Curious if a insulated liner was used when installed it helps maintain stack temps and improves the draft. Did the installer oval the liner or kink it when passing thru the damper instead of making the opening the correct size to pass the liner? 😅When you open the door to reload, do you open the bypass? Give it 15-20 seconds to stabilize then crack the door for an additional 20-30 seconds let it stabilize again. Then slowly open the door this will reduce smoke spillage. Most 2020 epa rated stoves will spill smoke if that process isnt used. Sell several brands all will spill if the above steps aren’t followed. Burn time on Blaze king is rated in the low setting states so in the manual. Wood density makes a big difference in burn times. You didn’t specify your wood that your using. Hard woods such as oak with moisture content below 20 percent will give you the best results.
Thanks for the video. I have the Ashford 25. I love the unit. It’s beautiful. I have had almost the same experiences as you (smoke spillage, black glass, nowhere near 25 hour burn time). I’m going to see if I can get longer burn times this season by experimenting with wood configurations in the firebox. Either way, I’m very happy with the unit and grateful to have it.
The way to clear the glass is to run a small hot fire every morning for about 15 minutes straight up the chimney (balast open). And that should be long enough to bring the catalyst to the active zone. If you watch blaze king videos on how to operate a catalyst stove, you'll see that they recommend a hot fire for 15 minutes straight through the chimney and then to leave the air intake thermostat on full open for half an hour once you close the ballast. That will clear the glass, further help condition the chimney and the wood for a longer burn. Remember that the condition of your glass is reflective of the condition of your chimney. As much as you want to clear your glass, you really want to make sure that you burn off any residue in the chimney as well. That's what a small hot fire up the chimney along with a period of hot burning through the catalyst will do.
Tanks for the video. How do you think the stove would operate with the built in fans off and instead used a pedestal fan blowing at the stove to disperse the heat (opposite of what you would think to do). This is a common practice for free standing wood stove owners and may help you avoid having to use the noisy built in fan. Would love to see more videos of how it burns. There are so few videos on these inserts from actual owners. Note: I ordered an Ashford 25 through a dealer back in November and am still waiting on it. Can't wait for it. Thanks again.
I do think the built in fan is the best way to transfer heat into the room, especially because the insert is in a relatively enclosed cavity. Usually I would run the fan on a lower speed and that cut the noise by quite a bit.
How are you enjoying the insert? I’m up in air between non cat(simplicity, cost), hybrid (best of both worlds), cat (asford maybe doesn’t overheat space). My room is in colonial in an off room but generally the coldest room on 1st floor. I worry about overheating room so like cat option but seems long to get good fire going. Plus lose the visuals of non cat fire. At least I think you do. Plus my chimney is exterior and about 17’ so close to minimum in height.
Thanks for the review. I’m waiting for my BK Sirocco 25 delivery. I also have a single story external chimney and was wondering whether you got block off plate installed over the top of the insert? For chimney liner, did you use single or insulated? Thanks in advance
The "25" in the model number does NOT imply a 25 hour burn. It indicates the firebox size is 2.5 cubic feet. The bigger the firebox, the longer the burn time - just like the gas tank on your car. Load the firebox to capacity with large splits of seasoned wood and it will easily burn all night. In the morning merely add more wood and the residual coals will start the fire all by itself. As others have said, turning up the thermostat to high for a half and hour or so will clear most of the soot from the glass, Additionally, your chimney is way way to short. I have a 25-foot chimney and my Sirocco works fine. No smoke escapes during loading if the instructions in the manual are followed. My dufus brother-in-law tried to load the stove without opening the bypass, opening the thermostat, turning off the fan, and waiting a minute or so before adding wood. It smoked like a locomotive. This Sirocco was installed in 2021 and I love it. The fan in mine is much much quieter than you describe, however, I am an old geezer and cannot hear much of anything . . . RTFM and there will be no problems.
Thanks for the info. I'm looking at the Blaze King Ashford 25 which I think is the same fire box with a different trim on the front. The info on burn time is a little disappointing compared to the spec but manageable. How would you rate the accuracy of the spec for sq. ft. heating capacity of up to 1600?
Yes the Ashford is the same but with a fancier finish! We had the insert in a room of about 550 square feet at our home in Comox on Vancouver island where the climate is warmer but moist (typically between 0 and 6 degrees Celcius in the winter). The Sirocco had no problem cooking the room out and keeping most of the rest of the house warm as well(nearly 2000 square feet). So I would say it should have no problem keeping spaces of up to 1600 square feet warm (depending on the outside air temp). Hope it goes well for you!
That was a great video. I am a professional wood heating expert and I can help you with your problems with the smoking and the glass issue. If you would like you can visit my website at blackvelvetchimney.com and then fill out the form send me your information I’ll be more than happy to discuss this with you. I’m a Blaze King dealer and have installed numerous Ashford’s which is the same thing as a sirocco as well as freestanding units. Keep up the good work thank you.
Anyone know how long the cats last on the blaze kings and if there's a way to make them if say the company goes under or stops making them later for any reason? With that said, anyone know if these are even less efficient than an old school stove with the cat bypass engaged? Wonder what kind of burn times it gets with vs without the cat? What kind of temps could I expect with it cranked all the way down low? Keep wondering if I could get a bigger stove and get way longer burn times and still working the cat efficiently for a well insulated 1200 sq ft house. Thanks for any insight as it will be greatly appreciated
I know for the cat to perform its duty it cannot drop below a certain temperature. I would want to have a stove that could be run close to wide open rather than having a larger stove that would need to be dampened down significantly. Hope you get a stove you are happy with!
@@acesgaragehowto Does the cat temp drop a lot when it's turned low? Seen some people commenting like it doesn't but was kind of wondering if they're crazy. They have thermometers on the cat right? Thanks for the info
The recommended minimum chimney length is 15'. Again that is the minimum. If you liner is not insulated, it is recommended so it will hold stack temps and improve draft. As for cleaning the combustor, that should not be needed except once or twice a season at most, given proper draft and properly season wood. As to burn times, without sufficient draft, you may not be able to operate the stove at the lowest possible burn rate and still maintain combustor activity. The good about addressing the draft issue, you will also be able to get higher Btu production if you can in fact pull more air into the firebox. You might also consider loading smaller pieces when you are available or awake and can attend to the fire. For extended burn times, use larger diameter pieces for the load, reducing surface area available to combustion. The first step to increasing your satisfaction is to improve the draft, reduce the smoke spillage into the room and get the best possible burn times. Happy burning....this winter.
You are absolutely right . In fact, we had a person from the dealer come and look at our situation before we bought and he did not go over the min chimney height. On the initial install the installers squished the pipe as there was a wide but narrow passage through part of the existing chimney. We pulled the pipe out and re-installed the following year. There are some big trees surrounding the property which is located on the leeward side of a slope. All of those things had a negative impact on draft.
Fans with fireplaces have been a secret GAG of the fireplace industry for a long time. Very loud, Very inefficient, using hundred year old technology and selling for ultra premium prices, 500$ for a 20$ piece of junk. I also had a loud fire place fan in an insert, I replaced it with an AC infinity brand fan. It uses new technology, brushless motors, and it is speed adjustable. and very efficient, and it is a lot quieter. The other GAG the fireplace industry is in on, is that they position the fan way in the back, where it will get HOT and then the electric device will fail. Air that is HOT is less dense, and trying to blow hot air is futile. I have my fan on the exterior, where it sucks dense, COLD air and blows it into , up, and out of the fireplace. WOW much better. If you want to sponsor me with a few millions, I will develop a more genius fireplace than any of these cronies in the game.
Yes the fan in the fireplace insert does seem to be a bit of an afterthought even though its essential to moving heat through the room. Fan noise was by far the most irritating feature of the insert. Maybe you could pitch your ideas to Blaze King :)
Hi, I have the ac infinity fan , and i have it about 3-4 feet in front of the fireplace, blowing along the floor. the air goes under the fireplace and up the back and out the top. It would be great to have a fan suck cold air from the basement and blow it back there. better yet, take hot air and blow it into the basement. But THEY dont make houses like that @@MiSa08809
Curious if a insulated liner was used when installed it helps maintain stack temps and improves the draft. Did the installer oval the liner or kink it when passing thru the damper instead of making the opening the correct size to pass the liner? 😅When you open the door to reload, do you open the bypass? Give it 15-20 seconds to stabilize then crack the door for an additional 20-30 seconds let it stabilize again. Then slowly open the door this will reduce smoke spillage. Most 2020 epa rated stoves will spill smoke if that process isnt used. Sell several brands all will spill if the above steps aren’t followed. Burn time on Blaze king is rated in the low setting states so in the manual. Wood density makes a big difference in burn times. You didn’t specify your wood that your using. Hard woods such as oak with moisture content below 20 percent will give you the best results.
Thanks for the video. I have the Ashford 25. I love the unit. It’s beautiful. I have had almost the same experiences as you (smoke spillage, black glass, nowhere near 25 hour burn time). I’m going to see if I can get longer burn times this season by experimenting with wood configurations in the firebox. Either way, I’m very happy with the unit and grateful to have it.
Thank you! Happy wood burning!
The way to clear the glass is to run a small hot fire every morning for about 15 minutes straight up the chimney (balast open). And that should be long enough to bring the catalyst to the active zone. If you watch blaze king videos on how to operate a catalyst stove, you'll see that they recommend a hot fire for 15 minutes straight through the chimney and then to leave the air intake thermostat on full open for half an hour once you close the ballast. That will clear the glass, further help condition the chimney and the wood for a longer burn. Remember that the condition of your glass is reflective of the condition of your chimney. As much as you want to clear your glass, you really want to make sure that you burn off any residue in the chimney as well. That's what a small hot fire up the chimney along with a period of hot burning through the catalyst will do.
Tanks for the video. How do you think the stove would operate with the built in fans off and instead used a pedestal fan blowing at the stove to disperse the heat (opposite of what you would think to do). This is a common practice for free standing wood stove owners and may help you avoid having to use the noisy built in fan.
Would love to see more videos of how it burns. There are so few videos on these inserts from actual owners.
Note: I ordered an Ashford 25 through a dealer back in November and am still waiting on it. Can't wait for it. Thanks again.
I do think the built in fan is the best way to transfer heat into the room, especially because the insert is in a relatively enclosed cavity. Usually I would run the fan on a lower speed and that cut the noise by quite a bit.
How are you enjoying the insert? I’m up in air between non cat(simplicity, cost), hybrid (best of both worlds), cat (asford maybe doesn’t overheat space). My room is in colonial in an off room but generally the coldest room on 1st floor. I worry about overheating room so like cat option but seems long to get good fire going. Plus lose the visuals of non cat fire. At least I think you do. Plus my chimney is exterior and about 17’ so close to minimum in height.
Thanks for the review. I’m waiting for my BK Sirocco 25 delivery. I also have a single story external chimney and was wondering whether you got block off plate installed over the top of the insert? For chimney liner, did you use single or insulated? Thanks in advance
No block off plate over the top, and used just a single flexible stainless steel liner inside of an existing chimney. Hope it works out great for you!
The "25" in the model number does NOT imply a 25 hour burn. It indicates the firebox size is 2.5 cubic feet. The bigger the firebox, the longer the burn time - just like the gas tank on your car.
Load the firebox to capacity with large splits of seasoned wood and it will easily burn all night. In the morning merely add more wood and the residual coals will start the fire all by itself. As others have said, turning up the thermostat to high for a half and hour or so will clear most of the soot from the glass,
Additionally, your chimney is way way to short. I have a 25-foot chimney and my Sirocco works fine. No smoke escapes during loading if the instructions in the manual are followed. My dufus brother-in-law tried to load the stove without opening the bypass, opening the thermostat, turning off the fan, and waiting a minute or so before adding wood. It smoked like a locomotive.
This Sirocco was installed in 2021 and I love it. The fan in mine is much much quieter than you describe, however, I am an old geezer and cannot hear much of anything . . .
RTFM and there will be no problems.
What is the best way, most efficient way to load the wood in your Sirocco Blaze King?
Thanks for the info. I'm looking at the Blaze King Ashford 25 which I think is the same fire box with a different trim on the front. The info on burn time is a little disappointing compared to the spec but manageable. How would you rate the accuracy of the spec for sq. ft. heating capacity of up to 1600?
Yes the Ashford is the same but with a fancier finish! We had the insert in a room of about 550 square feet at our home in Comox on Vancouver island where the climate is warmer but moist (typically between 0 and 6 degrees Celcius in the winter). The Sirocco had no problem cooking the room out and keeping most of the rest of the house warm as well(nearly 2000 square feet). So I would say it should have no problem keeping spaces of up to 1600 square feet warm (depending on the outside air temp). Hope it goes well for you!
That was a great video. I am a professional wood heating expert and I can help you with your problems with the smoking and the glass issue.
If you would like you can visit my website at blackvelvetchimney.com and then fill out the form send me your information I’ll be more than happy to discuss this with you.
I’m a Blaze King dealer and have installed numerous Ashford’s which is the same thing as a sirocco as well as freestanding units.
Keep up the good work thank you.
Are you opening your bypass before opening door. That will minimize smoke coming into your room.
Yes of course, and some windows as well to make sure there is plenty of air available!
Anyone know how long the cats last on the blaze kings and if there's a way to make them if say the company goes under or stops making them later for any reason? With that said, anyone know if these are even less efficient than an old school stove with the cat bypass engaged? Wonder what kind of burn times it gets with vs without the cat? What kind of temps could I expect with it cranked all the way down low? Keep wondering if I could get a bigger stove and get way longer burn times and still working the cat efficiently for a well insulated 1200 sq ft house. Thanks for any insight as it will be greatly appreciated
I know for the cat to perform its duty it cannot drop below a certain temperature. I would want to have a stove that could be run close to wide open rather than having a larger stove that would need to be dampened down significantly. Hope you get a stove you are happy with!
@@acesgaragehowto Does the cat temp drop a lot when it's turned low? Seen some people commenting like it doesn't but was kind of wondering if they're crazy. They have thermometers on the cat right? Thanks for the info
I replace mine every 10 years, still works ok but the efficiency goes up with a new combustor.
The recommended minimum chimney length is 15'. Again that is the minimum. If you liner is not insulated, it is recommended so it will hold stack temps and improve draft.
As for cleaning the combustor, that should not be needed except once or twice a season at most, given proper draft and properly season wood.
As to burn times, without sufficient draft, you may not be able to operate the stove at the lowest possible burn rate and still maintain combustor activity. The good about addressing the draft issue, you will also be able to get higher Btu production if you can in fact pull more air into the firebox. You might also consider loading smaller pieces when you are available or awake and can attend to the fire. For extended burn times, use larger diameter pieces for the load, reducing surface area available to combustion.
The first step to increasing your satisfaction is to improve the draft, reduce the smoke spillage into the room and get the best possible burn times.
Happy burning....this winter.
You are absolutely right . In fact, we had a person from the dealer come and look at our situation before we bought and he did not go over the min chimney height. On the initial install the installers squished the pipe as there was a wide but narrow passage through part of the existing chimney. We pulled the pipe out and re-installed the following year. There are some big trees surrounding the property which is located on the leeward side of a slope. All of those things had a negative impact on draft.
Fans with fireplaces have been a secret GAG of the fireplace industry for a long time. Very loud, Very inefficient, using hundred year old technology and selling for ultra premium prices, 500$ for a 20$ piece of junk. I also had a loud fire place fan in an insert, I replaced it with an AC infinity brand fan. It uses new technology, brushless motors, and it is speed adjustable. and very efficient, and it is a lot quieter. The other GAG the fireplace industry is in on, is that they position the fan way in the back, where it will get HOT and then the electric device will fail.
Air that is HOT is less dense, and trying to blow hot air is futile. I have my fan on the exterior, where it sucks dense, COLD air and blows it into , up, and out of the fireplace. WOW much better.
If you want to sponsor me with a few millions, I will develop a more genius fireplace than any of these cronies in the game.
Yes the fan in the fireplace insert does seem to be a bit of an afterthought even though its essential to moving heat through the room. Fan noise was by far the most irritating feature of the insert. Maybe you could pitch your ideas to Blaze King :)
How do you have your fan situated to blow the cold air in. And what fan are you using? Can you show an example? Thanks
Hi, I have the ac infinity fan , and i have it about 3-4 feet in front of the fireplace, blowing along the floor. the air goes under the fireplace and up the back and out the top. It would be great to have a fan suck cold air from the basement and blow it back there. better yet, take hot air and blow it into the basement. But THEY dont make houses like that @@MiSa08809