Hello from BKVP

[bkvp]

Several years ago I began monitoring and posting on another web site that has to with all things hearth.

Recently this site was brough to my attention by a blogger on the other site.

My name is Chris Neufeld and I am the Vice President of Blaze King Industries, Inc USA. Our offices are in Walla Walla Washington. I have been working in the industry for 18 years and have a very good understanding of solid fuel combustion. In the vein of full disclosure, I am a hunter, outdoorsman and racing enthusiast. (That's a nice way to say I can't compete at the to level of NHRA due top lack of skill and money). Been married 33 years, two grown sons and I mostly burn North Idaho Energy logs.

Visitors to our home often see thermocouples and other devices hooked to my personal stove. So it is certainly accurate to say I live and breath all things solid fuel. When they say my stove looks a bit scientific for home use, I suggest they go home and turn up their furnace! Yes, I can be that candid....and yes, also brutally honest.

Over the past 5 years (seems like a few decades), I have been keenly involved the new EPA NSPS and also participate on a few boards within the industry.

The purpose of this post is to just let bloggers know who I am so that if I post here folks don't think I have some specific hidden agenda.

Lastly, I travel quite extensively and will often post where my travels take me. If you just happened to be near to where I am, I would be happy to buy you a cold one.....regardless of what brand stove you own.

Thank you for this opportunity,

Chris Neufeld
Blaze King
Aka
BKVP here and elsewhere.

 

[cigmaker]

Welcome aboard Chris! I also frequent the other site all about hearth and found 99% of my information when installing my bk princess insert. The crowd here isn't quite as.... eh stuffy for lack of better words lol. Anyhow you will be a wealth of knowledge and experience in stove talk.

 

[RAYINTOMBALL]

Welcome aboard AS Chris. You should be a big help on this forum. Can't wait till fall and time to burn the woodstove. Sorry I have a Quad put still love watching the propane guy drive by.

 

[blades]

Hi Chris, ( my name also) welcome, Sorry no BK here either , I would love to try those energy logs but alas no dealers (WI) here.

 

[brenndatomu]

Welcome to AS, good to see another MFGR rep on here. There used to be at least a couple more reps here than there is now but they left the industry and AS too it seems. Hope ya don't mind a good argument...there have been some legendary ones here! Lot's of passionate wood burners around these parts

 

[bkvp]

Welcome aboard Chris! I also frequent the other site all about hearth and found 99% of my information when installing my bk princess insert. The crowd here isn't quite as.... eh stuffy for lack of better words lol. Anyhow you will be a wealth of knowledge and experience in stove talk.

Thank you...

 

[bkvp]

Welcome aboard AS Chris. You should be a big help on this forum. Can't wait till fall and time to burn the woodstove. Sorry I have a Quad put still love watching the propane guy drive by.

My dear friend started Quad so I can hardly fault you for your choice...

 

[bkvp]

Hi Chris, ( my name also) welcome, Sorry no BK here either , I would love to try those energy logs but alas no dealers (WI) here.

You should call their company and tell them where you live. Typically that is how it works these days. The mfg has to call the retailer and say "we've heard from consumers in your area"..,,,the logs work great. I have been able to burn for 3 seasons without much accumulation in the chimney system. Ask for Mr. Fairchild he's the owner.

 

[bkvp]

Welcome to AS, good to see another MFGR rep on here. There used to be at least a couple more reps here than there is now but they left the industry and AS too it seems. Hope ya don't mind a good argument...there have been some legendary ones here! Lot's of passionate wood burners around these parts

Thank you I always enjoy an argument based upon facts. Wood burners tend to be a passionate lot, which is a good thing. We care about saving money, not expecting others to help (except here with advice), knowledge and of course burning dry wood!

 

[zogger]

Howdy! Certainly heard a lot about your stoves, most of it good. But, for me, at around half a years pay for one, gonna have to just look at pics, hahaha. I run a 25 buck yard sale smogger.

 

[blades]

Howdy! Certainly heard a lot about your stoves, most of it good. But, for me, at around half a years pay for one, gonna have to just look at pics, hahaha. I run a 25 buck yard sale smogger.

I here ya, Just have a big black box from VA.

 

[Idahonative]

Several years ago I began monitoring and posting on another web site that has to with all things hearth.

Recently this site was brough to my attention by a blogger on the other site.

My name is Chris Neufeld and I am the Vice President of Blaze King Industries, Inc USA. Our offices are in Walla Walla Washington. I have been working in the industry for 18 years and have a very good understanding of solid fuel combustion. In the vein of full disclosure, I am a hunter, outdoorsman and racing enthusiast. (That's a nice way to say I can't compete at the to level of NHRA due top lack of skill and money). Been married 33 years, two grown sons and I mostly burn North Idaho Energy logs.

Visitors to our home often see thermocouples and other devices hooked to my personal stove. So it is certainly accurate to say I live and breath all things solid fuel. When they say my stove looks a bit scientific for home use, I suggest they go home and turn up their furnace! Yes, I can be that candid....and yes, also brutally honest.

Over the past 5 years (seems like a few decades), I have been keenly involved the new EPA NSPS and also participate on a few boards within the industry.

The purpose of this post is to just let bloggers know who I am so that if I post here folks don't think I have some specific hidden agenda.

Lastly, I travel quite extensively and will often post where my travels take me. If you just happened to be near to where I am, I would be happy to buy you a cold one.....regardless of what brand stove you own.

Thank you for this opportunity,

Chris Neufeld
Blaze King
Aka
BKVP here and elsewhere.

Nice to see you over here Chris. Surprised it took you so long. I've read a lot of your posts over there and found them very helpful...until I was banned. There are a lot of people over there who can't have a grown up discussion and the staff likes it that way. I have to give this site a lot of credit (aside from all the technical problems), they tend to allow people to speak their minds as long as the discussion stays respectful. I think that is very important because it is the only way for a person that comes to a forum to get REAL information. A forum that dictates the story line is about as useful as a chainsaw with no bar and chain.

As you can see in my sig, we own a King model. Many on here will call me a cheerleader for your products. They really don't know me. Yes, I have and will go to bat for your products but it isn't because I have some special loyalty towards the company you work for. It is pure and simply because your products work like no other available on the market (mostly because of your auto damper). Our King is an amazing piece of equipment and the best $3000 we ever spent.

As you may have witnessed on another forum, I'm kind of a controversial person mostly because I'm brutally honest. Regardless of what others say, I am not blinded by brand loyalty but I am a bit fanatical when it comes to equipment that works exceptionally well. Anyway, I'm thankful that you are here and will invest time to help others. There are many on this forum that will benefit.

PS: IMO, burning energy logs is just wrong.

 

[Del_]

PS: IMO, burning energy logs is just wrong.

Yes it is.

 

[brenndatomu]

I always enjoy an argument based upon facts

Is there any other kind?

 

[Marshy]

Hello BKVP, welcome to the site.

I started looking at your products about a year ago. I also started educating myself on the various technologies of solid fuel combustion and how the efficiency & EPA tests relate to real world. Not exactly an easy task, those tests are a dry read. I will likely have some questions for you about those tests and the products you offer. Its great to have you here.

 

[HarvestMan]

Hello BKVP,

I read three firewood forums and have read your posts on one of them. Glad to see you here as well. I have a question for you since you are an insider and I don't know of any others hanging out on these sites willing to answer questions. I would like to know BK's position regarding hybrid stoves (cat + secondary burn apparatus); I read in some BK literature than BK was the original developers of this concept many years ago.

Thanks.

 

[bkvp]

Hello BKVP, welcome to the site.

I started looking at your products about a year ago. I also started educating myself on the various technologies of solid fuel combustion and how the efficiency & EPA tests relate to real world. Not exactly an easy task, those tests are a dry read. I will likely have some questions for you about those tests and the products you offer. Its great to have you here.

Thank you. Dare I say the EPA has done a good turn with regard to efficiency and the marketing of the data. As of May 15th, 2015, manufacturers must provide the HHV Higher Heating Value efficiency for their appliances. Some have already begun to do so on their sites as well as printed materials. Anyone that is efficiency driven should always ask..."I would like to know the LHV and HHV numbers for this stove please." By getting both numbers, you will narrow down the facts. I once did a pre 2008 tax credit comparison versus once the tax credit was placed at 75% LHV. In general (that means not all cases) the difference can be 8-10% difference.

If you appreciate transparency, this rule creates that opportunity.

 

[bkvp]

Hello BKVP,

I read three firewood forums and have read your posts on one of them. Glad to see you here as well. I have a question for you since you are an insider and I don't know of any others hanging out on these sites willing to answer questions. I would like to know BK's position regarding hybrid stoves (cat + secondary burn apparatus); I read in some BK literature than BK was the original developers of this concept many years ago.

Thanks.

In 1983, Blaze King made the Princess 1000. It had two sources for air. One for four air tubes to feed fresh air to the cat and the primary air for the firebox itself. This was the time of avocado colored appliances and "hybrid" was not a buzz word.

Well, as it turns out, it was indeed a hybrid wood stove. So why did we stop selling them? First, they sold fine and were quite well favored. But, they were costly. In 1984, one year later, we developed a cat only stove that was cleaner burning, 2% more efficient and several hundred dollars less costly at retail. That model King 1101 was the very first stove certified in Oregon's Wood Stove Certification program, which predates the EPA rules of 1988.

If you compare emissions and efficiency numbers to actual retail costs of different technologies, you will find that while avocado appliances are no longer, the cost associated with additional technology has not disappeared.

So as to not violate the rules here, you can do the reading/research and come to your own opinion about dollar/value.

Chris

 

[HarvestMan]

So as to not violate the rules here, you can do the reading/research and come to your own opinion about dollar/value.

Thanks for your quick reply. I certainly wouldn't want you burned at the stake or crucified for daring to speak the truth as you see it (history shows us the human creature demands conformity to its endless list of rules and simply will not tolerate heresy - yes, I was always fond of the child in the Emperors New Clothes).

Perhaps you can answer this follow-up question. Is BK working on new cat only designs that exceed the 2020 emissions guidelines?

I have only owned cat stoves; I am trying to understand if hybrid technology is needed to achieve lower emissions or if a cat only design can achieve the same low emissions without the added complexity and potential issues that result from higher firebox temperatures that secondary burn tech produces.

 

[wireedm]

Great to see you on here, Chris!

I purchased a BK Princess Insert a couple years ago. I don't know of any other appliance that has exceeded my expectation such as this product. We burn 95% red oak, with our longest burn time being about 30 hours from a load of wood. Simply amazing. It was great to have our power bill during the winter drop from over $200 to about $95.

I like to do my due diligence research before making larger purchases and it's so satisfying to realize I purchased the best after seeing its performance myself!