Stepping into a BK Sirocco 20...soonish

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Kevin*

Burning Hunk
Nov 29, 2011
189
SNOHOMISH, WA
So I have finally made my mind up, I’m going to sell my Country/Lennox ST210 and get a BK. sadly I only used her for 1/2 of last season but I don't want to use gas at all. Hopefully when the time comes I will be able to find a good home for her. Wish i would have bought the right stove the first time, live and learn they say...This learning experience will cost $2,250 for the stove, ouch.
 
I think you made a good decision, it will pay you back eventually. Did you pick a Sirocco out at a dealer? I know if they have to order it they are back ordered and you may not see it til sometime in Oct. I got this info directly from Blaze King. I was told they are selling like hot cakes and to get your order in soon. I almost did but changed my mind to BK Princess Parlor instead.
 
That's a pretty big ouch. What factors made you decide on the Sirocco 20 vs. other stoves? I've just started the research/shopping process and find it educational as to why people buy what they buy.

I read the primer on how to select a stove and realized the firebox size is probably more important than the manufacture/sales specs. The logic makes sense so it is interesting to know what features/factors prompt people to buy one stove over another other than price.

For example: I had the jotul F400 on my short list until I read others talking about how the air wash and air intake works. Their major complaint was "runaway" fires that they could not choke down because of the venting. That's a real problem for me. I can't see myself installing anything I don't feel that I have 100% control over or at least 99%.


I also liked the Alderlea T4 until I read that it requires 7.5 feet of overhead clearance in an alcove. If I could overcome that requirement the T4 or T5 might be my stove but I don't know yet if that requirement flexes any with additional overhead shielding.

Anyway, just curious as to what prompted you to select that particular model.

Cheers!
 
Well if your looking for control Blaze King' t-stat will give it. From what I've read around here i dont think that its even possible to over fire them unless you have a leaky gasket somewhere.
 
I have burning wood with an insert for two years. I had two “runaway" fires, one when I got the insert because I put too wood in it and the second ‘runaway’ fire because I still but put too wood in it. I live in the Houston area and the stove does not need a full charge of wood. It just needs three spits every 3 – 4 hours when it is cold and 4-5 hours if it is not so cold and if it more than 60 degrees outside I don’t use it.

I don’t know if a Lopi is really an air tight proof stove because you can’t stop it if it gets to hot so I try to keep it just right for the temperate by not adding too wood.

Robert
 
That's a pretty big ouch. What factors made you decide on the Sirocco 20 vs. other stoves? I've just started the research/shopping process and find it educational as to why people buy what they buy.

I read the primer on how to select a stove and realized the firebox size is probably more important than the manufacture/sales specs. The logic makes sense so it is interesting to know what features/factors prompt people to buy one stove over another other than price.

For example: I had the jotul F400 on my short list until I read others talking about how the air wash and air intake works. Their major complaint was "runaway" fires that they could not choke down because of the venting. That's a real problem for me. I can't see myself installing anything I don't feel that I have 100% control over or at least 99%.


I also liked the Alderlea T4 until I read that it requires 7.5 feet of overhead clearance in an alcove. If I could overcome that requirement the T4 or T5 might be my stove but I don't know yet if that requirement flexes any with additional overhead shielding.

Anyway, just curious as to what prompted you to select that particular model.

Cheers!

I really want the long burn times and control, i don't get super cold out here and if it does, it doesn't stay for very long. Low heat for long hours is what i need. it would be great if i could get a stove with the BK control and burn time but built with soap stone. My ST210 puts out a lot of heat for a short time and the house temps bounce around. Because of the short burn times i'm starting fires 2-3 times per day and i would love to start it when it gets cold out and pretty much not shut her down till summer comes.

When i fist bought my ST210 i didn't use the internet really for research, just my dealer, who doens't carry any cat stoves and didn't give me all the options. I called another dealer about 1 hour away for the BK, he didn't say it's on b/o and doens't have them in stock either, i just got the price from him. that sucks they are on b/o that far out. Wish i could just go buy it from the direct. They are almost 300 miles from me. Plus i don't think i can write off a chunk on my taxes again.
 
That stove sounds like the perfect choice for your situation, even if its on BO and comes in by Oct you'll still have it for 90% of the year. Id get to it and order it asap, you wont regret it, they're great stoves.
 
I'll have to add it to my research list. We don't get long runs of cold and only a few days of snow a few times per winter at most. We can see dips into the 20s or 30s but is only for a few days at a time. I like the idea of long burn times, but wonder what the "real world" experience is vs. what the lab tests yield. I would imagine if they say 20 hours you should be able to get at least 50 to 75% of that easy. Even so, a solid 10 to 15 hours is still very appealing. Feeding once in the morning and once at night would be very nice. I'll have to look at all the clearance requirements to see if there is anything that makes it an impossible option for my situation.

Have you been quoted a price yet? And if so, do you mind if I ask what they are going for?
 
Kevin,

Like many hearth members, I had a similar experience. The first unit I bought was undersized for my house. I upgraded from a 1.7 cf insert to a 3.2 cf insert. I knew I could get longer burn times, but the difference in the heat output was surprising. I think you'll be very happy. Good luck with it. I'm sure you can sell your Lennox and make back some of that money. Selling in the fall or early winter will probably yield a greater profit. I offered delivery and sold my old unit pretty quickly on Craig's List.
 
Well if your looking for control Blaze King' t-stat will give it. From what I've read around here i dont think that its even possible to over fire them unless you have a leaky gasket somewhere.

IIRC, there is a hole about the size of a dime past the thermostat, that is the minimum of the primary air supply. I am not sure where the secondary air gets in for the cat, but I don't think it is very much. So yeah, lots of control. With my setup, a t-stat setting of just over 2 and the blowers on med/low gets a top temp of 5-550 a couple of hours into a full load. I went to bed like that one night, and woke up around 2am to 40-50 mph winds. I walked out to check the stove, and found glowing wood and occasional bursts of flame igniting off the cat. Top temp was around 650, which was actually perfect with the wind. I turned the blowers up a little and went back to bed.

I'll have to add it to my research list. We don't get long runs of cold and only a few days of snow a few times per winter at most. We can see dips into the 20s or 30s but is only for a few days at a time. I like the idea of long burn times, but wonder what the "real world" experience is vs. what the lab tests yield. I would imagine if they say 20 hours you should be able to get at least 50 to 75% of that easy. Even so, a solid 10 to 15 hours is still very appealing. Feeding once in the morning and once at night would be very nice. I'll have to look at all the clearance requirements to see if there is anything that makes it an impossible option for my situation.

Have you been quoted a price yet? And if so, do you mind if I ask what they are going for?

Nobody around here has one yet, so no real world reports. My stove has over twice the firebox, and I have regularly reloaded after 48 hrs with no kindling. That was stuffed full of red oak. I'm not sure how I would do with a load of larch.
 
I like the idea of long burn times, but wonder what the "real world" experience is vs. what the lab tests yield. I would imagine if they say 20 hours you should be able to get at least 50 to 75% of that easy.

Believe it, there are many Blaze King burn time reports on this forum. Do a search for " Blaze King Performance" lots of real world experience.

These long burn times are great for moderate climates, shoulder seasons or smaller homes but when it gets cold you will have to turn it up some to keep up and the burn times will drop back to reality.
 
Good day all. Perhaps a little clarity to the EPA web site and "most efficient" wood stove comments made earlier. First, the values represented on the EPA web site were more often than not a default efficiency. You can see that non cats and cats each have their assigned default values. In 2007, EPA decided to allow manufacturers the opportunity to post "thermal efficiency" values instead of default values. More and more manufacturers are taking advantage of this opportunity. The "thermal efficiency" value that can be posted must be from the B415 test method and may ONLY be the HHV (higher heating value percentage). The best part of this is that no other test method or efficiency number can be posted.

This was done by EPA because of confusion in the market place. Manufacturers have hang tags showing efficiency numbers (and believe me they exercise all the possible formulas to post their best numbers) and Federal law also requires the EPA hang tag. The latter again has the default value unless you take advantage of the B415 thermal efficiency test for HHV. A manufacturer can use that number on the EPA hang tags. Having different percentages confuses folks.

To put it straight, there are more numbers out there and ways to reach those numbers than you can imagine. In fact during the past tax credit period, some manufacturers of really efficient wood stoves had to use the worst percentage lest you all believe we were nuts with efficiency numbers over 100%!

So you have HHV (higher heating value efficiency, LHV (lower heating value efficiency) and multiple formulas to derive both of the aforementioned. Making matters even more complex, there are at least two recognized test methods. So I can assure you with the exception of the EPA web site requiring only HHV from the B415 test method, comparing percentages from one manufacturer to another is like comparing apples to grapes.

As for the most efficient stove, the list is updated periodically by EPA. One manufacturer was claiming to have the most efficient wood stove in the world and has already been dethroned. In the immediate near future, the list will be updated...and you know which stove will be at the top of the list....for now.
 
Efficiency of a woodburning stove is not only difficult to pin down as Chris writes but also absolutely meaningless in the real world. All EPA stoves must meet a minimum clean burning emission level so all of them are tuned for high efficiency. Don't worry about efficiency, instead worry about burn times, firebox size, looks, and cost.

I'm shopping for a new stove now and am also considering durability as a factor. I need a stove that can be operated 24/7 during the heating season for at least a decade without non-servicable parts wearing out. So considering things like hinge design and latch design.

There are dealers with siroccos on the floor now. I just spoke with one yesterday. So while they may be on backorder from BK perhaps there are dealers stock on hand that you can purchase.
 
All this efficiency talk gives me a headache but I do think it has a place along side fire box size, looks and costs. When I switched from Hearthstone to a similar sized Woodstock my firewood useage went down from 4 cords to 3 cords. Maybe most of that savings came from burning a higher efficiency stove? Over a few years that extra wood savings can make a difference.
 
All this efficiency talk gives me a headache but I do think it has a place along side fire box size, looks and costs. When I switched from Hearthstone to a similar sized Woodstock my firewood useage went down from 4 cords to 3 cords. Maybe most of that savings came from burning a higher efficiency stove? Over a few years that extra wood savings can make a difference.

Your burn times went up by at least 25% too I'd bet. If you consider burn times along with firebox size then efficiency falls out.
 
Highbeam, above said "All EPA stoves must meet a minimum clean burning emission level so all of them are tuned for high efficiency. Don't worry about efficiency." Lower emissions doesn't necessarily mean higher efficiency. If you want an all-night burn, efficiency is much more important than emissions. And, as we begin to see real efficiency numbers, calculated by B415, like BKVP described above, there is a huge difference between stoves. The reason the Blaze Kings and other cat stoves burn all night is because they are likely to have some of the highest efficiency numbers in the industry - over 80%. The impact of efficiency may be even clearer with pellet stoves. Lots of pellet stoves get between 60 and 70% efficiency. Some even get in the 40s and 50s. But there are pellet stoves on the market in the mid-80s and at least one above 90% - the Laura Ecoteck, made by Italian manufacturer Ravelli. A 40 pound bag will last 30% longer and end up costing you 30% less for same amount of heat. That makes sense to me. Loading my wood stove 30% less and cutting and stacking wood 30% less also makes sense. But until lots more manufacturers are willing to test using the B415 method and submit it to EPA, consumers will have little knowledge of the actual efficiency of their stoves. I'd advise consumers to only buy stoves from manufacturers willing to post B415 numbers, if they care about efficiency and burn time.
 
Have you been quoted a price yet? And if so, do you mind if I ask what they are going for?

Yeah, with the black door and pedestal stand $2,250. once i get closer to pulling the trigger i will look around some more. Would be nice if i could find one out of state and save the 9% sales tax.
 
What size is the fire box of your current stove? Is the Sirocco bigger or are you looking for a similar sized stove with longer burns?
I think the Princess is right around the same price and has a bigger fire box.
 
Yeah, with the black door and pedestal stand $2,250. once i get closer to pulling the trigger i will look around some more. Would be nice if i could find one out of state and save the 9% sales tax.
Thanks - that is in the price range of other stoves I've looked at for my situation so it is definitely going on my short list.
 
Buying out of state is a great idea except the dealers are supposed to stick to their territories. Be discreet about the fact that you're not a local.
 
If this stove was on the market when we bought ours it would have been the only other one I considered. It's a smaller box than we have, but I oversized for the Cottage so it would probably still do it.
 
What size is the fire box of your current stove? Is the Sirocco bigger or are you looking for a similar sized stove with longer burns?
I think the Princess is right around the same price and has a bigger fire box.

right now mine is 2.1 so it's slightly smaller. my big problem is the looks of most of their stoves. i could also get the chinnok 30 for the larger firebox.
 
right now mine is 2.1 so it's slightly smaller. my big problem is the looks of most of their stoves. i could also get the chinnok 30 for the larger firebox.

You may want to put off til later this year when the new BK Sirocco 30 and Ashford 30 come out. Little bigger fire box and 30 hour burns.
 
Is Blaze King the only company that makes thermostat controlled wood stoves? I like the idea of this feature for its various benefits. The home we purchased 10 years ago came with a metal free standing fireplace, looks like a wood stove but of course it's not, naturally it stinks (it has no doors), sometimes we get bad downdrafts during windy days (smoke pouring into the house) and the wood burns real fast and most of the heat goes right up the chimney. It's fun to use, looks nice but I want to replace it this season ASAP with a stove for all the stove-related benefits. I'd love to see the new Sirocco 30 and Ashford 30, any update yet on their ETA? Seems like the BK people said they'd be out already, but it's mid-December now and still nothing. Thanks all.
 
When I talked with BK they were almost done but there are a lot of dealers who have pre paid to get them first, he said don't expect to see one sitting on a sales floor waiting for a home anytime soon do to the overwhelming demand.
 
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