Sirocco 20.1 short burn time

[Brightsand Burner]

In March 2021 we replaced our stove with a Sirocco 20.1 and installed it ourselves. We wanted to get a more efficient stove because, after 37 years we still like burning firewood but we want to have to haul less of it.

From the beginning the best we could get is about a 6 hour burn. They advertise a burn time of 'up to 20 hrs" for this stove. We've been using wood stoves since 1986, so we are not new to this.

We pointed the problem out to BK reps right away. Over the next 26 months we've had 18 emails and a number of phone conversations, none of which solved the problem.

We burn well seasoned, prime spruce firewood. The chimney is CSA certified, insulated and goes straight up inside 12 feet and 8 feet above the roof.

This spring a rep came out and changed the combustor, but unfortunately, it didn't help.

Subsequently we inquired about other possible solutions, or failing that, replacing the stove, to which we got no response. Two more inquiries also got no response.

Any ideas out there?

 

[kborndale]

Do you have a damper on your pipe?

 

[begreen]

In March 2021 we replaced our stove with a Sirocco 20.1 and installed it ourselves. We wanted to get a more efficient stove because, after 37 years we still like burning firewood but we want to have to haul less of it.

From the beginning the best we could get is about a 6 hour burn. They advertise a burn time of 'up to 20 hrs" for this stove. We've been using wood stoves since 1986, so we are not new to this.

We pointed the problem out to BK reps right away. Over the next 26 months we've had 18 emails and a number of phone conversations, none of which solved the problem.

We burn well seasoned, prime spruce firewood. The chimney is CSA certified, insulated and goes straight up inside 12 feet and 8 feet above the roof.

This spring a rep came out and changed the combustor, but unfortunately, it didn't help.

Subsequently we inquired about other possible solutions, or failing that, replacing the stove, to which we got no response. Two more inquiries also got no response.

Any ideas out there?

The longer burn times come with running the stove low and slow. The rate of burn depends on the heat loss of the house and how hot the stove has to run in order to replace this. If the stove is being pushed hard for heat its burn time will be about what a non-cat of similar capacity will be.

 

[Highbeam]

The rate of burn mostly depends on the operator’s setting of the burn rate control. This is independent of the home’s heat loss.

Most folks that get very low burn times with the BKs set on low are either not loading it fully and tightly with seasoned fuel or are not defining burn time the same way that BK does.

 

[Diabel]

I can easily burn through a load of softwood in my Princess with cat engaged and air fully open. And the Princess is a bigger stove. It is all about your heating needs.

 

[Todd]

Check your door gasket for leaks and bypass plate for warpage. Isn’t there also a way to check the thermostat to make sure it’s operating properly? The Blaze King guys should know.

 

[begreen]

The rate of burn mostly depends on the operator’s setting of the burn rate control. This is independent of the home’s heat loss.

Independent, but usually directly correlated. The fire is built to heat the house. The rate of burn is usually set to exceed the rate of heat loss until stasis at the desired temperature is achieved. True, there are exceptions. Some people like living in a sauna with 80+ room temps.

 

[BKVP]

Does the bypass lock down or just close?
How tall is your chimney from stove top to cap?
If you are the 12'+ in your post, that means you likely do not have sufficient draft to maintain combustor activity at lowest possible burn rate and correspondingly, not reaches maximum Btu's under high burn settings.
Please post picture of a "full load".
When burning, can you turn down the thermostat and eliminate the flames?
What year was your home built and how many square feet?
What other sources of heat do you have for the home?

BKVP

 

[Highbeam]

Independent, but usually directly correlated. The fire is built to heat the house. The rate of burn is usually set to exceed the rate of heat loss until stasis at the desired temperature is achieved. True, there are exceptions. Some people like living in a sauna with 80+ room temps.

The beauty of a stove that is capable of burning for 20, 30, or 40 hours unattended is reloading when it’s convenient for the operator. Not everybody burns for 100% of their heating.

The operator chooses the burn rate, not the house. The knob is set by the operator only.

 

[begreen]

True that, the operator (or the kids or housewife) also can turn up the thermostat on the primary heating system when dad is not around.

 

[moresnow]

@Brightsand Burner
Turn your therm knob wide open until it stops (gently, without forcing it). Post the pic here.

Lots of potential influences to take into account on burn times.
The 20 series is 1.8 cu/ft,
Brightsand, Sask. environment? Not a clue.

What are the home details? Sq. ft? levels, insulation etc.

What stove/stoves heated the place for 37 years prior to this BK?

I run a Sirocco 20 and have replicated and exceeded the advertised burn times many times.

 

[Highbeam]

The stove can meet or exceed the advertised burn times. The design is solid. All the 20, 30, king and princess models deliver on the advertised burn times if installed and operated per the manual with decent firewood. Even softwoods.

 

[Hoytman]

@Brightsand Burner
Turn your therm knob wide open until it stops (gently, without forcing it). Post the pic here.

Lots of potential influences to take into account on burn times.
The 20 series is 1.8 cu/ft,
Brightsand, Sask. environment? Not a clue.

What are the home details? Sq. ft? levels, insulation etc.

What stove/stoves heated the place for 37 years prior to this BK?

I run a Sirocco 20 and have replicated and exceeded the advertised burn times many times.

On a side note when you exceeded the advertised burn rates how long does it usually butn and what size is your house?

In that small of a fire box 1-2 small sticks of wood in a 20+ hour period would be fine with me. So would the larger Princess/King models over a much longer period with a full load.

Either would work…what concerns me is a larger stove throwing off too much heat on low burn for my needs. For my 1350sq ft my biggest problem heating with my big coal stove is it throws too much heat in the shoulder seasons where a smaller stove would work well. My coal stove typically burns shoulder to deep winter 12,500btus/hr to 15,500 btus/hr. The coal stove radiates a lot of heat off the sides and front and convects a lot through the top.

I’d love to burn (continuously) earlier in the fall and later in the spring and to do it I’m figuring I need:

1. A smaller stove, OR a stove that gives off most of its heat off the top and front and less off of the sides.

2. I need a stove capable of around 9,000 btus/hr to 15,500.

These needs are based off of a stove with a thermostat like my coal stove has and like the BK has.

I’m well aware that I can light a small fire once a day. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about needing a continuous burn from 9,000btus to 15,500 btus. I base this off of my maximum burn rate of nut Anthracite at 30lbs/day max to as little as 10lbs/day @12,500btus/lb of nut coal.

 

[Crummy]

Looks like the original poster hasn't came back to follow up with answers or more questions but I'll throw in my $.02

We have been more than happy with our Sirocco 20.2 It keeps our house warm with 12 hour burn times through the interior Alaska winter and will go 18+ hours in the fall and spring. I'm no tech but I'm guessing something is wrong with either the operator or the installation. Good place to start would be by answering the questions that BKVP asked.