imagining that its a stove nuance.

 

[rdust]

My owner's manual says it'll burn 27 hours on low. Unfortunately not even seeing half of that. Maybe the nuances will become apparent in the future? I pay high attention to detail and it seems like a fairly straightforward operation as far as engaging the cat when hot enough, so I have a hard time imagining that its a stove nuance.

When you burn on low what is the stove temp after 13 hours? How many coals are left in the stove? How full are you loading the stove? Are you running the fans?

 

[Ricky8443]

When you burn on low what is the stove temp after 13 hours? How many coals are left in the stove? How full are you loading the stove? Are you running the fans?

around 180 degrees. A few coal here and there barely glowing. Loading the stove as much as possible, probably about 15-20% empty space by virtue of can't fit any more pieces in. I'm running blower on 3/4 power (full power rattles like crazy and is offensively loud).

 

[Tenn Dave]

If extra long burn times are your thing, and you like the looks of the stove, BK's are hard to beat.

 

[rdust]

around 180 degrees. A few coal here and there barely glowing. Loading the stove as much as possible, probably about 15-20% empty space by virtue of can't fit any more pieces in. I'm running blower on 3/4 power (full power rattles like crazy and is offensively loud).

On my free standing princess the fans will knock the burn time down significantly. Just for kicks burn a load down with the fans off or on the lowest setting and see if it makes a difference. Obviously an insert needs the fan to move the heat out but I'd be curious if it makes a difference.

I'm getting 12 hours or so right now burning soft maple chunk wood without the fans running.

 

[Tenn Dave]

It'll take you a while to learn the nuances of the stove and get I dialed in, that said, the insert doesn't get as long a burn time as the free stander, in the cold weather I was happy with 8-9 hours with heat pouring out.[/qu

Little disappointed with burn times here. Heard a lot about blaze king burn times and I'm not getting same results as everyone else.. I'm getting about 9 hour burn times with the princess insert and keeping my downstairs 1800 sf house at 73 degrees F and upstairs around 70 degrees F when its 35-40 degrees outside one medium/low setting. Burning mix of hardwoods (oak, ash, beech), seasoned 18 months with roughly 18% moisture content. If I put on low I get about 13 hours of heat, but only coals for the last 2 hours. If I burn on high its completely burned out in about 5-6 hours. Average draft in chimney, average insulation in house, tight window/door gasket, catalytic combuster seems to be working fine. Stove top temps are about 400 degrees and combuster is 'active'. It just seems like i'm not getting the same burn time as everyone else. Little frustrating in the mornings when its not putting out much heat.

When your oak firewood gets to be about 3 years old it would not surprise me to see your burn times and heat output increase. I burn only oak and hickory, and when it reaches 3 years of seasoning, the stove performance increases dramatically. I get a few more hours of burn time and a lot higher stove temps.

 

[Dieselhead]

Little disappointed with burn times here. Heard a lot about blaze king burn times and I'm not getting same results as everyone else.. I'm getting about 9 hour burn times with the princess insert and keeping my downstairs 1800 sf house at 73 degrees F and upstairs around 70 degrees F when its 35-40 degrees outside one medium/low setting. Burning mix of hardwoods (oak, ash, beech), seasoned 18 months with roughly 18% moisture content. If I put on low I get about 13 hours of heat, but only coals for the last 2 hours. If I burn on high its completely burned out in about 5-6 hours. Average draft in chimney, average insulation in house, tight window/door gasket, catalytic combuster seems to be working fine. Stove top temps are about 400 degrees and combuster is 'active'. It just seems like i'm not getting the same burn time as everyone else. Little frustrating in the mornings when its not putting out much heat.

im in your boat, but with a king! 12-14 hrs until there's little useable coals, would never make 24 hrs without having to start fresh. Hardwood, 3 year seasoned. 2600 sqft open floor plan new construction. 70 deg inside ranging from 30's to high 50's outside.

 

[shoot-straight]

although i have an ashford, i have not gotten the elusive 24 hr burn either. i am doing better this year than i did last year though. i truly think there is a huge differnence in burn times depending on your setup. also, yes i think wood quality makes a hige difference as well. i am burning big 6x6x6 sized chunks of pine right now. they have been burning pretty darn good actually.

oh, and i leave my fan on low all the time- i guess im considered an alcove installation so they want them on.

 

[Ricky8443]

good stuff, thanks for the additional feedback. i'll get my hands on a few loads of long seasoned oak and see if I notice a difference.

 

[weatherguy]

It wasn't uncommon for me to get 12+ hour burns during shoulder season with a good load of oak or hickory, a lot of that burn the blower was off since it would of got too hot. During the middle of winter I would get 8-9 hours and that was turning the stat up towards the end of the burn to get more heat. It takes time to get used to the stove and learn what works best for you, I also think different set ups contribute to the different burn times.

 

[rdust]

It wasn't uncommon for me to get 12+ hour burns during shoulder season with a good load of oak or hickory, a lot of that burn the blower was off since it would of got too hot. During the middle of winter I would get 8-9 hours and that was turning the stat up towards the end of the burn to get more heat. It takes time to get used to the stove and learn what works best for you, I also think different set ups contribute to the different burn times.

Do you have a progress comparison posted somewhere?