Sirocco 20

[BillsWS]

Hello fellas (and any ladies on board). It has been awhile. In a thread I posted way last year I told you about my wife agreeing to let me put in a wood stove but her saying if she smelled smoke she was moving out. Well, we are both moving out, to be divorced July 12th after 25 years. Sucks. Anyway, I was amazed to find a condominium that will let me put in a wood stove (in writing). I am thinking about a Sirocco 20. The only thing I disliked about my one season using the BK Princess was that it often dumped smoke when reloading. You helped a lot with suggestions: open window to dissipate negative pressure, shutting off the fan, closing the damper and slightly opening the door, etc.. which helped. I am just hoping the Sirocco, with its vertical front and door opening won't dump smoke as easy as the Princess. Anyone have experience with a Sirocco and how was the reloading, did it dump smoke?

Thanks.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Bill that is terrible news. Still wish you good luck for your future.

 

[jeff_t]

That does suck. On the other hand, you can spill smoke now...

Might have better luck going thru some older threads to figure out who has one, then send a PM. Most have it sent up to get an email alert when someone starts a conversation. Things are dying down here with the end of the heating season.

Wood stove in a condo? Silly yoopers.

 

[Bster13]

What sort of chimney is the new setup going to have?

 

[BillsWS]

Thanks Backwoods Savage. Jeff_T, did a search of Sirocco, read a half dozen, none discussed smoke spillage. Bster13, Class A. I started out thinking I would put the new stove in the LR, but it is a small place. It has a full basement so I think the basement would be a better spot. I will see if I can steal some space inside one of the main floor closets to feed the Class A up through.

 

[rdust]

Terrible news! I'm sure everything will eventually work out. Can't be easy after 25 years.

As for the stove I have not read anyone mention the smoke spillage with the 20. As Jeff suggested find some owners with them and start a conversation.

 

[webby3650]

There are only a few out there with the 20. I haven't heard of any issues with smoke spillage.
My King blasted out smoke too, and it was a straight up and out flue. I have no idea why, I have had other stoves on that flue that didn't smoke out. ??
I think the vertical door will make a difference.

 

[fox9988]

Bill that does suck. I hope the kids are grown and on there own (mine where 3 months and 20 months) .
King and Princess (great stoves) have a reputation of smoke spillage. I haven't read much on the forum from Sirocco users.
FWIW- My Keystone has never spilled any (barring farts/dryer fans running, no cracked windows to compensate).
Having used a BK, you are probably a loyal customer.

 

[Bster13]

FWIW, my princess does not spill out, even during spring time temps. I asked what type of chimney (sorry should of said length) because I'd think spillage would be more about draw, not the chimney itself, no?

 

[Highbeam]

The BK Princess spills smoke. Even with ideal chimneys. You'll see. It has more to do with the condition of fuel load and what stage of combustion you're in when you open the door. It's a design flaw. The top of the door is higher(or nearly higher) than the bottom of the bypass opening so smoke has an easier path out the front. The low flue temps of an efficient burn don't create a strong enough draft to overcome this problem.

 

[jeff_t]

Huh. The only time mine spills smoke is if I open the door too fast. I can have the door wide open while a new load is starting to catch, sweeping up bits of bark and stuff, maybe scraping the glass off. Nothing comes out. Same with my sister's King.

 

[rdust]

Huh. The only time mine spills smoke is if I open the door too fast. I can have the door wide open while a new load is starting to catch, sweeping up bits of bark and stuff, maybe scraping the glass off. Nothing comes out. Same with my sister's King.

More of a princess compliant but have seen some king users complain.

 

[jeff_t]

Jeff_T, did a search of Sirocco, read a half dozen, none discussed smoke spillage.

That's why I'm thinking you should try to PM a couple of Sirocco owners. Lots of folks won't be back here until fall, and won't see this thread.

More of a princess compliant but have seen some king users complain.

Yeah, I know. We've had this discussion before

 

[Highbeam]

I can have the door wide open while a new load is starting to catch, sweeping up bits of bark and stuff, maybe scraping the glass off. Nothing comes out

I don't have a smoke spillage problem when doing those things. Smoke spills when you open the door on a load that is not completely burned down. The smoke that spills is the smoke that the cat would normally eat. For the past 20 hours this smoke has been lazily rolling off the fuel, up towards the glass, and then up through the cat. You open the door and that smoke lazily pours into your living room.

Not a king thing.

 

[Bster13]

Of course I'm a newb with only a handful of fires (all from cold), but even with spring temps, so far so good so long as I open the door slowly, no matter what stage of the burn I am in. But definitely BK 20 users will be the best folks to inquire with.

 

[Dave A.]

Smoke spills when you open the door on a load that is not completely burned down. The smoke that spills is the smoke that the cat would normally eat.
.

Don't have a BK, cat stove, or even a stove with a bypass, so just asking. But aren't you supposed to open the bypass before you open the door?

 

[Highbeam]

Don't have a BK, cat stove, or even a stove with a bypass, so just asking. But aren't you supposed to open the bypass before you open the door?

Yes, and of course we do open the bypass but the opening to the bypass is horizontal and is lower than the top of the door. So unless you have major hoover action happening, which you won't during low burn, your chimney won't be able to suck the smoke downhill and you will get spillage.

 

[jeff_t]

I don't have a smoke spillage problem when doing those things. Smoke spills when you open the door on a load that is not completely burned down. The smoke that spills is the smoke that the cat would normally eat. For the past 20 hours this smoke has been lazily rolling off the fuel, up towards the glass, and then up through the cat. You open the door and that smoke lazily pours into your living room.

Not a king thing.

Ooooh. I guess I don't have a reason to open the door until it is burned down to coals.

 

[Dave A.]

But if you opened the bypass and waited a bit before opening the door wouldn't that increase the burn so that you would get a strong draft -- assuming you really wanted to avoid any smoke spillage.

Edit: But then I have the advantage of never actually using the stove , so I don't really know how they operate in practice.

 

[Highbeam]

You'd think so but it won't work. See the cat stoves burn a hug load of logs sort of oddly, the princess burns out the middle of the load and then the sides, and then you are left with a few separated chunks on the firebox floor that are making smoke. That's fine unless you want more heat than what a few chunks smoldering can produce. Turn up the draft to max, open the bypass, crack the door, wait 5 minutes, you'l never get enough heat to suck that smoke up.

This is one of those things that you learn to work around. Easily avoidable if you just make sure to reload when the fuel is mostly gone. Sometimes poor planning occurs and you just have to spill a little.

It's not the end of the world, just a nuisance.

 

[rdust]

Ooooh. I guess I don't have a reason to open the door until it is burned down to coals.

I think the problem is mine never burns down to red hot type coals. Even when the fuel is almost all consumed I have chunks of wood not really coals that still smoke/light up when I add air to them. I only have the smoke roll out issue when it's warm enough were I can burn on low. When it's in the middle of winter I usually don't have much trouble since I'm burning hotter and end up with more traditional coals.

 

[Todd]

The BK Princess spills smoke. Even with ideal chimneys. You'll see. It has more to do with the condition of fuel load and what stage of combustion you're in when you open the door. It's a design flaw. The top of the door is higher(or nearly higher) than the bottom of the bypass opening so smoke has an easier path out the front. The low flue temps of an efficient burn don't create a strong enough draft to overcome this problem.

I don't have a smoke spillage problem when doing those things. Smoke spills when you open the door on a load that is not completely burned down. The smoke that spills is the smoke that the cat would normally eat. For the past 20 hours this smoke has been lazily rolling off the fuel, up towards the glass, and then up through the cat. You open the door and that smoke lazily pours into your living room.

Not a king thing.

Try burning your stove with the t-stat cover removed. It will give you a little more air to keep that draft going and give you smokeless reloads.

 

[Highbeam]

Try burning your stove with the t-stat cover removed. It will give you a little more air to keep that draft going and give you smokeless reloads.

I'm an outside air guy. If I was burning inside air anyway, then I would leave it open and enjoy watching it work. I've adapted and can minimize the spillage mostly by burning the load down to near nothing.

 

[Todd]

I'm an outside air guy. If I was burning inside air anyway, then I would leave it open and enjoy watching it work. I've adapted and can minimize the spillage mostly by burning the load down to near nothing.

I have outside air as well. I modified my cover so it sits up high enough that the butterfly clears it at full throttle.

 

[Highbeam]

Now you've got my attention. Hot roddin' the princess. Need a full report in a new thread? with pictures? Max air setting is pretty low on this stove, I need lots of time with the door cracked open to get a new fire engaged enough to shut the loading door.