Advice / Review need: Regency CI2600 fireplace insert risky & costly?

[Jonny006]

I am still having issues with an abnormally large coal bed. The only way I can get a good load of wood and fire is to scoop out a bunch of coals and ash every day or so. This can't be right.

Doing this gives me a flaming bucket of ash and coals and dust everywhere. I just cant seem to get the coals to burn down to ash unless I leave the stove unattended for like two days plus. Any suggestions?

 

[Wolves1]

I am still having issues with an abnormally large coal bed. The only way I can get a good load of wood and fire is to scoop out a bunch of coals and ash every day or so. This can't be right.

Doing this gives me a flaming bucket of ash and coals and dust everywhere. I just cant seem to get the coals to burn down to ash unless I leave the stove unattended for like two days plus. Any suggestions?

Did you add the reducer plate?

 

[Jonny006]

Did you add the reducer plate?

Yes. You think I should take it out and try it?
I saw this thread-http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-oslo-builds-too-many-coals.136115/page-2
Maybe try some of these methods?

 

[Wolves1]

Yes. You think I should take it out and try it?
I saw this thread-http://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/jotul-oslo-builds-too-many-coals.136115/page-2
Maybe try some of these methods?

Do you have lots of coals when you do the overnight burn

 

[Jonny006]

Do you have lots of coals when you do the overnight burn

Yup.

 

[Wolves1]

Yup.

Was it the same before the reducer plate.

 

[Jonny006]

Was it the same before the reducer plate.

Similar. But I seem to be getting maginaly better burn times.

 

[Wolves1]

Similar. But I seem to be getting maginaly better burn times.

Better burn times with the plate or without? Sorry for all the questions I just want to see what your doing compared to what I'm doing. Would you mind telling me in detail what you do when you get ready for a long burn? Im getting great burn times with great heat, I want you and your family to enjoy your stove.

 

[NH Burn]

Thank you Grisu. The air was closed all the way (that's as far as the lever goes.) Will get some of my wood checked for moisture content too. I am getting very good heat from it but it just doesn't last!

 

[NH Burn]

Hi Wolves1, how long have you been burning your insert and what are you getting for burn times on average? Also did you watch my slow burn video and if so what did you think about the burn as far as it getting too much air or not?

 

[Wolves1]

Hi Wolves1, how long have you been burning your insert and what are you getting for burn times on average? Also did you watch my slow burn video and if so what did you think about the burn as far as it getting too much air or not?

Been burning for a month. It will give heat off from 9-10 hours. Your burn is burning a tad fast. I'm still learning my self. A few things I did that gave me that slow burn is don't load the wood if you have any flames only hot coals. When I put the wood in pack as much as you can fit east west I had two pieces north south on the right and put the wood with as little gaps as possible like puzzle. Don't let the fire get to big let it reach temp between 500-700 push the top (damper ) in wait about 30 sec slid the bottom all the way to the right.

 

[Jonny006]

Better burn times with the plate or without? Sorry for all the questions I just want to see what your doing compared to what I'm doing. Would you mind telling me in detail what you do when you get ready for a long burn? Im getting great burn times with great heat, I want you and your family to enjoy your stove.

With the plate I think the burn times have improved.
I typically get a good fire going with a few splits then add as much wood as I can fit. Get that burning really good till about 6-700F then close the cat. wait about 30sec then slide the primary all the way down.
One of the things I am noticing is that in order to really pack the stove you have to have much smaller splits than what the manufacturer states it can take. The stove will accept a 20" log but not many of them. I think 16 is ideal. I was home tonight so I could tend to the stove and it is cranking out serious heat. The wood burned down and I just added fresh splits. We shall see at 5:30 how it looks.

 

[Wolves1]

With the plate I think the burn times have improved.
I typically get a good fire going with a few splits then add as much wood as I can fit. Get that burning really good till about 6-700F then close the cat. wait about 30sec then slide the primary all the way down.
One of the things I am noticing is that in order to really pack the stove you have to have much smaller splits than what the manufacturer states it can take. The stove will accept a 20" log but not many of them. I think 16 is ideal. I was home tonight so I could tend to the stove and it is cranking out serious heat. The wood burned down and I just added fresh splits. We shall see at 5:30 how it looks.

Can you try one burn not adding the splits just the logs straight on the coals make sure there are no logs still burning and load east west pushed to one side then if it fits put what you can fit north south on the other side, just to see if it makes a difference. Just spoke to my cousin asked him to order a plate for me just to see how it burns with it on. I'm always try to learn better ways to burn.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

Been burning for a month. It will give heat off from 9-10 hours. Your burn is burning a tad fast. I'm still learning my self. A few things I did that gave me that slow burn is don't load the wood if you have any flames only hot coals. When I put the wood in pack as much as you can fit east west I had two pieces north south on the right and put the wood with as little gaps as possible like puzzle. Don't let the fire get to big let it reach temp between 500-700 push the top (damper ) in wait about 30 sec slid the bottom all the way to the right.

So when you say pack the stove, you mean PACK the stove! I feel like that's what I am having to do to get a good, slow burn. It's not as simple as putting in as many normal-sized splits as I can get in there. I have to split some of my splits even further, so I can cram as many in the stove as possible.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

With the plate I think the burn times have improved.
I typically get a good fire going with a few splits then add as much wood as I can fit. Get that burning really good till about 6-700F then close the cat. wait about 30sec then slide the primary all the way down.
One of the things I am noticing is that in order to really pack the stove you have to have much smaller splits than what the manufacturer states it can take. The stove will accept a 20" log but not many of them. I think 16 is ideal. I was home tonight so I could tend to the stove and it is cranking out serious heat. The wood burned down and I just added fresh splits. We shall see at 5:30 how it looks.

This is my experience as well. Whenit says the stove takes a 20" log, it means like ONE 20" log, in the very front.

Tonight I am going to try loading the thing with as much wood as I can cram in there on top of hot coals, and see what happens.

I think my expectations were different from reality. I thought I would be loading in 18-20" logs into this thing, and in reality I need all sizes of wood...from 13" to 20", from thick to thin, so that I can really PACK it in there.

 

[marty22877]

i pack mine pretty much to the glass without touching. i even put a piece on the ledge rightin front of the window.

i put the screws in yesterday and i'm definitely noticing a difference. After 7.5 hours last night i still had coals that resembled a log in there.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

Here's a good thread I found on packing 'em to the gills:
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/how-much-wood-do-you-pack-into-your-wood-stove.15016/

Marty do you have ash and coals all over the inside lip of the stove in the morning from packing it to the glass?

I wish that Regency had a set of andirons that went in those slots, but extended all the way to the glass, then went up. If I had access to a welder I'd get some cobbled up. Sort of like the Grate Wall of Fire, but something that was mounted where the current andirons go instead of freestanding.

 

[marty22877]

normally it's just ash on the inside lip when i come down in the morning.

 

[R0bst3r]

I wish that Regency had a set of andirons that went in those slots, but extended all the way to the glass, then went up. If I had access to a welder I'd get some cobbled up. Sort of like the Grate Wall of Fire, but something that was mounted where the current andirons go instead of freestanding.

I was assuming the andirons and the "shelf" were there to set the wood back into the stove a couple of inches to prevent flame ingestion by the cat. Am I wrong?

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

Robster, if you look through the thread you'll see some members talking about how Regency techs instructed them to try removing the andirons and filling it near to the glass. I didn't want to take that as gospel so I wrote to Regency about removing the andirons, and got this reply.

Thank you for your email.

The CI2600 is a hybrid insert which operates differently from the non-catalytic units.

Obviously, the unit requires a little change to what is normally done in these non-catalytic versions.

The amount of wood is obviously important. While removing the andirons in not necessary, feedback from others has shown that they get best results in loading when the andirons are not there.

Filling the firebox is certainly important. But it is also important to know that the larger the wood pieces, the longer they will last.

See the attached picture of an example from our lab.

Make sure that the catalyst is hot enough before closing the draft control down.

Also make sure your bypass damper is fully closed for long burn times.

Let me know how this works for you.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

Is anyone noticing that sometimes it's difficult to close the cat on this stove, or it makes a screeching noise when you're closing it?

Also if you have a cat thermometer installed, what is the readout like? I looked in the manual for the install instructions, and it looks like just a small black box.

Thanks!

 

[R0bst3r]

Is anyone noticing that sometimes it's difficult to close the cat on this stove, or it makes a screeching noise when you're closing it?

Also if you have a cat thermometer installed, what is the readout like? I looked in the manual for the install instructions, and it looks like just a small black box.

Thanks!

Sometimes if the stove is hot i've noticed the bypass door is stiffer.

I've been wondering if partially closing the bypass when initially heating the stove would cause it to warm up quicker, but i was not sure if there is any sort of seal material on the edge of the bypass damper that would be damaged by the partially opened position.

 

[Simon Templar]

The crew just finished the install of my Hampton hi400 (same as the regency ci2600 but with a different faceplate). As time passes and I use it I'll have more to share, but for now here's a photo...

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

Sometimes if the stove is hot i've noticed the bypass door is stiffer.

I've been wondering if partially closing the bypass when initially heating the stove would cause it to warm up quicker, but i was not sure if there is any sort of seal material on the edge of the bypass damper that would be damaged by the partially opened position.

I happened on this while reading through my manual...the manufacturer actually suggests having the cat half-open when it's good and hot as one possible way of cleaning it.

Page 29:

Once the hot fire is created, close the bypass halfway and burn for 30 to 60 minutes with the bypass left in this position.

 

[edge-of-the-woods]

I posted this for another user, just wondering how the price of our CI2600 install matches up with other people in/around CT.