Blaze King Sirocco 25 insert

[mellow]

With a cold stove, you might have to pull the insert out a bit to get to the screws that hold the shroud to the insert. Once you get the shrouds off you will notice two bolts on either side of the insert that hold the ashtray on, that is a 7/16 to take them out, once they are off make sure the fan is unplugged and open the door and pull UP and OUT on the tray and it should come out. That will give you direct access to the tstat. If loading the stove place something over the tstat so junk does not fall into it while loading.

 

[mellow]

As the stove heats up the bimetallic coil should close it further to get a nice long low burn with minimal flames

Correct, mine as far as I can tell is not closing any further on low and I am eating through wood way to fast. Last night on Low our room was 83 degrees, had to open up some windows.

 

[Highbeam]

Correct, mine as far as I can tell is not closing any further on low and I am eating through wood way to fast. Last night on Low our room was 83 degrees, had to open up some windows.

This should have shown up during testing but it seems that placing the stat on the bottom of the firebox might be part of the challenge. I can just about always touch the bottom of my stove with my bare hands. The stat would have to be very sensitive to work properly at this location where temperature changes are small relative to stove output.

I notice no hole in your thermostat blade yet actual flames on the wood with a closed blade. Interesting. Perhaps an air leak somewhere?

Guys, thank you for this work in finding and figuring out an issue.

 

[BKVP]

The lower shroud and entire upper shroud must be installed in order fully cover all options when burning.

Mellow, the blade should be at a 20 degree angle when unit is room temp and thermostat knob is set to lowest setting.

 

[mellow]

the blade should be at a 20 degree angle when unit is room temp and thermostat knob is set to lowest setting.

I ran home for lunch and checked it with my phone, it is at 20 degrees at room temp and set to low.

 

[mellow]

Also while I was there I carefully used my heat gun to heat up the tstat while it was set on Low and it did close, so it is working but took a while, I was blowing the heat on the upper half just below the stove.

 

[mellow]

I can move my thermocouple onto the tstat, but not sure of best place to put it, what temps should I be seeing at the tstat to make the coil start to close it? If you don't know I could use the heat gun again to find out.

 

[begreen]

Is there an additional air port for boost air or airwash?

 

[mellow]

Is there an additional air port for boost air or airwash?

All air goes through the tstat box then up the back where it splits in a V and then goes to two tubes which run the top of the firebox and dump at the front window.

 

[mellow]

Is the thermostat blade open at a 20 degree angle when stove is not burning and thermostat set at lowest setting?
Yes

How long is your chimney?
24 feet with 6" flex liner with 1/2" insulation

What length are your splits?
16"-24"

Type of wood used for testing:
Gum & Maple - 15% - 18% on fresh split face, CSS for 2 years

 

[BKVP]

Tha

Also while I was there I carefully used my heat gun to heat up the tstat while it was set on Low and it did close, so it is working but took a while, I was blowing the heat on the upper half just below the stove.

View attachment 188269

That's great. What about assembling the unit completely with lower shroud, upper shroud. Perhaps all the air movement is keeping the thermostat from getting to temp. I think it is worth a shot.

 

[mellow]

assembling the unit completely with lower shroud, upper shroud

I can, my thoughts are to stick my thermocouple in between the bottom of the firebox and the tstat to monitor temps, it shouldn't throw anything off and will give some data on what temps the tstat is seeing on the top of it.

This is the thermocouple I am using so you can see it is not obtrusive: http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_3&products_id=307

I know you are not a "stove geek", I appreciate you working with me on this.

 

[BKVP]

We have sold plenty of the SC25 units 99% are running great....just want to help figure it out.

 

[mellow]

The stove is running great, I just want it to not be sooooo great

 

[BKVP]

I suspect your thermostat is fine but it's not getting hot....perhaps all the air movement around it. Keep in mind inserts are tested fully assembled.

Thank you for your willingness and patience.

 

[ejn327]

I pulled off my lower shroud and moved the flapper. By hand I could push it down all the way closed and it would spring back open.

I used a hair drier and gave it heat for 5 minutes and it slightly closed. I could still push it down by hand 1/2" -3/4" or so.

Mellow, how log did you heat yours with a hair drier when you tested it?

Here's a pic of the t-stat after 5 minutes of heat.

 

[Highbeam]

Kills me to see the black and white wires tied together.

 

[webby3650]

Kills me to see the black and white wires tied together.

It's a switch after all. What's so weird about it?

 

[Highbeam]

It's a switch after all. What's so weird about it?

It doesn't look like a switch. Looks like within that blue crimp connector is a black and white stripped wire. Crimped together. In the household electricity world that is a dead short.

 

[webby3650]

It doesn't look like a switch. Looks like within that blue crimp connector is a black and white stripped wire. Crimped together. In the household electricity world that is a dead short.

Rheostats are wired this way. Like a light switch, it's just a circuit interrupter.

 

[mellow]

Ok, so last night I put the thermocouple on top of the tstat in between it and the firebox to get a good sense of what temps it is seeing, with my heat gun blown on the upper half of the tstat for about 5-6 minutes I will see the flapper starting to close at around 350 degrees on the thermocouple very slowly as it should and it will fully shut.

I was rushed for time last night so I didn't assemble the entire stove back together but I did put the ash lip back on, which in my mind should be what is holding the temps in to the tstat, but I understand putting everything back to "factory" specs and will do that this weekend. I used very minimum fan speeds this time, only turned it on slightly since I was getting paint curing smell again from it running hotter than usual even with it set on Low.

As you will see on the video I was only able to get the tstat up to 325 and it did not close the flapper as you can see the fire was still burning hot.

 

[shoot-straight]

First- I am riveted to this thread now- thanks..... After having my own trials and tribulations with my Ashford, I simply cannot look away.

Second- Be patient, Chris (BKVP) will literally go to the ends of the earth to make sure your stove is running properly and you are happy. I have never seen such good customer service. PERIOD.

Brett
Fellow MD BK owner

 

[black smoke signals]

Good to know this!

 

[Dmitry]

Is there a chance that ash build up my affect thermostat behavior . It takes much longer time for fan to kick in on my Travis FPX if I got bed of ash since the sensor is under firebox.

 

[ejn327]

Is there a chance that ash build up my affect thermostat behavior . It takes much longer time for fan to kick in on my Travis FPX if I got bed of ash since the sensor is under firebox.

I had the same thought tonight. I'll clean out the before running it tomorrow.

Does anybody know how hot it needs to be to work properly? Looking at Mellow's video it has to be more than 325. I have a laser thermometer that I'll use to try and see how hot it gets near the t-stat.