Back in 2012 we installed a Blaze King Fireplace insert, the princess model. At the time I loved it. I loved the look, the qualities, the features and pretty much everything about the insert. My only question was how would it hold up over time? So here we are 8 years later and I don’t know how many tons of wood I have burned over those years.
Blaze King Princess – Information
- Name – Blaze King
- Model – Princess 29
- Where to Buy – Dealer Search
- Original Review – Original Review in 2012
- 1st Update – Update in 2015
- Blaze King – Blaze King Website
Blaze King Princess – Revisit Information
If you take a look at the older pictures, I have made changes to the tile and back but one thing that hasn’t changed is having the Blaze King as the center stone of our living room. The Princess is just such a beautiful looking insert. We want this to stand out and when we remodeled the house, one thing we knew was that whatever tile we used, we wanted the insert to stand out, which it does. When you walk in our house, the first thing people comment on is the insert since it’s in the first room people see. Over the years I can not believe how many people have asked us about the insert, from our readers to people who come into my house.
The insert has a built-in fan and on the top, you can see three fins that help heat up and blow the warm air into the house. On the top there is a heat gauge which I did have to replace but only because when we were doing the demo in the house, I dropped plaster and it bent the indicator.
As you can see the paint and the glass has held up. Sure I have some scratches over the years because of kids, the demo work and just dropping stuff but overall, the paint looks great.
Even the handles look awesome. The stain and color haven’t changed or worn off.
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When you open the door, the rope seal is still in place and not frayed. The glass is dirty but I have been running it on low. Once you turn the heat up, the glass clears off. Each spring when I do the cleaning, I scrape the glass and it looks just as good as it did the first day.
On the right side is where you control the damper. I haven’t had any issues and it still turns easily.
The fan is located on the left side. As with the damper, the fan switch is easy to turn and no issues.
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It’s hard to see because I am using the insert but the only problem I have is one of the bricks cracked but I am pretty sure that is because I threw a piece of wood in there and it probably cracked the brick.
Blaze King Princess Update – My Thoughts
We get a lot of emails asking me how the Blaze King is holding up. So I figure I would do this update with the pros and cons to this insert and my experience over the years.
Pros – The pros outweigh the cons by a mile.
- Efficiency – I love the efficiency of the insert. I can put wood in the insert before bed and when I wake up, 8 hours later, the insert is still hot and has plenty of heat so I can put new wood in and keep the fire going.
- Quality – I love the look and the quality of the unit. The insert is solid and works like it did on day one.
- Converter – I haven’t had to replace the converter but it’s easy to take out and clean. I know this can be pricey to change so I am happy it has lasted 8 years. The last time I took it out, last spring, it was in good condition. A few minor cracks but still in great shape. I will probably have to replace it this year or next year and will keep you up to date.
- Fan – The fan has lasted all these years. I have the fan on all winter and it never turns off so that says a lot about the build quality.
- Heat – The insert does an awesome job. We pretty much leave it on the lowest setting and it heats my four rooms plus my upstairs. Occasionally I will turn it to high to burn off the stuff on the glass and converter. I am in the process of putting a house fan in and will be able to circulate the heat around the whole house which will be nice.
Cons – Not much to complain about
- Noise – Since it’s all-metal, occasionally I do get some rattling going on in two places. Where the shroud meets the top plate, it rattles. As you can see I have a piece of paper in there to stop the rattling. The other place is by the damper. There is a chain and when the insert hits the right temp, something in there will rattle and I think it’s either the chain or the cover. Don’t get me wrong, 97% of the time it’s quiet but occasionally when the fan is running, it will cause some noise. The fan also will rattle sometimes which can be annoying. If I change the speed, it goes away but still is annoying and shouldn’t happen.
Tips and Tricks
You will learn a lot about the insert over the year but here are three good tips:
- Clean your insert every year. I noticed I didn’t clean it for two years straight and the third year, when I would open the door, smoke would always come into the house. Since then I clean it every summer and never have any issues with smoke coming in the house. Yes, you will get a little but I think you understand the difference.
- When you get wood, always get a couple of full pieces that aren’t cut. Sometimes I love throwing these in the fire before bed as they slow burn and if I sleep in the next morning, it’s still nice and hot and can add wood.
- Make sure you run the stove on high at least once a week. See the owner’s manual as it might be different but I have mine on low almost all the time. When you run it on high, it cleans the glass and cleans the converter.
Blaze King Princess Update – Wrap Up
Bottom line I love this insert. The Blaze King is beautiful and built to last. If you are looking into getting a Blaze King Princess Insert, I highly recommend buying it. I know it’s a big purchase but trust me, you will be happy and absolutely love it.
