Jotul 602/Morso Squirrel vs BK Sirocco 20

[tuuli]

I've read a bunch around here, and wanted to ask your opinions. Heating a roughly 256sq ft room with plenty of ventilation and solidly insulated (either rigid board or wool), I realize that most of my options are overkill. From what I've calculated, I only need roughly 12k btu/hr for that space in a very cold environment (subzero/below freezing winters) with high ceilings (10' or so).

My question would be, which would keep the house warm enough and remain safe to leave unattended for 8+ hours a day? I have a job that keeps me from home long hours (12+) on occasion, inclement weather that keeps me from getting home in a timely fashion occasionally, pets to consider, and I also don't want to have to get up in the middle of the night to stoke the fire.

From what the BK thread said, this stove should be able to burn long with ease, but even their smallest stove, the Sirocco 20, would still be overkill with a rough btu/hr output of 25k on low calculated with ~83% efficiency. This is currently what I'm considering buying, however, because of the long burn time and how much everyone seems to love them.

With regard to the Jotul 602 (21k btu/hr @ 76%) or Morso Squirrel (23k btu/hr @ 76%), has anyone had nearly equally long burn times? Or does anyone have a comparable stove recommendation given the circumstances?

 

[drastic]

I have the 30 I Heat a 2200 square foot house (2002) It's newer and it has an open floor plan(sort of) I started a fire once this year And I have kept it going 24/7 since. My in house temp At this very moment is 80 degrees . Clearly your burn times would be different than mine depended on all your different factors, Location, building, weather.... I have no experience with any other stove But I can tell you the BK is pretty much a set and forget. My wife and I are away from the house for long periods also and have not had any issues yet. This stove seems to regulate itself great to whatever i set on the t-stat just be prepared for a dark firebox and possibly dirty glass. Also expect A fair amount of creosote if you don't used properly seasoned wood. (learning Curve) haha. I'm sure all the new stoves nowadays are great this is just my experience with my stove. I hope this helps.

 

[tuuli]

... I'm sure all the new stoves nowadays are great this is just my experience with my stove. I hope this helps.

That does help! I like the thought of it being consistent and worry-free, especially in a small place like mine. Sounds like I'll be wearing tank tops all winter though, which isn't the worst thing in the world.. :D The house I currently live in (much larger/heated with propane) is set to 65F and is old and drafty, so it's sweater weather all winter so I don't burn through the 100-gal tank too fast.

 

[Rickb]

Never used the first 2 stoves but I run a Sirocco 20 almost daily.

Full load on the 20 will run about 8 hours of usable heat. Not bad since your talking 3-5 splits on a load. I heat my finished basement(700sqft) to 75ish with the stove turned down as low as it goes. I also heat the main floor enough that the furnace runs about 1/2 as much as it does with no stove running. It is always underwear/t-shirt/nap time in my cave.


EDIT:

Also forgot... The ease of use and set and forget of the BK stoves are simply unbelievable.

 

[drastic]

Oh I'm sorry I should have pointed out that it's only 80 in here because that's what the wife likes... but I can achieve that on a low setting here in California. And still hold unbelievable burn times. I can only relate this to other friends with stoves not any personal real world experience's of my own .I do however have a friend less than 10 miles away who has an older Insert he's gone through About 4 cords in the same climate as opposed to my Maybe 1. Although I don't live in his house I can say they keep it about the same Temp as our house. I only hear about the amount of wood he uses and about how much he has to load it. again I bet it would be better with a newer insert though .many factors to keep in mind...different structures to different age Houses with different insulation values. I've had a few issues as a new burner I don't wish to sway anyone's decision one way or another. I would do some serious research and just as importantly figure out your budget And install specs. See which choice is actually best for your application. All these guys on here a real helpful and I couldn't imagine having bought something without the advice of these gentlemen. Just reading post after post I know saved me money Rather than my own trial and error I got to learn, and I am still learning through writings of others.

Edit. Agreed if it wasn't for the set and forget I'm sure my wife would have burnt the house down by now...

 

[begreen]

Without a doubt the BK is going to provide a longer low burn time. The fireboxes on the 602 and Squirrel are small.

 

[tuuli]

Never used the first 2 stoves but I run a Sirocco 20 almost daily.... It is always underwear/t-shirt/nap time in my cave.

EDIT:

Also forgot... The ease of use and set and forget of the BK stoves are simply unbelievable.

Sounds like the best kind of cave.

So, from what you all are saying the BK is worth it, but definitely overkill. I'll install more windows to leak cold air through the glass.

Is it more advised to run straight up through the ceiling, or could you run it through the wall to the outside then up 15'?

 

[Rickb]

Worth it for sure. I was leaning towards a quadrafire before I found this website and started researching. overall total cost was not much more for the BK and there service is fantastic.......


These tend to run better with more draft. So do whatever you can to have the most draft.

 

[mass_burner]

I don't think you'll be happy running a 602 on an everyday basis. We use ours for special occasions in the patio, 275 sq ft. It does heat well, but short burn times, small box.

 

[tuuli]

These tend to run better with more draft. So do whatever you can to have the most draft.

I was considering the fact that the pipe would emit heat as well, which is unnecessary in this situation because the stove will put off all the heat I need.

Hmm, I just read the manual on the install for the chimney/stove pipe, and it recommends keeping the stovepipe warm/insulated from the weather if mounted on the outside of the house. Straight up and out it is, I guess.

 

[tuuli]

I don't think you'll be happy running a 602 on an everyday basis. We use ours for special occasions in the patio, 275 sq ft. It does heat well, but short burn times, small box.

Good to know real world results. Thanks!

 

[jeff_t]

even their smallest stove, the Sirocco 20, would still be overkill with a rough btu/hr output of 25k on low calculated with ~83% efficiency.

Blaze King lists the low output as 12,000ish BTUs/hr. And that's probably pretty accurate.

 

[begreen]

Is this room open to the rest of the house or closed of by a doorway? How many sq ft not including the basement if there is one?

 

[tuuli]

Is this room open to the rest of the house or closed of by a doorway? How many sq ft not including the basement if there is one?

This is the whole house, no basement.

 

[tuuli]

Blaze King lists the low output as 12,000ish BTUs/hr. And that's probably pretty accurate.

Ah, you're right! The first number I read on their brochure was for the high setting. Thank you, sir! Do you know if they calculate that with the efficiency rating or as ideal?

 

[begreen]

This is the whole house, no basement.

-> Heating a roughly 256sq ft room.<-

Is the whole house 256 sq ft?

 

[tuuli]

-> Heating a roughly 256sq ft room.<-

Is the whole house 256 sq ft?

Yep, the whole house is 256sq ft.

edit: I originally said room because I was describing the dwelling as a room, which it is. It's a very small house that's a bottom floor with a loft overhead. Essentially, a large room.

 

[begreen]

12K btus seems like a lot of heat for that area and a lot of floor space to give up to a heater. How is it heated now? Is electricity or propane an option?

 

[drastic]

Holy smokes with that footage you're going to be naked

I don't know if posting outside links is ok but. http://www.tinywoodstove.com I also know nothing about the stoves except for the fact that they're made for smaller spaces. It might be a solution if you're not willing to cook yourself out

Edit. There is a nice looking cook stove on there maybe you could kill two birds with one stone and save some space?

 

[begreen]

I'm a little concerned about the animals. They can't shed their fur. There are several tiny home and small cabin threads here where this has been discussed. Although there are several small stove options mentioned none are going to heat steadily for 8hrs.. If on grid I would go electric, off grid, a smaller direct vent propane heater.

 

[tuuli]

I'm a little concerned about the animals. They can't shed their fur. There are several tiny home and small cabin threads here where this has been discussed. Although there are several small stove options mentioned none are going to heat steadily for 8hrs.. If on grid I would go electric, off grid, a smaller direct vent propane heater.

I've read through the tiny home/cabin threads, but wasn't satisfied with the conversation results. The concern for me is burn time. I also have concerns about the animals, but there will be a pet door for them to come and go from the house as they need. Other than that, there will be windows in the loft area on the east and west ends of the house for the heat to move out if it gets too hot. The lower level will also have plenty of windows to open if needed. But yeah, giving up floor space to the heater is something I'm trying to figure out. Considering building a raised platform/heat shield, maybe 2-3' tall, to get it off the ground to keep that area marginally cooler for the dogs at least, and be able to utilize the space under it. Otherwise, I might throw it in the bay window area of the floor plan so it's not really robbing me of floor space.

Ideally, I'll be off grid. I worry about propane in below freezing winters for venting issues/cost to heat/possible air quality toxicity. I am trying to keep my dependence on outside needs (propane, electricity) to a minimum for cost and location considerations.

"I don't know if posting outside links is ok but. http://www.tinywoodstove.com I also know nothing about the stoves except for the fact that they're made for smaller spaces. It might be a solution if you're not willing to cook yourself out

Edit. There is a nice looking cook stove on there maybe you could kill two birds with one stone and save some space?"

I've looked through that site, but the BTUs on those are comparable to the BK running on low (~10k), and the smaller stoves don't have the long burn time. I plan to cook/bake on top of the BK also during the winter, and probably use it to heat water as well. I found a single burner alcohol stove to cook on for the summer.

 

[drastic]

That Bk will give you crazy burn times then. You end up running it on a low probably all the time Which is not good for creosote build up Especially if your wood isn't ideal. Once I have my house up to ideal temp I run mine on low, so 90% of the time. Except on reloads to help with some of the creosote Issues. I now check and or sweep My chimney At least once a month. I'm fairly new to burning compared to most people on the site however I can tell you how important this is because I have already had third stage creosote build up. Luckily no fires yet. I guess that's what happens when you go a season without checking it and don't have ideal conditions this is why i have implemented preventative measures now. I assume you sleep In the loft area it's good you have windows in there as it will always be the warmest part of the house.

 

[begreen]

Note that to burn properly the BK will want at least 15ft of chimney though probably more at high altitude.

 

[MtnBURN]

Heya tuuli.

Gonna be an incredibly tight fit......but the bottom line is that very few other stoves will regulate/adjust/be able to be turned down like a BK. With everything else...you WILL be ran out...then 20 mins later you'll freeze yer...yeah..you know. It's the >adjustability< of this stove that makes it so special....as well as the LONG burn times. It WILL probably run you out of that space at times... but on these 0-5F or colder Colorado mornings...it's a lot better to be too warm than too cold....

FWIW....our main room where the stove is measures 18 x 18. (700 sq ft with a poorly insulated sunroom for a total of 800) We run our princess on low all the time. (after a good, hot start up) The house is a nice/consistent temp. None of the FRY/FREEZE cycle we had with the "Buck Stove". Incredibly nice. Incredibly impressed.

FWIW.... our chimney is only 11-12 ft. The stove folks knew the recommended height is 15 ft but with the (always) cold air here....they said "try it..we can always add another section of pipe"......so we did...and lo and behold....it works great just as it is. In fact, our 2nd Princess has a good 16 ft chimney height and I can not tell a difference in draw/performance/etc.

just thought I'd chime in. I know all of our situations are different....but wanted to put another vote in the hat for BK. Just an awesome stove all the way around. I will never buy anything else after seeing what these will do.

best of luck!

 

[drastic]

I'm sure the blaze King VP would know more about the stoves than any of us
I'll just leave it at that