Stove Shortlist: PE Alderlea T4, Quadra Fire Explorer II, Blaze King Ashford 20

[Ashful]

I was wondering what the never ending BK yearly thread was like, but never found the need to go read it. Just figured it was a bunch of folks with too much time on their hands, oogling over how superior the BK is. Thanks for the confirmation.

lol... I guess that's pretty much it! Don't knock it 'till you try it. Don't forget, I've burned other stoves (note the Jotul in my avatar), and there ain't no going back.

I just wonder why @Ashful wouldn't go for the larger t6?

They'd roast me out of the house. One is only heating two rooms of newer construction, maybe 1000 sq.ft. The other is in the old kitchen, but I must move the hot air from that small (500 sq.ft.) space to the other rooms of the house. I spend 95% of the time running my stoves on a very low setting, lower than I believe a T6 will reliably run.

Does the Blaze King Ashford stove have a cook top?

No, it has a removable cast-iron top over a steel firebox. Hot air can naturally convect (or be forced, if you have fans) under this convection deck, right over the combustor mounted in the top of the firebox. Some have mentioned thoughts of removing the cast top to use it for cooking, but I've not read any accounts of anyone actually doing that.

How about changing the cat. Any tools required? Is it difficult?

No, very simple. Lift out flame shield, and pull out cat. Wrap gasket around new cat, tape it on with masking tape, and press it in. It just sits in an opening, held by friction and gravity.

How would a Ashford perform in a Wisconsin winter heating a 2000 sq. ft house? ( basement install finished basement)

That depends on a lot of factors. Basements can really suck up some heat, unless they're superbly insulated.

 

[jetsam]

Nope, axial fans. They are quieter than the competition's squirrel cage. Go figure. The BK inserts I believe still use a squirrel cage. There is more to fan design that just axial or squirrel cage, much more. Bottom line is the fans on the BK work very well.

I have the fans on my princess and only use them when I need higher output since I really appreciate the complete silence of a woodburner.

I was gonna say, I haven't been real impressed with the fans on my BK, but it's an insert.

It's year 2 on those things and they already need bearings, I think. There's one specific medium-high speed range that sounds awful. I've been just avoiding that range, but I will dig into it and fix or replace one of these days. Possibly some anti-seize will make it happier.

 

[Hogwildz]

Thanks. I was wondering do fan kits make a difference? How loud are they typically?

With a freestander, the fan may not be necessary. But they do help circulate the heated air, which is never a bad thing.
As far as loudness, typically the higher speed you run it at, the louder it is.
The PE fan is not that loud, a BK owner can give you feedback on the BK fans.
That said, you get used it, to any noise the stove makes, in short time.
My fan on high does not bother me, I do turn the TV up a little louder, as I have a high cathedral ceiling and loft that are like an echo chamber.

You'll hear pops, pings and tings that may make you nervous the first few firings & each cold start. Rest assured, these are normal, nothing to worry about. That is the steel expanding & contracting. Most notable at cold start. Also, sometimes with a brand new liners will initially collect some ash etc. then when you relight it from cold, as the liner heats up, you may hear something sounding like it is falling down the liner, Again, normal. The first few firings cause expansion & extraction of the liner, and at least mine new, had some ash and stuff pop loose and fall back done into the stove. After a few firings that stops. I have heard of, & experienced this with the rigid as I have, not sure it will even happen with a flex.

 

[lsucet]

With a freestander, the fan may not be necessary. But they do help circulate the heated air, which is never a bad thing.
As far as loudness, typically the higher speed you run it at, the louder it is.
The PE fan is not that loud, a BK owner can give you feedback on the BK fans.
That said, you get used it, to any noise the stove makes, in short time.
My fan on high does not bother me, I do turn the TV up a little louder, as I have a high cathedral ceiling and loft that are like an echo chamber.

You'll hear pops, pings and tings that may make you nervous the first few firings & each cold start. Rest assured, these are normal, nothing to worry about. That is the steel expanding & contracting. Most notable at cold start. Also, sometimes with a brand new liners will initially collect some ash etc. then when you relight it from cold, as the liner heats up, you may hear something sounding like it is falling down the liner, Again, normal. The first few firings cause expansion & extraction of the liner, and at least mine new, had some ash and stuff pop loose and fall back done into the stove. After a few firings that stops. I have heard of, & experienced this with the rigid as I have, not sure it will even happen with a flex.

I think that those symptoms that you talking about is because you don't have a BK. I recommend you to get one and you will not have those issues..
I am kidding, I am just busting your balls.
I think BK can benefit big time of the fans. Of course everything depends how insulated is the house. At the beginning I have to run the fans on medium to feel everything ok. After I started insulating and I did some remodelling plus changed some windows, I was able to run it 80% of the time radiating. When real cold the fans is a most with a BK. I think so. Maybe I am wrong cause everyone situation is different. Remember that it is a convective stove.

 

[lsucet]

Now coming from a noisy experience with my previous stoves, with BK fan noise I am in paradise.

 

[SuperJ]

I got a couple quotes now, I have a couple questions.
One company uses Security Chimney, the other uses Excel piping is there a major difference?
The other is kinda minutia, but apparently the Sirocco comes with a convection hood/exhaust vent standard. One of the quotes basically says I need the convection hood if I go with the fans, or a $100 rear shield if I don't go with the $360fankit/$115 convection deck. Am I being charged an extra $100? (According the BK thread, BKVP indicates that the Sirocco comes with the exhaust vent shroud standard now).

 

[SuperJ]

It's begun... I've ordered a Ashford 30 getting installed on October 17th. Got to get my hearth figured out now.



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[Ashful]

You will not be disappointed.