Ok, getting a Chinook or Sirocco 20

[rybern]

Wife and I are building a 2000 sqft house and we started off thinking we were going to buy a VC Encore based on the great experience I had with a Dutchwest 15 years ago. We have since decided to go with a Blaze King 20 after some research.

We're in Northern Alabama and stove will be supplimental heat. House has open kitchen, living room and dinning room with stove in corner of living room. 9' ceiling and roof provide 11'3" of pipe above stove to where it exits roof so we will have 14-15' of double wall pipe. Sounds like that should provide an optimal draft.

I know the Chinook and Sirocco are both great stoves. Wife likes the more modern look of these over the Ashford. I think I like the Chinook better that the Sirocco. It also seems like the exterior temp of the stove would be a little cooler due to the 2nd layer of metal on the exterior. It also seems that the fan kit might work a little better in the Chinook, although I'm not convinced we will use the fan much. We like the idea of being able to cook on top in an emergency (loss of power due to ice storm etc), so if one of these is better than the other for that, let me know.

Attached is our floor plan and a recent house pic. I plan to place stove pipe 19" from each wall which will provide and extra inch or so beyond the minimum 17.875". Wife doesn't want any backer behind the stove so it will be painted drywall. This measurement should automatically satisfied the minimum 6" side clearance for a corner install right?

Any suggestions to help us decide on which of these would be appreciated. I'm excited to be getting back into this after 15 years. This site has been a HUGE help when researching stoves and install info. BIG thanks to everyone.

 

[Ashful]

No advice on the clearances, someone who knows that field better will be along to answer soon, I am sure. Good move on switching from VC to BK though, too many VC horror stories here, and the BK’s are adored.

All three “BK 20” stoves are internally the same, as you probably already knew, it mostly comes down to looks. Yes, there are probably some small performance differences in the convective properties, due to the different claddings, but this is second-order stuff.

Have you considered the BK 30’s? I believe the 30 has better clearances, model for model, and can turn down just as low as the 20. It simply has a bigger fuel tank, for longer burn times. I routinely run mine on 24 hour burns, and can stretch it as long as 36 hours on one load of oak.

 

[AlbergSteve]

All the 30 stoves have 4'' clearance to corners as opposed to 6'' for the 20 stoves. And because the 30 stoves are only a couple of inches larger, their foot print is only marginally bigger than the 20's. In the space you have, I'd go with the 30.

 

[rybern]

I appreciate the suggestions folks.

I wonder if the 30 will drop right in the same spot as a 20. I don't have a lot of wiggle room to move the prospctive chimny because of a LVL beam for a tray ceiling.

 

[Alpine1]

I seriously considered an Ashford 20 vs a 30. Then realized that the 30 series is only a couple inches bigger than the 20. I went for the longer burn time, never looked back.

 

[AlbergSteve]

The Chinook30 is 17 5/8'' to center of pipe and the Sirocco30 is 18''.
The Chinook20 is 17 7/8'' to center of pipe and the Sirocco20 is 18 1/2''.

 

[BKVP]

The "false top" of the Chinook will not get hot enough to do much more than heat water. The SC20 top is 1/4" plate and will vastly outperform the Chinook in the area of stove top cooking/boiling water.

 

[Ashful]

The "false top" of the Chinook will not get hot enough to do much more than heat water. The SC20 top is 1/4" plate and will vastly outperform the Chinook in the area of stove top cooking/boiling water.

Good to know. Does the same apply to the 30 size of each model?

 

[BKVP]

Good to know. Does the same apply to the 30 size of each model?

Yes. The Chinook 30 and Ashford 30 have jacketing, either in the form of sheet metal or cast. The advantages/disadvantages of these have been bantered around in the forums. Everyone has an opinion which is what makes this site a great resource.

Some Ashford owners have observed you can lift off the cast top, which is heavy, and gain exposure to the plate steel directly below in the event you need the hot surface. The top of the Chinook is permanently attached.

The Sirocco's, both sizes have a flat surface made of plate steel and can get hot enough to do any cooking or boiling of water etc. I was going to write all the ways shrimp can be prepared (referencing Forrest Gump) but it's way to early here.

 

[rybern]

I really appreciate all the responses. We are now looking more seriously at the Sirocco 20 or 30. I've sent a email to my dealer about a price on a pedestal Sirocco 30. I like the looks of the Chinook a little better but not enough to give up the ability to cook on top in the event of a power outage. After looking at the size difference between the two, I can see why folks are steering s toward the 30 considering the size heating space we have. I gotta convince the wife. The 30 is only 2" wider, 2" taller and 2" deeper so we're not giving up much space. I also like being able to put slightly longer logs in. Either way, I really like that our chimney plan wont be affected by the stove choice. Great job BK.

 

[Highbeam]

I really appreciate all the responses. We are now looking more seriously at the Sirocco 20 or 30. I've sent a email to my dealer about a price on a pedestal Sirocco 30. I like the looks of the Chinook a little better but not enough to give up the ability to cook on top in the event of a power outage. After looking at the size difference between the two, I can see why folks are steering s toward the 30 considering the size heating space we have. I gotta convince the wife. The 30 is only 2" wider, 2" taller and 2" deeper so we're not giving up much space. I also like being able to put slightly longer logs in. Either way, I really like that our chimney plan wont be affected by the stove choice. Great job BK.

Let's help you get a 30!

The big difference for most folks between the 20 and the 30 is that the 30 has much more flexibility. Both stoves have the same low end minimum heat output but you can choose to fill the tank full on the 30 and go for 50% longer. Then on the top end, only the 30 has the ability to crank out a higher heat output level if your home needs it such as really cold weather or when you get home to a cold house.

Due to weird clearance to combustible requirements and minimal physical size differences, the actual space taken up by the stoves is almost the same.

 

[matth]

Let's help you get a 30!

The big difference for most folks between the 20 and the 30 is that the 30 has much more flexibility. Both stoves have the same low end minimum heat output but you can choose to fill the tank full on the 30 and go for 50% longer. Then on the top end, only the 30 has the ability to crank out a higher heat output level if your home needs it such as really cold weather or when you get home to a cold house.

Due to weird clearance to combustible requirements and minimal physical size differences, the actual space taken up by the stoves is almost the same.

i went with the sirocco 20, mainly because i doubt i will ever need the higher output, my house is about a third the size of yours, and fairly well insulated.
my concerns were more about how to avoid overheating than the lack of, my thinking was that the 20 could maybe radiate less during the hot burn phase on startup and reloads.
but even there i juggle with the idea of going for the 30. we will see if i made the right choice when it will get to -30f.

i could swap one for the other on the same hearth, it doesnt stick out more i the room.

 

[Highbeam]

i went with the sirocco 20, mainly because i doubt i will ever need the higher output, my house is about a third the size of yours, and fairly well insulated.
my concerns were more about how to avoid overheating than the lack of, my thinking was that the 20 could maybe radiate less during the hot burn phase on startup and reloads.
but even there i juggle with the idea of going for the 30. we will see if i made the right choice when it will get to -30f.

i could swap one for the other on the same hearth, it doesnt stick out more i the room.

Both stoves are excellent performers compared to the rest of the market. The 30 offers longer burn times, and a wider range of outputs. The 20 can be a little cheaper.

I know what you mean about that initial blast of heat during the warm up period. My home is smaller and I heat during the shoulder seasons even when it is over 60 degrees outside. That first burst of heat during warm up really can't be avoided so I need to let the house cool a bit in anticipation.

 

[rybern]

Very valid points. Being that our home is 2000 sq ft, there seems to be no reason not to go with the 30 other than initial cost (not sure of the cost difference yet).

 

[rybern]

Wife will like that the fact that the glass is larger. What's the deal with the door options? Did I see cast iron door?

 

[Ashful]

Also, as Dix just pointed out to another new member this morning, “you can always build a small fire in a big stove, but not the other way around.”

This time of year, I’m building smaller fires in one of my Ashford 30’s (it’s only heating 2000 sq.ft. of newer construction), about 4-5 splits each evening. Meanwhile, I’m loading the other full (9 - 11 splits) each evening, it’s heating 4000 sq.ft. of pre-Revolutionary house.

If I were new to this stove, I’d be worrying it’s oversized for the smaller wing of the house, but it is sized just right for running 24 hour burn cycles thru most of the winter. I don’t know of any other stove than can be loaded once every 24 hours, and just put out almost perfectly even heat over that sort of time interval.