Questions on Sirocco 20.2 as Backup Heat in New Home Build

[sadsak]

Hi,

We are building a new house and I am trying to puzzle out what stove to get. In our current house we have an FPX 36 Elite and it has served us well. We like a catalytic stove and how it operates. In the new house we do not intend to use the stove for primary heat. New house will have geothermal with a radiant floor. We want the stove as a backup and to provide some ambiance/extra heat when needed. Having said that, my wife can never been to warm, so I imagine she will be running it daily. The new house is 1800 sqft and the stove is going to be against the middle of a wall in the main room of the house. That room is approx 30'x25' with a 20' vaulted ceiling. I can get a good deal on floor model Blaze King Sirocco 20.2. The looks don't do much for me, but the wife thinks it is fine and the price is right. I searched for "Sirocco 20" posts, and I see a responses saying to get a 30 instead. Since we just need the stove for backup and not for primary, I think a 30 would be too much stove. Is the Sirocco 20 an okay fit for my needs? Also, will it put out too much head on low to even be usable for ambiance?

Thanks!

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

If it is primarily supplemental heat or "in a pinch" backup I think smaller is fine. However, in terms of ambiance most blaze kings have very minimal flame when burning on low (folks call it black box mode). More flame typically means more heat which may be fine but may be too warm for your liking. Get your wood sorted out now though BKs and most modern cat stoves hate wet wood.

 

[BKVP]

The difference in btu output is minimal, both high and low. Rather, it's about size of the fuel tank. The larger FBV of the 30 simply means less frequency in loading and emptying of ashes.

If you did wind up using the stove more than anticipated, having the larger firebox will be beneficial in terms of loading frequency.

BKVP

 

[stoveliker]

How is the stove room connected to other parts of the home? I.e. how easy can heat spread? Back up heat that still freezes water lines in other rooms would suck...

Regarding flame, if you burn at normal stove output ranges you'll have flame.

 

[Rickb]

Cant comment on the 20.2 but I have the 20 and love it. I use about 4 splits at a time and reload around 8 hours or so. Works great for my schedule. Load it when I get home. Lasts till bed time. On weekends I usually load twice.

 

[bikedennis]

Get the 30.2.

 

[BC_Josh]

I love my Sirocco 20.2 stove. It's great. Except from a cold start it causes a s**t ton of smoke to billow out for the first twenty minutes or so, so it's not the best for supplementary heat if you are going from a cold start often UNLESS you live out in the country. I hate seeing the smoke rolling down the block, choking out my neighbours if they are outside. Once it gets warmed up, it's awesome, though.

I wound up using an oil filled, electric plug-in heater for the shoulder season (always on low!, it's a lot to expect 1500W to be on one circuit), just to take off the damp chill out of the home. I'm a bit disappointed in the Sirroco as a shoulder season stove. But, I'm in the mild interior rain forest of southeastern BC so the shoulder season can be long. It also has been caking up the chimney cap with creosote and it can ignite easily after not too many wood burnings. The amazing thing about the stove is I only used a cord and a half for six months of steady fires. Real efficient that way. Still love it. Wouldn't talk anyone out of one, but know it's perimeters; that's useful.

 

[Highbeam]

Get the 30, or princess, is the right answer. Backup means it needs to be able to work well as a backup if the power goes out or the geothermal fails. When that happens, you'll be glad for the larger stove.

It's much more pleasant to load a larger stove. Small fires burned hot make a small amount of heat and plenty of fireshow.

If they are giving you the 20 stove then you can certainly heat with it. I think it uses a weird cat too, not like the 30 box stoves or princess.

 

[moresnow]

Cat is same same

Specifications

• 4" x 10.6" x 2" Rectangle
• Ceramic - 16 CPI
• Metal - 50 CPI

Compatible Stove Models:

Blaze King

• Princess Models PEJ1006 PEJ1003 PE32 and PE35
• Princess PI1010A
• Also fits: Ashford, Chinook, Sirocco

 

[Highbeam]

Cat is same same

Specifications

• 4" x 10.6" x 2" Rectangle
• Ceramic - 16 CPI
• Metal - 50 CPI

Compatible Stove Models:

Blaze King

• Princess Models PEJ1006 PEJ1003 PE32 and PE35
• Princess PI1010A
• Also fits: Ashford, Chinook, Sirocco

20 box uses the same cat as the 30 box?

 

[BKVP]

S.CAT203032 COMBUSTOR FOR 20/30/PE32.