BK Ashford 25 (and Sirocco 25)

[ORCV]

I have a feeling I might need a block plate installed. I took a photo during the install. On high I barely get into the active zone and the glass doesn’t clean up well.

 

[Tegbert]

I have a feeling I might need a block plate installed. I took a photo during the install. On high I barely get into the active zone and the glass doesn’t clean up well.

BKVP has said numerous times that the cat gauge on the ashford/scirocco is not the same as the others. It is more like a switch so it may never move more than that. Once the ~500° is met it’s shows active. My glass has a hard time cleaning up too but I run it low a lot and some of my wood is sub par and low btu.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[mcdeadstein]

BKVP has said numerous times that the cat gauge on the ashford/scirocco is not the same as the others. It is more like a switch so it may never move more than that. Once the ~500° is met it’s shows active. My glass has a hard time cleaning up too but I run it low a lot and some of my wood is sub par and low btu.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

Agree, don't be fooled by the cat thermometer. I only once had it go past the 1-2 oclock position. Stove was set on medium a few hours into the burn. no visible flames in the firebox and no fans on and the cat was just ripping.

 

[ORCV]

Great thank you all for your input. I contacted BK directly. Correct, the thermostat gauge is not like other models. It really is arbitrary as the cat will kick in automatically once appropriate temperature has be achieved (approx 500F).

The smoke smell could be from an air leak around the window gasket and best way to test for that is the "dollar bill test" of which I'll try once the fire is out and stove has cooled.

He also mentioned that it could have been installed incorrectly and I will get a snake camera in there tonight to take a peek at the liner attachment to the stove. He said that a block off plate would be helpful as well if all else fails.

I noticed that when it was installed it wasn't leveled properly and likely the legs fell off the holding bricks. The installation company will come back out to level it after I have played with the stove for another few days. I doubt this effects its efficiency but it will look flush.

Lastly, he said to check the moisture content of the wood.

Neat stove, makes a big difference in heating half our house but tricky at first. Most definitely different than any other stove I have used.

 

[mcdeadstein]

I would like to know if the stove is designed to run at the lowest setting with the thermostat flapper completely closed because I just cannot get it to not start smelling a little like smoke if i do that. I may have to add a mark to indicate lowest setting because I don't want to be peaking down looking at the flapper every time i set it low.

 

[ORCV]

So after a few more fires in the stove I’m getting a better grasp for it. I am able to activate the cat much quicker and keep it going under high and medium. I really load the heck out of it with wood. I don’t think a mouse could fit in there. Lol
I find the absolute lowest I can go is 3 o’clock on temp rod at this time.

I tried the dollar bill test and didn’t find any leaks. I still think it smokes but primarily on high?

I got a moisture meter and it’s 11-12% on the outside and 15% when I split it and check it. I have to mix the oak with fir or small amount of pine to get the oak going. It is so heavy and dense that it is way different to light it in my stove compared previously in the open fireplace.

I used a snake camera and saw the legs are not on the holding bricks anymore. I wasn’t able to see the chimney liner since it was still a little too hot.

It’s really heating up half our house (very long single level home) unfortunately, I have to load it 3-4 times in 24hrs. Temps are below freezing, 30s at night and mid 40s during the day.

I still feel that it would benefit from a block plate to keep the heat in the house. I mentioned this to the installer and he seemed upset that I even brought it up. It is completely sealed up top though.

I don’t see it heating our heating our house on the low setting. It does well on medium (4-5 o’clock) and I have gotten an 8 hr burn. 3 o’clock and it radiates heat but I can’t go lower.

Lastly, make temperature adjustments very very slowly. One o’clock at a time works well for me and keeps the cat glowing and active. Change fan accordingly as well.

Any other thoughts to get this stove more efficient or am I worrying too much?
Cheers!

 

[Tegbert]

So after a few more fires in the stove I’m getting a better grasp for it. I am able to activate the cat much quicker and keep it going under high and medium. I really load the heck out of it with wood. I don’t think a mouse could fit in there. Lol
I find the absolute lowest I can go is 3 o’clock on temp rod at this time.

I tried the dollar bill test and didn’t find any leaks. I still think it smokes but primarily on high?

I got a moisture meter and it’s 11-12% on the outside and 15% when I split it and check it. I have to mix the oak with fir or small amount of pine to get the oak going. It is so heavy and dense that it is way different to light it in my stove compared previously in the open fireplace.

I used a snake camera and saw the legs are not on the holding bricks anymore. I wasn’t able to see the chimney liner since it was still a little too hot.

It’s really heating up half our house (very long single level home) unfortunately, I have to load it 3-4 times in 24hrs. Temps are below freezing, 30s at night and mid 40s during the day.

I still feel that it would benefit from a block plate to keep the heat in the house. I mentioned this to the installer and he seemed upset that I even brought it up. It is completely sealed up top though.

I don’t see it heating our heating our house on the low setting. It does well on medium (4-5 o’clock) and I have gotten an 8 hr burn. 3 o’clock and it radiates heat but I can’t go lower.

Lastly, make temperature adjustments very very slowly. One o’clock at a time works well for me and keeps the cat glowing and active. Change fan accordingly as well.

Any other thoughts to get this stove more efficient or am I worrying too much?
Cheers!

Next time the stove is cool pull the flame shield off and make sure the cat is situated right and has the gasket all the way around. Also make sure it is clean from fly ash. Although with it being new it should be ok. Also next time it is cool make sure the bypass is sealing all around the gasket. On mine the gasket is raised in the back portion of the opening i didn’t catch it until after it was installed and have tried pushing it down to no avail but the plate hits it and seems to seal anyway but it’s not on top of it like it should be.

My house is also a single story 64 feet from the insert to the opposite end and when the weather is above freezing it alone can keep the far end of the house at about 70. With the weather we have been having at night in the PNW it can’t do it alone on low and with the wood I’m using right now I don’t expect it to. Even on medium I can barely squeeze an 8 hour burn time usually 6-7. And with temps down to the teens at night the far end of the house drops to about 62.
How tall are your ceilings and square footage of the house? Type of wood using and size of splits? Height of chimney?

You would definitely benefit from having a block off plate made to prevent some or most of the heat from going up the chimney. The only downfall with the 25 series inserts is the only way to remove it is to pull the flue adapter off and then pull the insert to install one. While extremely easy to do the adapter has a gasket that may or may not be reusable. I got an extra one cause I will be pulling the insert to do a little renovation and it’s only about $18. Just not sure what to use to attach it like it came from bk cause it was stuck on there. @BKVP should know and have answers or can get them. Your installer may be upset if you brought that up after the install cause you would have to pull it on this model.

In shoulder season the lowest I can go is about 3 o’clock or slightly lower but when around 32-45° right around 2 is my lowest. Hardly ever have the fans on anything but low or off. Occasionally on medium high not long after the bypass is closed on reload and cold starts to get heat moving but the rest of the time it’s on low.

I load the stove and light. Close bypass when in active and let it rip for 15-30 min and after that time I usually go right to the setting I need or want. I quit doing increments it didn’t seem to do any better or worse either way.

It may take a while to get used to have it behaves for your particular setup and what works and doesn’t I’m still figuring mine out. Also the cat doesn’t have to be glowing to be working. As long as the gauge is in the active zone it’s doing its job. On the ashford it can be hard to see if it’s active when it’s right on the line you need to look at it straight on or it can look like it’s inactive.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[ORCV]

Thank youTegbert for your response. I will get to it ASAP tomorrow.

The house was built in the 1970s ~3000sq ft.,110 ft from stove to end of house. Chimney is approx 18 ft tall. Ceilings range from 8-10ft in the rooms where the stove heats and 20ft vaulted room. I’m using dried oak (12-15%) quarter to half split rounds. I add some pine and fir to start a fire.

I knew this stove wouldn’t heat the whole house before I bought it and I didn’t want a bigger stove due to the inability to sit near it while it would be on. The area I expect it to heat is approx 1300sq ft.
During the night the temp in the stove area ranges from 68-71 when I’m high 20s outside and far end of house is 65-66 (wife likes heat). During a sunny day, a low temp setting on the stove side can get up to 75 and far end 71.

I find that it is working better today but still emitting a Smokey smell.
Unfortunately, we bought an older home and have been remodeling it. Initially our electricity bill when we moved in 3 years ago was $600 in dec. I did a lot of upgrading (insulation, new ducting, new furnace, crack/draft sealing, LED lights, and so forth). Current electric bill is $200-$450 winter months. Our house has two electric furnaces and heat pumps. We got the AF25 so we wouldn’t need to run one of the furnaces and help the far side a little as well.

I see some fly ash up on the cat but I’ll take a proper peek at it tomorrow. The install guy will come by and I’ll let you know what he says. I bet he won’t want to pull the stove out. Lol

Enjoy the heat!

 

[mellow]

If the installer wants to remove the exhaust connector to pull the insert make sure he has a new gasket he can put on it beforehand if needed. BK recommends replacing the gasket if you take it off.

 

[ORCV]

We got somewhere today! The “professional installers” did not install the liner attachment correctly. They did not deal the attachment to the stove. The supervisor came today and sealed it up. After he left I took a look up there and I noticed that the bypass had a small gap between the gasket and bypass when closed. The gasket had been slightly fried. I was able to scrap off the damaged part and it fixed that problem.
So two things: it was still shooting hot air up in the chimney with bypass closed and there must have been a leak causing the house to get that continuous smoke smell. Will try a few more fires and if no resolution I will try to seal it up more my self.
Thanks for all the suggestions. It made me seem somewhat educated on this so supervisor didn’t take me for a total idiot when discussing my issues.
Lol

 

[mellow]

How did they seal it? It should have come with a gasket. The gasket is white in the picture below.

 

[ORCV]

He did it from the inside with a high temp silicone (2000F rating). The attachment from liner to stove had a slight space between it. You could see it with the guard off. Gasket stayed in place. Like I mentioned I also had a gap between bypass and gasket.
I fired up the stove and i have never seen the needle in the active zone that far before. No smoke smell as of yet and the cat has been glowing real well at 3 o’clock. If anyone is having problems getting the cat in the active zone, check to make sure the bypass is closing completely.

 

[mellow]

He did it from the inside with a high temp silicone (2000F rating).

I would review that with BK, I am sure they are not going to approve of that.

 

[Tegbert]

Yeah I’m not sure about that. I had a gap when I first installed mine but I missed the tabs that hold the adapter in.

Did he seal around the adapter or from when the liner attaches to the adapter?


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[ORCV]

Liner to adapter. I called BK and said that some installers do and some do not seal the adapter to liner. The adapter is sealed by the gasket.

 

[darktower007]

Since there are a total of ZERO videos on YouTube of the Sirocco/Ashford BK stove in operation... can someone post a video of theirs?

Maybe loading it up, starting a fire heck anything. Plenty on the princess.. but not on the Ashford.

I intend to fix this problem when I get mine. I’m going to film and publish my install from start to finish.... but for now I was hoping to see it in action.


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[MAD MARK]

I intend to fix this problem when I get mine. I’m going to film and publish my install from start to finish.... but for now I was hoping to see it in action.


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I am thinking about the Ashford so I would appreciate this greatly thanks.

 

[ORCV]

Update:
I have been getting burn times up in the 17-18 hours at the 2 o’clock setting now. It’s keeping the house at 70F/21C at night. Smoke smell is almost nill now but I keep the blowers at low as well.
I’m really impressed with this stove, its capabilities and efficiency at heating our home. I would recommend this to anyone who is considering a wood stove. Ash builds up quick and it’s important to leave some behind to prime the next fire. I will split madrone for next year as the oak is very very messy.
Cheers!

 

[moresnow]

Update:
I have been getting burn times up in the 17-18 hours at the 2 o’clock setting now. It’s keeping the house at 70F/21C at night. Smoke smell is almost nill now but I keep the blowers at low as well.
I’m really impressed with this stove, its capabilities and efficiency at heating our home. I would recommend this to anyone who is considering a wood stove. Ash builds up quick and it’s important to leave some behind to prime the next fire. I will split madrone for next year as the oak is very very messy.
Cheers!

Sounds like things are working out. What did the supervisor say about installing a block off plate? Did it get discussed? Curious. Hard to believe the amount of installs that don't get one! Kinda common sense?

 

[ORCV]

It was discussed. He stated that he does it on stoves if there are no surrounds or if the stoves do not get up to appropriate heat. Also the back of my chimney is not open to the outside it is built through the garage. He said it would be very hard to do on my set up since he would have to pull the stove out and then fabricate it. He agrees that it would help keep heat in but said that it being sealed up top helps as well. If all else fails he said he would come and install one.
Before anyone gets a stove installed I would discuss this with the installation company. BK said it would help retain more heat in the house rather than heating the chimney liner.
Before we had the stove the garage would heat up very nicely with the open fire place. Now the back of the chimney isn’t even warm to touch.
Since it is running well now I don’t want to fix something that isn’t broken. Will see how things play out and adjust accordingly.

 

[MAD MARK]

He said it would be very hard to do on my set up since he would have to pull the stove out and then fabricate it.

Sooo....he would have to do it like everyone else has done it and the ONLY way to do it? Makes sense.

 

[mellow]

Pulling that insert is a breeze, it would just require a new gasket for the connection to the stove from the adapter, small price to pay for insulating that fireplace and keeping the heat where it is best utilized.

Steps to pull that ashford:

Remove nuts on adapter from inside firebox
Remove adapter
Slide insert out

Not rocket science and you don't have to remove the liner as it is attached to the connector.

 

[ORCV]

That seems pretty simple. I might just do it myself rather than get the “professionals” to construct something that fails. Know where I could purchase a new gasket mellow?

 

[Tegbert]

That seems pretty simple. I might just do it myself rather than get the “professionals” to construct something that fails. Know where I could purchase a new gasket mellow?

I got one from the dealer. It was about $18 and took about a week to get.


Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25

 

[gunpowda]

I just went through this last week. I had some work done to correct my chimney cap. I also was scheduled to have an insulated block off plate installed. (Ashford 25)

After looking at the insert and reviewing the manual, the contractors and myself decided to reschedule so I could order the gasket. They seemed to think the ashford 25 was not going to be a simple slide out and back in. I showed them the gasket and they recommended I order it and call them when I get it.