BK Siroco Chimney Advice

I am stepping up from an VC Intrepid II, to a BK Sirocco 20. Heating about 1000' sq ft.

The intrepid II has been plenty when its burning, but we got tired of the short burn times. We were getting about 4 hours tops, so a mid-night filling was still leaving us needing to rebuild a fire in the morning. The VC has been our primary heat source for the last 4 years.

So, the BK should do the trick, I would think. Our Chimney setup goes straight out the top and through the roof. About 6' of 6" double wall to the ceiling, 1' to get through the roof, and 5' of Class A outside. Only about 12' to 13' of chimney from flue collar from cap.

The VC has always drafted great, leaving me to think the chimney isn't a problem. Is there any reason to think the BK would be any different?

It's sounding like the consensus is a bit taller a chimney...

What effect will I notice with less chimney? Poor draft?

Rickb said:

I have the sirocco 20 and it should be fine for 1000sqft. Full your burn times should be around 8 hours. Chimney wise mine is 20ft of class A and 6ft of dblwall black stove pipe. I think you may want a little taller chimney.

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Thanks Rick. Is your 8 hour burn time with the T-State on low? or High?

kennyp2339 said:

Go with the larger stove if you can, it will defiantly pay you back in the long run, I have a princess which is sized perfectly for my house, but I wish I had gotten the king instead so I can fit more wood, you really don't have to worry about these stoves baking you out of the room, they really can be dialed back to a low and slow burn which is why a 15ft minimum chimney height is requested by the manufacturer.

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Everyone keeps saying this on here, so I know it must be true. We are going with the 20, it's all ordered. I didn't even look at the price difference between a 20 and a 30. Does anyone know the price difference?

We've happily lived with a 4 hour burn time, 1.3 cu fire box for the last 4 years (crazy. right?). The Sirroco with the 1.8 cu and a 12 hour burn time will make us giddy. we are moving the VC to the enclosed loft of our barn where we have some living space, maybe someday we will move the 20 there, and buy a 30 for the house. Someday.

dh1989 said:

I was eyeing the 30 but went with the 20 due to clearance issues near my stairs (see my avatar picture). The front of the stove is basically flush with the stair rail when you look at it from the side. The 30 would stick out more.

My only gripe about the 20 is the log size it takes. Ideal is 15" but you can get away with 16". An odd 17" split will fit but you are close to touching the glass and want to make sure you don't jam the glass and break it when you latch the door. My wood dealer sells everything cut at about 14-16" so it's not an issue. Anything I cut myself gets cut at 15".

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I cut everything myself, shooting for 16, but sometimes end up with longer and shorter. Anything I can't burn in the house, I'll throw into the pile for the Dutch West in my shop. Can't wait to starting running my BK.

Woody Stover said:

Which model Dutchwest do you have? Keep us posted when you get the 20 up and running.
Which cat stoves have you used? The Woodstock Fireview drafts OK on 13.5' at my BIL's, and others run it on 13'. The Keystone seems to draft about as well, comparing the two stoves on my 16'...

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I have the DW 2461 in my barn/workshop. The guys I bought it from had replaced all the typical parts that usually go on them, plus the catalyst. I got it for $800. It slow burns way better than I expected, but does require a little babysitting to keep from getting the Cat temp too high.

chance04 said:

I'm in my first year with the Woodstock Ideal steel. I have the bare minimum of 15 ft. But in the milder weather I have to watch out for smoke spillage. I just got a roof brace and will be adding 4 ft of class a at some point this weekend

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Poindexter said:

Third verse same as the first...

I ran an Ashford 30 on 13.5' of pipe last winter, it settled down pretty good once the outdoor temps got down to 0dF of so.

I expect your stove will do fine once it gets really cold, and be frustrating again in the the spring shoulder season.

Running 15.5' of pipe on the same A30 this year, much better behaved from maybe +45dF or so on down.

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My VC Intrepid drafts really well from my short chimney setup, even in shoulder season. I don't really need a fire until overnight temps are below freezing anyway. Based on what I've learned here, I'll run the BK for a bit.... see if I get any issues with staling, then react if I do.