Blaze king Sirroco 20 help

[HotCoals]

On high because it can't function well or for very long on anything lower than high. Of COURSE I would LOVE to turn it down, save wood and get those advertised 20 hour burns.

With what you just said that could be a sign of a weak draft. But yet you say smoke spillage is not a issue.
I don't know what cap you have but it looks restrictive..but pics can be deciding.

 

[laura bv]

Well with the door open and the by-pass closed it should smoke the room. At least on a king it will . But like i said I don't know your stove.
Does the by-pass lever click into the closed position solidly?

I really don;t have a smoke into the room issue. My fireplace does because the chimney is too short (yet it burns my wood more effectively than this BK). Bypass lever does click - I nor the dealer have any reason to believe it is a problem with the bypass.

 

[HotCoals]

L

Loaded before the dealer's visit was exactly as stated in the manual: Left to right, back to front. I could fit 3 medium to large-ish logs. Dealer's loads was that plus front to back as much could fit right up to the window (dangerous to open door with coals right up to the door). I also mentioned to him that flames under the CC could damage it according to the manual. But...

That stove will only hold 3 med-large splits east to west?
Sounds like the dealer got more in it..was it better then?

 

[laura bv]

A

With what you just said that could be a sign of a weak draft. But yet you say smoke spillage is not a issue.
I don't know what cap you have but it looks restrictive..but pics can be deciding.

Actually cap is on pretty loos if thats what you mean by restrictive, but more likely you mean it is impeding smoke. I've watched it with bypass door open and cat not engaged (after loading and waiting for stat to get into active). It seems to be drawing (spewing) smoke just fine. And once cat is engaged, bypass door is closed it burns clean.

 

[HotCoals]

I really don;t have a smoke into the room issue. My fireplace does because the chimney is too short (yet it burns my wood more effectively than this BK). Bypass lever does click - I nor the dealer have any reason to believe it is a problem with the bypass.

Just curious..is your flue closed off in the fireplace when not in use?

 

[laura bv]

That stove will only hold 3 med-large splits east to west?
Sounds like the dealer got more in it..was it better then?

By the data: Yes it was able to get a very hot burn for the first time with his wood on top of my wood. It got the flu temp up, burned off some of the window creosote, it got the 400sf room to 70. And it burned out in several hours (on high of course). But I would not want to load it up like that on a regular basis.

 

[laura bv]

Ye

Just curious..is your flue closed off in the fireplace when not in use?

Yes. I've only burned in there once as an experiment and to get some warmth. It does need a taller chimney and a cap. (Which, like getting this stove here I have been working on trying to get since I moved here in July). Flu need to be closed to prevent drafts. I also have a board on it now in case it starts raining.

 

[HotCoals]

By the data: Yes it was able to get a very hot burn for the first time with his wood on top of my wood. It got the flu temp up, burned off some of the window creosote, it got the 400sf room to 70. And it burned out in several hours (on high of course). But I would not want to load it up like that on a regular basis.

So you're saying that on his load if you turned it down it would have went out?

Look,if you turn it down after the load was burned on high for maybe 20 mins it should cruise just fine on a low setting..even if you turned it all the way down.
You will not see flames coming off the wood but the cat should glow. Can you see the cat ok on that stove?

 

[laura bv]

That stove will only hold 3 med-large splits east to west?
Sounds like the dealer got more in it..was it better then?

its 1.8 cu. ft. and I try to avoid touching the CC and the windows.

 

[HotCoals]

its 1.8 cu. ft. and I try to avoid touching the CC and the windows.

That is a small box ..but still.
You need a decent bed of coals to be able to cruise on low with my king if you don't char the wood enough or the cat can stall. Does not happen very often but it can.

 

[laura bv]

Thanks laura. That helps and confirms a suspicion I had. Your low night time temps were chilly on the 18th-20th, but your daytime temps are balmy, almost 60F. You are not getting enough draft and the wood is suspect. With stronger draft you would get more heat at a lower thermostat setting. One year oak is worthless for fuel. It takes a few years to season. Madrona takes at least 2 years. With stronger draft the stove may be more tolerant of oak. I suspect that the dealer's chimney is taller maybe?

Here is what I would try. It's cheap and should be pretty conclusive. Have the dealer remove the barometric damper. It is unnecessary and a potential source of leakage. Then have the dealer remove the cap and cram a 3-4' piece, crimp down, of single wall pipe into chimney. It will look like sin, but this is just for a day or so of testing. Get yourself a load of construction scraps (dry 2x4 and 2x6 cut offs), or some pallets and cut them up into stove sized wood. Start a fire and once the wood is going well and the stove cat is over 500F, close the bypass. As the cat temp rises, close down the thermostat to about 1.5 on the dial. I think you will have good heat. If this works, buy some pine or some known dry wood like this and save the oak for next year.:
http://chico.craigslist.org/grd/4250761092.html

View attachment 121291

There is no damper. So you do think it needs double wall. I can let it burn tonight and take the cap off tomorrow and can check to see if the hardware store has some pipe. I also have a few pallets (and Chris mentioned getting Idaho something). Will try all that tomorrow and if pipe is available will report back. THANKS. That was the last cord of oak in the valley - sold out of seasoned wood. Pine is too resiny. I can get some dry redwood to help with a hotter burn and mix with my oak - that is what the dealer suggested. The madrone is at least 2 years old but I don't have much of it and was trying to hang on to it for when it gets back down into 20's. THANKS.

 

[laura bv]

That is a small box ..but still.
You need a decent bed of coals to be able to cruise on low with my king if you don't char the wood enough or the cat can stall. Does not happen very often but it can.

Hot coals nbot a problem, can always get a load started with remaining coals. Actually a little sad about that as I went ahead and bought a box of that wax/cedar starter thing that came with the stove. Well, can save that for my fireplace if anyone ever gets around to following through with the metal work for extension and cap.

 

[HotCoals]

Pine is fine!

 

[laura bv]

Ye

So you're saying that on his load if you turned it down it would have went out?

Look,if you turn it down after the load was burned on high for maybe 20 mins it should cruise just fine on a low setting..even if you turned it all the way down.
You will not see flames coming off the wood but the cat should glow. Can you see the cat ok on that stove?

Yes> This is the problem we are trying to solve. My cat does not glow. My cat goes drifts into inactive zone on anything except High.

 

[laura bv]

Pine is fine!

No fans.

 

[HotCoals]

No fans.

I burn pine now and then with no fans..I almost never use fans..not sure what you are saying?

 

[HotCoals]

Ye

Yes> This is the problem we are trying to solve. My cat does not glow. My cat goes drifts into inactive zone on anything except High.

That cat should keep on glowing if it is getting fed smoke. Maybe the cat gasket is missing or something.
Your draft can't be that weak if you don't get smoke spillage with the door open...but maybe it is. You may need more pipe at the roof and or take that cap off to see if it pulls harder.

 

[laura bv]

I burn pine now and then with no fans..I almost never use fans..not sure what you are saying?

Oh I saw the "Me-One question if I may. Do the fans shorten the burn time?
I could be wrong but I don't think they do." in your signature and thought it was a question for me.

 

[weatherguy]

No fans.

Are you saying not a fan of pine? If seasoned it burns as well as any other wood in the BK, just not as long. I burn 1/2 cord a year and there's no difference between pine and soft maple in my stove.

 

[laura bv]

That cat should keep on glowing if it is getting fed smoke. Maybe the cat gasket is missing or something.
Your draft can't be that weak if you don't get smoke spillage with the door open...but maybe it is. You may need more pipe at the roof and or take that cap off to see if it pulls harder.

It can only be 1 or a mix of the following: bad wood - solved with good wood (we did the same kinds of burn with good wood - it gets hotter but cat doesn't stay engaged), draft - solved with double wall and/or taller chimney (but flue temps were fine with hotter burns and as well as pipe length for draft (neither dealer nor I believe this to be a problem, but...). Will try stuffing down an inner pipe above roof line.

 

[laura bv]

No fans.

Are you on the east coast? We don't burn pine here - way too resiny. We have oak, madrone, redwood for hardwoods available - until winter then everone is sold out. People here say their oak doesn't do well if seasoned more than 2 years.

 

[laura bv]

It can only be 1 or a mix of the following: bad wood - solved with good wood (we did the same kinds of burn with good wood - it gets hotter but cat doesn't stay engaged), draft - solved with double wall and/or taller chimney (but flue temps were fine with hotter burns and as well as pipe length for draft (neither dealer nor I believe this to be a problem, but...). Will try stuffing down an inner pipe above roof line.

I still suspect the cat and/or cat control. But need to live with it like this for 7 years before BK will consider it is a cat issue.

 

[weatherguy]

Are you on the east coast? We don't burn pine here - way too resiny. We have oak, madrone, redwood for hardwoods available - until winter then everone is sold out. People here say their oak doesn't do well if seasoned more than 2 years.

Yeah, I'm on the EC, have tons of oak, hickory and sugar maple but I save it for colder weather, shoulder season I burn maple, pine, ash. Once dried the resin's not a problem, that's an old wives tale, although it is resiny when cutting and splitting.

 

[laura bv]

Yeah, I'm on the EC, have tons of oak, hickory and sugar maple but I save it for colder weather, shoulder season I burn maple, pine, ash. Once dried the resin's not a problem, that's an old wives tale, although it is resiny when cutting and splitting.

Yes, your pine is different and we don't have native pine in this area. I cut down several as they cave in about 30 years and they were crowding the redwoods. I can hang onto some of it to see what it is like to burn in a couple of years. But much easier to go with the oak and I will definitely not use for 2 years. Moisture meter should be arriving next week so some of this wood issue may go away. Then just left with what to put more money into: double wall and/or elongating flue. There are no other options until I do this and it still doesn;t work, then it HAS to be the stove.

 

[laura bv]

First post!

After a nightmarish install where the guy out his foot through my ceiling. I am trying to learn my new stove! Having some luck but also have some questions. This BK 20 is a tough bastared to figure out so I came here for help! After some burns I was beginning to see black in my glass in the lower corners on the glass?! What gives! Wet wood?! I thought so got kiln dried same thing. Burnt on high for hours and no cleaning. Even after scrubbing my glass is black again any fellow BK guys with this stove?! It's still 85 in my house tho

AND, my apologies to you Dhide371. I did not mean to jump into your thread with all my issues but I couldn't figure out how to start a new one (entitled Blaze King Sirocco 20 Help #2).