Need guidance "Very" disappointed with Regency Classic 2100 heartheater wood insert

[James Alvin]

I purchased a Regency 2100 Classic hearthheater for my (1500 sq.ft. Chalet log home about 3 years back). Luckily in Tennessee we have somewhat mild Winters though the past couple years have dipped down in the teens to below zero. My problem with this wood stove is my wife and I freeze most of the time and can't seem to raise the temperature more than 64 degrees on cold nights. We burn mostly seasoned oak/18" logs and can have a consistent fire burning for days/weeks and it will not heat the house, can't even feel warmth directly above in the loft which is really unusual. Our home is only 9 years old and very well crafted as well, so this stove should blow us out of here especially with the fan on high all day and night but even standing 5 to 6 feet anywhere in front or to the side of this thing you can barely feel the heat!
Do you think it was installed improperly or could the hearthheater fan intake be sucking the warm air right back out. All the reviews on this stove were very positive even in Alaska! Something is incredibly wrong. I really thought I'd be able to heat my entire home with this stove but I was extremely mistaken and $3000 later... Any expert advice would be extremely appreciated since I'm about ready to get rid of this unit. Thanks, James

 

[EatenByLimestone]

My first thought is in the design of a Chalet. Do you have fans pushing the heat back down from those high ceilings?

The second thought is if there is a blockoff plate above the insert keeping the heat from going up the chimney. You mentioned a fan, is that a blower attached to the stove?

The last thing that comes to mind is you mentioned throwing a log on the fire. Is this a log in the round or a split? How long was it seasoned before you burnt it?

Matt

 

[James Alvin]

We've tried using the ceiling fans but still doesn't seem to do much of anything and with them off I would think directly above in the loft the heat should be very warming but nothing, that was my first thought of losing heat up to the ceilings. There are blockoff plates all the way around the top and sides and we try to use mostly seasoned split logs and even some small hickory that burns very hot for kindling. The fan blower is attached to the bottom of the stove. James

 

[tickbitty]

I wonder if the stove might be a bit undersized for your space? The hearth heater is rated for 1500 square feet but your chalet, with a loft, would not be a typical 1500 square feet - if you are talking cubic feet heated then in that loft (or the cathedral ceiling space) you would be adding considerable square footage. The hearth heater doesn't have that big a firebox at 1.6' so you might just need a bigger stove to really crank up the BTUs for your space? Probably not what you wanted to hear - I'm no expert but I have looked at that stove and was concerned about the size to heat the same square footage and that's with only typical 8' ceilings.

 

[schwaggly]

something is wrong that thing is a beast compared to my 1200. Is it halfway out of the fireplace like the pic below? If it is and your not walking around in your undies something is wrong.
I get alot of heat out of my smaller unit and I'm in New England it's 8 F here now BTW. Ceiling fan direction would be at the top of my checklist in a Chalet. I know the home is new but the stove needs air and may be pulling in alot of cold air. Is it on an outside wall with one of those built up channels instead of masonary aka heat vacuums?

 

[James Alvin]

I know something is wrong because this stove should be blowing us out of here! I do believe its sucking alot of cold air in though. I've tried to caulk as much as possible though you can feel some drafts especially with these high ceilings. Is there any mistake they could of made with the install? The stove is located nearly in the center of my home sitting on some rock masonry with a stairway right behind it. The stove was initially pre-fab so they put a sleeve/liner within the existing pipe on up to the roof. James

 

[DAKSY]

That unit is rated at 70K BTU input. You should be getting about 53K back out of it.
You say it's installed in front of a ZC box - which is what it's designed for.
Are you sure the installer blocked off the damper area above the ZC firebox?

 

[Fsappo]

I think that Firebox is only about 1.6 cubic feet. Math aside, even with a free standing stove, I would not sell a 1.6 foot firebox to be a serious heat source for even 1000 sf with 8' ceilings. For real heat and decent burn times I'd suggest 2.5 cubic feet of firebox. That aside, you already have your stove. Maybe go with a 2100 Regency? Daksy, correct me if I'm wrong, but isnt the middle Regency wood insert also listed (with very loose terms mind you) for use in a ZC fireplace?

Any dealer worth their salt (well, they should have told you the stove really wont heat in an easy to use manner) would take back that stove and install something you'd be happy with.

Now, as it's been mentioned, if your pumping heat into the room and sucking heat out of the room thru the fireplace area, that is counter productive regardless of the stove. If you can, get that surround panel off and stick your hand up where the liner goes into your existing metal chimney. Should be sealed off good in there

 

[fredarm]

Before you decide to replace that stove you should make sure you're getting the maximum possible heat out of it. What stove temperatures are you seeing during the peak of the burn? I'm not familiar with that model, but I would think you should be seeing at least 600 F on a stove-top thermometer at the peak of the burn cycle. If not, part of the problem may be the way you're running the stove. How often are you reloading? Also, what about installing an outside air kit (OAK) to minimize the cold air the stove is drawing through the house?

 

[Fsappo]

I just think with a tiny firebox like that, he will be reloading that stove every 2 hours on a high burn to be warm when it gets down close to zero degrees

 

[Jags]

Block
Off
Plate

Your heat is going outside. Wanna bet??

I know you mentioned a block off plate earlier, but are you sure?? Darn sure? A properly fitted block off plate at the damper area will stop a whole bunch of the air in/out that you are concerned with.

 

[tickbitty]

I just think with a tiny firebox like that, he will be reloading that stove every 2 hours on a high burn to be warm when it gets down close to zero degrees

I agree - that's the same thing I said - seems like his square footage with regular ceilings is the max for this stove and it's probably just too small for the double high space.

For those who think the heat is all going up the chimney - perhaps, but the hearth heater does not sit much back into the firebox at all, it is mostly out on the hearth and has, I believe a 45 degree set off at the back for the connection, it's not really backed in there very much.

 

[begreen]

I just think with a tiny firebox like that, he will be reloading that stove every 2 hours on a high burn to be warm when it gets down close to zero degrees

This is Tennessee, not central NY. It doesn't get down to zero too often if at all.

 

[begreen]

I know something is wrong because this stove should be blowing us out of here! I do believe its sucking alot of cold air in though. I've tried to caulk as much as possible though you can feel some drafts especially with these high ceilings. Is there any mistake they could of made with the install? The stove is located nearly in the center of my home sitting on some rock masonry with a stairway right behind it. The stove was initially pre-fab so they put a sleeve/liner within the existing pipe on up to the roof. James

Ok, do you have a thermometer on the stove. First thing is to determine if it is putting out the heat. One thing that affects stove more than anything else is wood that is not totally seasoned. EPA stoves need dry wood. If the wood is slightly damp on the inside, it is going to suck for heat output.

Second thing is the mention of high ceilings. How high? Heat can trap up there and not circulate. Is there a ceiling fan in the room and if yes, is it on, running in reverse?

 

[James Alvin]

I sure appreciate all the words of wisdom from you extreme wood burners I'm a Michigander at heart and grew up on a hardwood reserve with tons of hickory,maple,elm and oak that I helped my Grandfather stack every Fall. We had a huge Buck stove that practically heated the whole 3000 sq.ft. house so I thought by the reviews and sturdy construction of this Regency 2100 it would do the trick. I've contacted the installers/retailers on this stove about their install "a $800 install I might add" though I haven't heard back yet and I'm not sure what they'll do since its been 3 years since my purchase. I'm thinking and hoping something is not right with the block off plate because you can't even feel heat standing 6 ft. away from the thing with the fan going. Anyway I thank you all kindly for your quick thoughts its very appreciated Sincerely, James

 

[ChillyGator]

How 'seasoned' is your wood? How long has it been split and stacked?

Has a 'sweep' inspected your stack since your install?

If you can't feel heat 6' away it can't be burning properly.

 

[Shari]

James,

As someone else stated: Do you have a blockoff plate "inside" your original fireplace? I'm not talking about the metal 'face plates' on the outside of your stove.

Shari

 

[sandie]

Ya, I think he does not have block off plates inside the chimney. Also if he is not feeling heat 6 ft away then there is something wrong and the installer needs to come and take that stove out of the chimney and look up and down to make sure there is not a blockage of the air, to make sure there is a block off plate inside the chimney area to block of heat from going out around the pipe up the chimney to the outdoors instead of coming indoors. The installers are responsible for the install. My installer, who was highly recommended, is a very nice guy but did not put a block off plate at the bottom of the chimney so I have coming back to do just that. In the mean time I have a fan behind the stove blowing out of the fire place across the stove top into the room whch helps alot but not enough so we are moving the stove out of the hearth so that the air will circulate around all sides of the stove and not just the top and front.
See picture below