3 whole days?? Buy a stove, already!I’ve been reading these forums (anything from Regency CI2600 to BK) for 3 straight days. It’s curently 4 in the morning, I’m losing sleep over this stuff
BK Ashford 25 (and Sirocco 25)
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MissMac
Minister of Fire
I have a Sirocco 30.1 and I really like it. But, you have to figure out what look you like and then pull the trigger on that. Spend your money on what you want.Ok folks, I’m making the plunge! I’ve been reading these forums (anything from Regency CI2600 to BK) for 3 straight days. It’s curently 4 in the morning, I’m losing sleep over this stuff
Ashford or Sirocco? That is the question! Love the princess but I’d have to modify my hearth and I can’t afford to lose the real estate in my living room. I’d like to heat the house as much as I can with the stove (approx. 2000 sq/ft ranch). I understand the Sirocco and ashford are the same insert with a different face. My question is, is it unrealistic to think it would heat my ranch home, and is the Ashford that much nicer looking than the Sirocco? I can get the Siracco 25 for $500 off (totaling $2700, no tax, no shipping.) Where as id have to order the Ashford and pay the tax and shipping. If it’s that much nicer, I’ll spend the additional cash.
Really appreciate any help folks!
darktower007
Feeling the Heat
Ok folks, I’m making the plunge! I’ve been reading these forums (anything from Regency CI2600 to BK) for 3 straight days. It’s curently 4 in the morning, I’m losing sleep over this stuff
Ashford or Sirocco? That is the question! Love the princess but I’d have to modify my hearth and I can’t afford to lose the real estate in my living room. I’d like to heat the house as much as I can with the stove (approx. 2000 sq/ft ranch). I understand the Sirocco and ashford are the same insert with a different face. My question is, is it unrealistic to think it would heat my ranch home, and is the Ashford that much nicer looking than the Sirocco? I can get the Siracco 25 for $500 off (totaling $2700, no tax, no shipping.) Where as id have to order the Ashford and pay the tax and shipping. If it’s that much nicer, I’ll spend the additional cash.
Really appreciate any help folks!
This is just my experience.
Note my wood is not the best.
I have and Ashford 25. While it heats up our 20x20 living room great, beyond that there’s little heat with the unit wide open and fan on high.
Our down stairs is 1250 and it may warm up half of that. So far we’ve never been ran out of the room cause it was too hot.
Now my experience is different than most. Most people have great heat out put.. but I’m in my first season and new to the wood burning so it will take more time to get use to it.
I wish I had the room to put a Free standing stove... those things crank out some serious BTU.
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Thanks guys for the input. I’m just trying to make sure I go with the right insert. This is a lot of money to shell out, simply to have my fingers crossed hoping for the best. I want to make the right decision the first time. I assume BK is the brand I should be going for, as most people on this forum love them. Then their are many people who have been pushing me away from catalyst stoves, in my area, which then makes me rethink my entire decision! Lol just need a good stove that will last me a long time, give good overnight burns and keep my propane bill below $2400 for the season!
darktower007
Feeling the Heat
A few tips. Get going on your wood now. Pay up if you can find dry seasoned wood. Buy a moisture meter.
After you get your stove broke in, load it up north to south as tight as you can pack it to get the most out of it.
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Tegbert
Feeling the Heat
Many people say stay away from catalyst stove because they remember the early ones and how they were mostly horrible. They have come a long way since then. Yes it is a wear item and will need replacement at some time. There are plenty of non cats that can do overnight burns too like pacific energy ones. If I redid my insert a pe is high on the list for it. Any insert will most likely help with your propane bill. But the key to all cats or non cats is good dry wood.
Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25
Yep, lotta coin for sure. If you don't absolutely need a stove right now, you'd be wise to keep reading here to learn as much as possible before pulling the trigger. Lots of newbs get swept up in the BK fervor, but a lot of that is marketing clap-trap. If you read the threads, you'll find that it isn't all peaches and cream. Owners of most other brands don't engage in promoting their brand..except me.
Most Woodstock owners have abandoned ship from the BK-fest that goes on here..not that Ws makes an insert, but you get the idea. There are a zillion inserts out there to choose from, and many features that you may or may not want (you have a full masonry chimney, right?) There's really no way to shortcut the learning process, if you want to do it right the first time, as you say. Especially if you know nothing about burning wood. I will say, spend money on quality now and be happy later.Cat vs. non-cat is an issue to be weighed, for sure. If you want top cat performance, you are looking at replacing the cat every 3 years or so, if you burn on a regular basis. That can be anywhere from $150-300+.
BKVP
Minister of Fire
BKVP
Minister of Fire
I think you will agree no company is all peaches and cream...Yep, lotta coin for sure. If you don't absolutely need a stove right now, you'd be wise to keep reading here to learn as much as possible before pulling the trigger. Lots of newbs get swept up in the BK fervor, but a lot of that is marketing clap-trap. If you read the threads, you'll find that it isn't all peaches and cream. Owners of most other brands don't engage in promoting their brand..except me.
Cat vs. non-cat is an issue to be weighed, for sure. If you want top cat performance, you are looking at replacing the cat every 3 years or so, if you burn on a regular basis. That can be anywhere from $150-300+.
Tegbert
Feeling the Heat
Yes but people often get scared of the price of the combustor vs the wear items on other stoves is what I meant to say not that they don’t
Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25
BKVP
Minister of Fire
Price out a baffle plate or tubes. They are on par price wise.
Agreed, and some will be disappointed when they find that out after they have spent their money. There's no substitute for due diligence.
You guys are awesome and I agree with the majority. I now have about 5 bush cords of white oak, maple and ash lined up for next year. I’m working with two cords of decent white oak and an assortment of hardwoods, currently. I have a Harman Oakleaf in my basement that I burn and my open fireplace with a heat exchanger.
I’ve learned a lot this winter, simply by using my Harman. I can get a solid 6-8 hours out of it, usually leaving the stove temp around 250 in the morning with some hot coals to start another fire (all with the fan on high.) It actually performs quite well. My basement is a full, unfinished 2000sq/ft. I’m hoping with the BK and the stove, I should be able to nearly eliminate the need for propane. OH YA, I bought the Siracco a couple of hours ago! Lol I got it for a decent price, new and installed for $4500. My next step is to figure out the blocking plate that everybody keeps discussing. Could someone kindly point me in the right direction? They are doing the install Monday and I want to make sure I am ready!
I’ve learned a lot this winter, simply by using my Harman. I can get a solid 6-8 hours out of it, usually leaving the stove temp around 250 in the morning with some hot coals to start another fire (all with the fan on high.) It actually performs quite well. My basement is a full, unfinished 2000sq/ft. I’m hoping with the BK and the stove, I should be able to nearly eliminate the need for propane. OH YA, I bought the Siracco a couple of hours ago! Lol I got it for a decent price, new and installed for $4500. My next step is to figure out the blocking plate that everybody keeps discussing. Could someone kindly point me in the right direction? They are doing the install Monday and I want to make sure I am ready!
Good goin, you'll be fine with that. ROI on the $2,400/yr. you spend on LP should be about 3-4 years, that's where I was too and you won't look back.
Thank you! Yes I hope we get a lot of use out of it. Now trying to figure out what I can do to make my external firebox and chimney as efficient as possible.
I think we have all been there...I cringed at the thought about dropping all of that coin on a new set up...then I would thumb through the propane receipts....
No kidding! We went propane from electric anticipating to be more efficient..... didn’t do any research in that lol. So hoping this really cuts down my usage!I think we have all been there...I cringed at the thought about dropping all of that coin on a new set up...then I would thumb through the propane receipts....
Anybody build their own block off plate? Looking for advice on insulating my box and installing a block off plate
I keep seeing you saying you run the stove on wide open air and fan on high. Try turning the stove down some and slow your fan speed down. I get more heat by far from turning my air down to about three o’clock and turning the fan way down.
Also get some box fans and SLOWLY move the cold air to the warm room where the stove is. Ceiling fans help a lot to if you have high ceilings. I think the key is to get things warm keep them warm and move the air slowly.
Wednesday night we were at -8 air temp and -19 wind chill and I was actually too hot in the living room with the insert. This is just my experience with my setup you might not get the same results but might be worth a try.
Tegbert
Feeling the Heat
https://www.hearth.com/talk/wiki/make-a-damper-sealing-block-off-plate/
Lopi Rockport
Blaze King Ashford 25
I'm new posting to the forum but reading helped me choose the Blaze King Ashford 25 this Fall. I'm pleased with the stove but reading posts I am definitely not maximizing heat potential. We live in a ranch - 2300 SF. Goal was to heat half of the house which is fairly open - fan on high -and it does that fairly well - but more to the tune of 64 - 66 degrees (in the same room) as opposed to 68+ I'd like to see.
I grew up in a house with a wood cook stove for heat and thought I was somewhat knowledgeable with fireplaces but this insert with the CAT is making me feel like a real newbie.
First and foremost I can't seem to get the stove into the active zone. I can get it touching on the active zone but that's with it opened up completely. When I do get into the zone to activate the CAT I get a smell of smoke and the temp gauge drops below active which I imagine is not a good thing for the CAT. I'm burning cords of kiln dried mixed hardwood 24/7.
Reading posts and speaking with BK reps over the phone recently they seem to think the smell is a draft issue - no issue during startup or other times. We had a 6 inch steel liner with insulated liner over installed this Fall and BK rep suggested a double steel wall liner with surrounding insulated liner. I don't believe that installers would be pleased and hopefully it doesn't come down to this.
I'm admittedly not to handy and the next step is to read the manual again but I'm open and appreciative of suggestions.
Ethan
Kiln dried? If it is like the "kiln" dried found here locally it is no where near seasoned...Kiln dried usually means the wood is heated just enough to kill bugs and thats it..it is no where near seasoned..you have a moisture meter? I am willing to bet your wood is wet..
Ok I got the Sirocco 25 installed! Thing took my house up 4 degrees in a couple hours no problem. My question is, the catalyst temp knob, how much does it turn? Mine goes from 6 o’clock high, to about 2:30 low. I assumed it went to 12 o’clock for low. Is this normal?
darktower007
Feeling the Heat
Grab a piece of wood and put it on the moisture meter. Sounds like wet wood.
I have a BK AF25 as well. And after going to the store and buying two sacks of “kiln dried wood” that was 13% Mc I packed it very full and it ran me out of the room after it took off!
The cat meter is not really like a temp gauge. It simply measures if it’s in the active zone or not. This is different than most other BKs from what I understand.
So buy as much wood as you can now and store it up covered... next year you should see a big difference.
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Restarting this thread - What's the latest and greatest on how you're all liking the stove? I'm trying to decide if I should pull the trigger on the Ashford 25 or the Lopi medium flush (nexgen, not hybrid). Have there been any improvements to the unit since the original models came out? Would you buy it again if you could do it over? My main concern is the black glass - can I run on medium/high and avoid that all together?
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