BK Sirocco 25 Help Please

[Robertavery84]

Good evening,

This summer had a Blaze King Sirroco 25 installed in my old fire place. I am having issues and not sure what to do. My burn times at 3 o’clock position is 4-6 hours at best. Also seems Cat is disengaging quickly as well.

Talked to dealer yesterday told me to do the paper test and adjust the door latch. I did but unfortunately now hard to open and close door and paper still someone comes out.

Also was told this thing produces very minimal ash. I have so much ash it’s not even funny, my old open fireplace produced less. Also guessing slight whistling when its heating up or cat is reheating might be a factor too.

Other issue is I have to load super quick as always get smoke spillage big time even with bypass opened. Not sure causation of this and follow everything to the T in the manual.

Wood being burned is Oak moisture is between 10-16%


Any ideas? Love the heat it pushes out though

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

Good evening,

This summer had a Blaze King Sirroco 25 installed in my old fire place. I am having issues and not sure what to do. My burn times at 3 o’clock position is 4-6 hours at best. Also seems Cat is disengaging quickly as well.

Talked to dealer yesterday told me to do the paper test and adjust the door latch. I did but unfortunately now hard to open and close door and paper still someone comes out.

Also was told this thing produces very minimal ash. I have so much ash it’s not even funny, my old open fireplace produced less. Also guessing slight whistling when its heating up or cat is reheating might be a factor too.

Other issue is I have to load super quick as always get smoke spillage big time even with bypass opened. Not sure causation of this and follow everything to the T in the manual.

Wood being burned is Oak moisture is between 10-16%


Any ideas? Love the heat it pushes out though

Hi, Welcome to the Wild World of Wood!

Post some pics of your setup please. In the house and of your chimney. How tall is the chimney?

You need to get that door sealed up. If it can't be sealed, then maybe there is a problem with the door itself.

 

[Dieselhead]

What kind of cap is on your flue?

Also describe how you are measuring moisture content on your firewood. Amount of time spent seasoning and split size?

How full are you stuffing your firebox?

 

[Tron]

Also was told this thing produces very minimal ash.

There's no such thing as a stove that produces less ash than others. The ash is the incombustible parts of the wood, and ash amount is a function of the amount of wood used and the type of wood. The stove has no influence there.

I sometimes burn gumtree, which is quite abundant in our woods, and that leaves huge piles of ash. Way more than pine.

 

[Robertavery84]

What kind of cap is on your flue?

Also describe how you are measuring moisture content on your firewood. Amount of time spent seasoning and split size?

How full are you stuffing your firebox?

Picture attached for cap, flue is brand new as well. Moisture meter for measuring. Take random pieces from the batch and split in half and check in multiple spots. This wood had delivered fall 2024 and was already seasoned. We had a chimney fire in Jan of this year from a company messing up and reparging over creosote and so everything been redone this fall and all wood is definitely seasoned now.

Wood splits are 2x3 up to 4x6 being used. I pack the fire box and use smaller splits and even smaller to pack it good.

 

[Robertavery84]

Hi, Welcome to the Wild World of Wood!

Post some pics of your setup please. In the house and of your chimney. How tall is the chimney?

You need to get that door sealed up. If it can't be sealed, then maybe there is a problem with the door itself.

Chimney is 35’ tall based off my install paperwork. Currently no idea how to tighten it up more as currently its better after adjusting latch but not where it should be but hard to open and close door as super tight now.

Pictures attached. Thanks

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

Chimney is 35’ tall based off my install paperwork. Currently no idea how to tighten it up more as currently its better after adjusting latch but not where it should be but hard to open and close door as super tight now.

Pictures attached. Thanks

You may need to loosen them back up and start over. If one get tightened too much before the other it can cause that to happen. Dollar bill should have resistance all the way around the door, but still be able to be pulled through. Not too tight not too loose.

That is a really tall chimney. Did they install an insulated flue liner? Look at the stove manual and see what they recommend for the chimney height. Rigid pipe elbows also affect the draft of the chimney.

 

[Robertavery84]

You may need to loosen them back up and start over. If one get tightened too much before the other it can cause that to happen. Dollar bill should have resistance all the way around the door, but still be able to be pulled through. Not too tight not too loose.

That is a really tall chimney. Did they install an insulated flue liner? Look at the stove manual and see what they recommend for the chimney height. Rigid pipe elbows also affect the draft of the chimney.

Yes fully insulated stainless steel liner.

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

Yes fully insulated stainless steel liner.

That's perfect! And what does your manual say about chimney height?

 

[Dieselhead]

Picture attached for cap, flue is brand new as well. Moisture meter for measuring. Take random pieces from the batch and split in half and check in multiple spots. This wood had delivered fall 2024 and was already seasoned. We had a chimney fire in Jan of this year from a company messing up and reparging over creosote and so everything been redone this fall and all wood is definitely seasoned now.

Wood splits are 2x3 up to 4x6 being used. I pack the fire box and use smaller splits and even smaller to pack it good.

That sounds pretty decent. Split sizes are for sure on the small size leaving alot of surface area but other than that are you checking the wood indoors after leaving it indoors for several hours?

 

[Robertavery84]

That's perfect! And what does your manual say about chimney height?

Manual says Min of 17'

 

[Robertavery84]

That sounds pretty decent. Split sizes are for sure on the small size leaving alot of surface area but other than that are you checking the wood indoors after leaving it indoors for several hours?

Yes, checking after its indoors to get better read.

 

[Burnin Since 1991]

Manual says Min of 17'

It partially could be that you have too much draft. In a regular woodstove an in flue damper would probably be recommended. But I'm not sure how to damper an insert.

 

[stoveliker]

I am puzzled by the smoke spillage for a 35' flue. Normally that would suck so hard, you'd barely get any heat out of the stove (that checks here). But smoke spillage would be odd.

Are you opening the bypass before opening the door to reload?

 

[Robertavery84]

I am puzzled by the smoke spillage for a 35' flue. Normally that would suck so hard, you'd barely get any heat out of the stove (that checks here). But smoke spillage would be odd.

Are you opening the bypass before opening the door to reload?

Yes turning up thermostat to max and opening bypass a few minutes before opening the door

 

[stoveliker]

@BKVP
any suggestions? Odd set of observations.

 

[BKVP]

Please pm me the dealer and to whom you are speaking with at the dealership.

Please post picture of full load.

BKVP

 

[Robertavery84]

Please pm me the dealer and to whom you are speaking with at the dealership.

Please post picture of full load.

BKVP

Just did a top off for the evening

 

[stoveliker]

Not sure how deep your belly is (tho it looks to be full of coals also and ashes), but this is what a full load for me looks like.

 

[begreen]

Not sure how deep your belly is (tho it looks to be full of course also and ashes), but this is what a full load for me looks like.

The inserts appear to have less headroom. What is the length of the splits?

 

[Robertavery84]

The inserts appear to have less headroom. What is the length of the splits?

16” for the splits

 

[BKVP]

Just did a top off for the evening

Two thoughts. To get more fuel into the stove, empty out ashes more frequently.

Second, that is a nice load of small pieces. As someone already suggested, that is a lot of surface area and will combust quickly.

Of course I have a KE40, but each piece is 12"+. Can you get some 12" rounds and split them in half. Then play tetris!

BKVP