Regency I3100 Wood Insert Reviews

HisTreeNut · Nov 3, 2014

Hey...
I am new to the forums and my wife and I are considering the purchase of a wood stove insert for the house we just bought. I have been trying to find reviews on the Regency I3100 Wood Insert...and wood stove inserts in general. Most reviews I have found for wood stove inserts are at best...not helpful. Mostly the reviews are people that have "reviewed" the stove but complain mainly about the person or company that installed the stove and then blame the maker of the stove for their issues. Many also seem to have no idea about how to properly build a fire and should take ten minutes and read the directions [Venting a bit here]. Ummm...yeah, so most reviews I have found are not helpful at all.
I read some of what is on the forums here and it has been a help. My question is, does anyone have the Regency I3100 Wood Insert and can you give me the good, the bad, & the ugly on it?
A few pertinent details... My house is just under 2200 sq feet, single story ranch with a crawlspace. Built in 1972 with a logical design [bedrooms one side, central living space, kitchen & dining on the other side]. We have a fireplace that takes the chill ff the room it is in [central living space], but primary heat is electric hot water baseboard heat. We have not used it much this year but electric heat equals scary electric bills come cold weather.We live in an area where we get a fair amount of cold, some snow & power outages.
Personally, I like the Regency design because if the power does go out, you can still get a fair amount of radiant heat from it as it is a "stove insert." I also has a small surface to cook on which if the power does go out, it is going to be pretty cold to be cooking on the grill outside.
Thanks, your help & advice is most appreciated.

begreen · Nov 3, 2014

The I3100 is a well regarded large heater. It should do the job well. There are several positive reviews here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/ratings.php

Mellery · Nov 3, 2014

Welcome : )
We have very similar circumstances as you .. sprawling ranch house, crawl space, built in the 70's etc. and we have a Regency insert, in fact our model and The I3100 have the same manual. Maybe similar type winters too. We live at about 3,000 feet elevation and I wonder what elevation is your home located?

If we could go back to the beginning and do this over, we would:

#1 Enclose the crawl space - by wrapping the walls in insulation and laying down thick layers of plastic on the ground as vapor barrier. Holmes Does It Right has an excellent step by step instruction site on this and the reasons for doing it.

#2 We would buy an insert Made in the USA. This is just my personal opinion based on our economy, nothing against anything or anyone made or living in Canada.

#3 Get the wood pile going ASAP. These EPA stoves must have well seasoned, dry wood to burn properly and efficiently. You will struggle all winter with anything less and there is already a learning curve with these stoves. (I.e. third season burning here and still learning.)

#4 We would have purchased an insert not only Made in the USA but with a catalytic converter. It's just a little honeycomb shaped thing inside the stove that burns the smoke better. You can look up the technology and reasons for it. If you live in an area with fairly mild (relative term I know) autumn and spring and really winter too (v. Canada, Minnesota - that sort of icy cold with below zero temps), it will serve you much better than an insert without it. Because it regulates a longer, slower burn giving your home even, warm temps for a long, long time.

#5 The insert you mention looks to have a top that is too small for cooking. I looked in the specs and couldn't find dimensions.

#6 If not an insert with a cat converter, seriously consider a slightly oversized-for-your-home heat pump for spring and autumn and winter days that aren't so cold. They are the most efficient way to heat right now in milder temps.

Lots to think about beforehand is so much better than with hindsight.

bens_igloo · Nov 3, 2014

I own an i2400, which is just like the i3100 except the firebox is smaller. You will get a good amount of heat from the unit provided you have a good amount of DRY firewood.

I'm very happy with this device. It looks classy but not out of date. Performance has been very good and no issues to report. My only comment is that with any insert you are not going to get nearly as much heat as a free-stander when the power goes out. I would say that without the blower, my i2400 will heat the adjacent room, but not the entire house.

I get a good 7 to 8 hours of heat on a full load of good hardwood. With the i3100, I would except that you could get an hour or two more.

Ram 1500 with an axe... · Nov 3, 2014

No matter what insert you buy, you will struggle if your wood is not under 20% moisture content. I am finally having great results due to the wood, the last two years I played around with everything that pertain to heating with the insert, I have finally figured it all out with achieving great results, most importantly being to burn DRY wood.....

HisTreeNut · Nov 3, 2014

begreen said:
The I3100 is a well regarded large heater. It should do the job well. There are several positive reviews here:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/ratings.php

Thanks. I have checked some of them out already. Most appreciated.

HisTreeNut · Nov 3, 2014

Mellery said:
Welcome : )
We have very similar circumstances as you .. sprawling ranch house, crawl space, built in the 70's etc. and we have a Regency insert, in fact our model and The I3100 have the same manual. Maybe similar type winters too. We live at about 3,000 feet elevation and I wonder what elevation is your home located?

If we could go back to the beginning and do this over, we would:

#1 Enclose the crawl space - by wrapping the walls in insulation and laying down thick layers of plastic on the ground as vapor barrier. Holmes Does It Right has an excellent step by step instruction site on this and the reasons for doing it.

#2 We would buy an insert Made in the USA. This is just my personal opinion based on our economy, nothing against anything or anyone made or living in Canada.

#3 Get the wood pile going ASAP. These EPA stoves must have well seasoned, dry wood to burn properly and efficiently. You will struggle all winter with anything less and there is already a learning curve with these stoves. (I.e. third season burning here and still learning.)

#4 We would have purchased an insert not only Made in the USA but with a catalytic converter. It's just a little honeycomb shaped thing inside the stove that burns the smoke better. You can look up the technology and reasons for it. If you live in an area with fairly mild (relative term I know) autumn and spring and really winter too (v. Canada, Minnesota - that sort of icy cold with below zero temps), it will serve you much better than an insert without it. Because it regulates a longer, slower burn giving your home even, warm temps for a long, long time.

#5 The insert you mention looks to have a top that is too small for cooking. I looked in the specs and couldn't find dimensions.

#6 If not an insert with a cat converter, seriously consider a slightly oversized-for-your-home heat pump for spring and autumn and winter days that aren't so cold. They are the most efficient way to heat right now in milder temps.

Lots to think about beforehand is so much better than with hindsight.

Mellery,
Thanks for the response. To answer your questions:
1) Elevation - about 2800' - so we are pretty similar.
2) We installed a vapor barrier already and put in a dehumidifier. The crawlspace humidity was as high 80%+ prior to the install and is now holding steady at 41%.
3) We are behind on getting a wood pile going, but we are on that as budget permits. The wood we bought this year could have seasoned more but it will be a while before we burn it, so that should help some. It is stacked in an area that gets steady wind and sun...crossing fingers.
4) Thanks for the advice on the converter. I will add that to the list of things to think about. We're ok with Canada..grew up in Buffalo.

5) In one of the sites I looked at, it mentioned the "cook surface." I went back to the Regency site and it does not mention that. I have been looking at a lot of stoves so my brain may have melded some of them together. We are hoping to get to the fireplace store to look at the stoves they have set up in the next week.
6) Eventually, we hope to put in a heat pump-A/C unit as well. Lots to do to the house...limited budget. We have to prioritize, pick, & choose what we do. Fireplace is a higher priority. We can do without A/C for now.
That being said, I appreciate all the advice. I will keep you posted on what we do.
Thanks again!

HisTreeNut · Nov 3, 2014

bens_igloo said:
I own an i2400, which is just like the i3100 except the firebox is smaller. You will get a good amount of heat from the unit provided you have a good amount of DRY firewood.

I'm very happy with this device. It looks classy but not out of date. Performance has been very good and no issues to report. My only comment is that with any insert you are not going to get nearly as much heat as a free-stander when the power goes out. I would say that without the blower, my i2400 will heat the adjacent room, but not the entire house.

I get a good 7 to 8 hours of heat on a full load of good hardwood. With the i3100, I would except that you could get an hour or two more.

I am looking at putting in something that is freestanding as well but I do not think my mantle is large enough. The guy from the fireplace store has pictures and is giving us suggestions. Thank you again for the advice.

HisTreeNut · Nov 3, 2014

Ram 1500 with an axe... said:
No matter what insert you buy, you will struggle if your wood is not under 20% moisture content. I am finally having great results due to the wood, the last two years I played around with everything that pertain to heating with the insert, I have finally figured it all out with achieving great results, most importantly being to burn DRY wood.....

I grew up with fireplaces/stoves and wood was a year round chore. My folks were always 5 cord ahead...will get there soon.

HisTreeNut · Nov 4, 2014

A few of you mentioned you have the I2400...what do you like and/or dislike about it?

KB007 · Nov 5, 2014

We have an I3100 and it is a great insert. Big enough for long overnight burns in the cold Canuck winters. Had it 5 winters now iirc, haven't had to replace anything except for a couple of cracked bricks which were covered by our dealer. It puts out huge amounts of heat with the blower running on low, hardly ever use the high setting.

As for cook top - not really. You can play a little bit with how far in or out of the hearth opening it sits, but you don't get a huge amount of exposed top. In our case there's 4.5" of stove top exposed to the surround. If you don't use the surround you can get a little more.

You sure you'r not confusing it with the H2100 Hearth Heater?

velvetfoot · Nov 5, 2014

That hearth heater only has a 1.6 ft3 capacity. I have the HI300, which is the cast iron facing version of the Regency I2400. It has a 2.3 ft3 fire box. What I like about the HI300 is the fact that 16" wood can be loaded front to back, the adjustability, and the looks. I don't like the fan noise, but that's a common complaint with insert, and I wish the fan was infinitely adjustable rather than just 2 speeds. I also wish that high efficiency ECM motors in inserts would be used, since it's on all the time, but I don't think anybody does that.

The I3100, and the Hampton HI400 are 2.9 ft3. I'd get the bigger firebox. You can always load less wood in it.

HisTreeNut · Nov 5, 2014

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. I mentioned in an earlier post that I may have melded a couple of stoves together inadvertently.
I have been looking at 10 or 12 different stoves from 6 or 7 different makers and it gets hard keeping them all straight.
My apologies.
I am looking at stoves with larger fireboxes in that my house is just under 2200 square feet. Ideally, I would like to heat primarily with the wood stove and supplement with the baseboard heat.
The Regency seems to be a really good stove and can noise seems to be the only legitimate complaint. As I mentioned n my first posting, good reviews are hard to find.
Thanks again for the help and feedback.

Fsappo · Nov 5, 2014

As a Regency dealer I'll offer:
I burned the 2400 step top in our showroom. I am very happy with the Regency Steel stoves. Excellent quality, accurate on performance claims, good door latch assembly (sounds like a small issue but 5-10 years down the road...)

I've also sold a few 3100 inserts. In fact I may have spoken on here about one I sold. I had visited the customers a couple of years after they had the insert installed with a 25' uninsulated flex liner. They had complained about a vibrating fan. I stuck some washers under the front left corner of the fan assembly and it went away forever. They had also mentioned 6 hour burns and not enough heat for a 2500 SF 2 story. I asked them to make a fire and load the stove. Their load was 3 small splits cris crossed. End result after I let that fire burn down and showed them the front to back load and packing the sucker full, they were much happier. Heated the whole place most of the time and burns for 8-10 hours with a fine bed of coals for reloads. Keep in mind, this was 2500sf or so, but it was 1200ish per floor, stacked, with the stairs to second floor in a good place and an existing cold air return opposite. Much easier too heat that much SF that way than all spread out ranch style.

drewberry24 · Nov 5, 2014

I too have the Regency 3100 insert and could not be happier with it. This will be my second year burning and it has become our primary heat replacing that pricey electric baseboard heat. We have a 3000 square foot colonial, although 400 or so of that is an addition that doesn't get too much heat from the stove, so I can say that the 3100 heats about 2600 square feet just fine. And I wouldn't say the house is airtight either, having been built in '75.

The insert puts out a ton of heat, I easily get 10 hour burns on full loads of white oak. I don't find any issue with blower noise. My only issue has been the removable burn tube that you take out to clean the baffle--it tends to get knocked out of place if I am not careful with loading and I hit it just right. I think you would be happy with the Regency. Good luck with your decision, either way you will love the heat!

Retreadsme · Nov 5, 2014

I have been burning in a Regency I3100 for 4 yrs now (starting 5th yr); using it as primary heat in 3100 sq ft ranch style house. The fireplace is in the center of the house (L-R) and is on an outside wall with the chimney being external to the house. If yours is the same and you have space, I recommend lining the exterior fireplace wall with ceramic fiber blanket or similar material to prevent the structure from acting as a heat sink. I also placed CFB on top of the block-off plate and can tell you more BTu's heat come out of the fireplace than I can use most of the time. The chimney is 30-ft tall, the flu is insulated, and the 3100 draws very well.

I burn 3 yr stacked splits varying from red oak to hackberry to elm and some pine in the shoulder season. Regardless of species, moisture content is a big consideration with this insert. If the moisture is 21% or more a full load will last 4-5 hrs, but with 18% moisture, loaded N-S on first layer and E-W on remaining layers I get 7-9 hr burns with it dialed down. I usually run it between 350-475 degrees F. as measured by IR gun reading 3 places just above the door (L-C-R). A good bed of coals will last 26-32 hrs easily, especially if I want them to go out quickly !!!

Some folks mentioned getting a cat (Regency has a couple new hybrids out), but the caveat is - - dry wood is a must, no option; otherwise it will not give the burn times listed and premature death can happen to the kitty; which is not cheap to replace.

The only problem(s) I have experienced with the I3100 is with the two gaskets; one on the door and one between the glass and the door. In my neck of the woods these particular gaskets are impossible to find; HOWEVER, I know a fine gentleman from Central NY named Frank that will help a fellow hearth.com member obtain parts for a Regency even though he did not sell it.

All welds have held very well, a few bricks have been replaced (as expected); when the 2ndary pipes light up and the dragon presents itself, the insert gives a heck of a show. Cooking on it? - No. There is barely enough room for a 1/2-kettle (if you know what that is). It is a water kettle split in half (L-R) flat on the back side. Hope this helps.

velvetfoot · Nov 5, 2014

I've noticed that my Hampton is very controllable (good)-the air supply rod can't be pushed in too quick in the cycle or the fire will go right down.

bens_igloo · Nov 5, 2014

velvetfoot said:
I've noticed that my Hampton is very controllable (good)-the air supply rod can't be pushed in too quick in the cycle or the fire will go right down.

Indeed I see the same behavior, even with very well seasoned . It took a bit to get used to it but no problems at all.

HisTreeNut · Nov 5, 2014

Fsappo said:
As a Regency dealer I'll offer:
I burned the 2400 step top in our showroom. I am very happy with the Regency Steel stoves. Excellent quality, accurate on performance claims, good door latch assembly (sounds like a small issue but 5-10 years down the road...)

I've also sold a few 3100 inserts. In fact I may have spoken on here about one I sold. I had visited the customers a couple of years after they had the insert installed with a 25' uninsulated flex liner. They had complained about a vibrating fan. I stuck some washers under the front left corner of the fan assembly and it went away forever. They had also mentioned 6 hour burns and not enough heat for a 2500 SF 2 story. I asked them to make a fire and load the stove. Their load was 3 small splits cris crossed. End result after I let that fire burn down and showed them the front to back load and packing the sucker full, they were much happier. Heated the whole place most of the time and burns for 8-10 hours with a fine bed of coals for reloads. Keep in mind, this was 2500sf or so, but it was 1200ish per floor, stacked, with the stairs to second floor in a good place and an existing cold air return opposite. Much easier too heat that much SF that way than all spread out ranch style.

Thanks for the response. I am glad to hear your opinion that they are a quality stove and our built well. Thanks for the tip on the fan. I hope to get to the dealer this Monday to see stoves in action so the wifey and I can make a decision.
Thanks!

HisTreeNut · Nov 5, 2014

drewberry24 said:
I too have the Regency 3100 insert and could not be happier with it. This will be my second year burning and it has become our primary heat replacing that pricey electric baseboard heat. We have a 3000 square foot colonial, although 400 or so of that is an addition that doesn't get too much heat from the stove, so I can say that the 3100 heats about 2600 square feet just fine. And I wouldn't say the house is airtight either, having been built in '75.

The insert puts out a ton of heat, I easily get 10 hour burns on full loads of white oak. I don't find any issue with blower noise. My only issue has been the removable burn tube that you take out to clean the baffle--it tends to get knocked out of place if I am not careful with loading and I hit it just right. I think you would be happy with the Regency. Good luck with your decision, either way you will love the heat!

Thanks for the advice and your experience. The wifey is a details person and the fact you are heating 2600' pretty well...encouraging. All of your responses are answering a lot of questions.

davidmsem · Nov 13, 2014

HisTreeNut, I'm looking for an insert as well. I really like the i3100 but wifey has vetoed it as she wants a flush mount. Ugh. The owner of the shop I have seen this in action at has the 3100 unit in his home. He can have any unit, which says volumes to me.Feeling the amount of heat this thing pushes out in person sold me. Sincerely, At Stalemate In Bethany.

bens_igloo · Nov 13, 2014

davidmsem said:
HisTreeNut, I'm looking for an insert as well. I really like the i3100 but wifey has vetoed it as she wants a flush mount. Ugh. The owner of the shop I have seen this in action at has this unit in his home. He can have any unit, which says volumes to me.Feeling the amount of heat this thing pushes out in person sold me. Sincerely, At Stalemate In Bethany.
View attachment 144113

One aspect to consider is that the flush mounted units won't pump out nearly as much heat as less surface area is exposed. This is especially true if your blower isn't on (e.g. In a power outage).

RSNovi · Nov 13, 2014

I have a flush insert Jotul c350. It looks awesome, but I have to run it very hard to get much heat.

Next step for me a block off plate, but I think a non-flush stove would have much more radiant heat.

drewberry24 · Nov 13, 2014

I said this on another thread, but after insulating the walls of my fireplace and filling in the damper opening the radiant heat has greatly improved from my stove. My 3100 sticks out about 5 inches and a lot of the heat comes off the glass, can't say for sure how much really radiates off the rest of the unit.

RSNovi, after you install a block off plate, I think you will see a big improvement in heat output.

HisTreeNut · Nov 15, 2014

davidmsem said:
HisTreeNut, I'm looking for an insert as well. I really like the i3100 but wifey has vetoed it as she wants a flush mount. Ugh. The owner of the shop I have seen this in action at has the 3100 unit in his home. He can have any unit, which says volumes to me.Feeling the amount of heat this thing pushes out in person sold me. Sincerely, At Stalemate In Bethany.
View attachment 144113

I like the looks of the Regency and personally so not care for the flush mounted stoves. The biggest hang-up right now is the expense. It is an investment and money is tight. That is more of her worry...and given the economy and such...I cannot say I blame her.
Maybe I will buy a bunch of firebrick and make a variation on those rocket stove thingamabobs on YouTube in my fireplace. That might convince her...or throw her over the edge.

Anyhoo...

Regency I3100 Wood Insert Reviews

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