For those of you with hamptons and I2400 regency's

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

burntime

New Member
Hearth Supporter
Aug 18, 2006
2,395
C'mon hunting season!
I took out some ash and loaded up the stove this morning. It was 5 degrees outside, the house was warming up nicely and I noticed how cold it was...I checked the stove and it was running at 350!!! I hit the elusive mark! This reading is with the thermometer on the top shelf towards the back of the surround and just off to one side...can't take precious kettle real estate! The only thing different I did was load it up N to S and 1 piece on top E to W. Maybe I should start loading all E to W?
 
burntime said:
I took out some ash and loaded up the stove this morning. It was 5 degrees outside, the house was warming up nicely and I noticed how cold it was...I checked the stove and it was running at 350!!! I hit the elusive mark! This reading is with the thermometer on the top shelf towards the back of the surround and just off to one side...can't take precious kettle real estate! The only thing different I did was load it up N to S and 1 piece on top E to W. Maybe I should start loading all E to W?

I have the I2400 and I find it easier to just load N/S (and I can fit more wood in that way). Stove runs 300 to 400 with thermometer on the front near the door.
 
With the enamel on my stove I can not get a thermometer to stick. My only reference is the top shelf which has the air gap so it should read lower (not sure by how much) than the door reading.
 
zhukpavlo said:
burntime said:
I took out some ash and loaded up the stove this morning. It was 5 degrees outside, the house was warming up nicely and I noticed how cold it was...I checked the stove and it was running at 350!!! I hit the elusive mark! This reading is with the thermometer on the top shelf towards the back of the surround and just off to one side...can't take precious kettle real estate! The only thing different I did was load it up N to S and 1 piece on top E to W. Maybe I should start loading all E to W?

I have the I2400 and I find it easier to just load N/S (and I can fit more wood in that way). Stove runs 300 to 400 with thermometer on the front near the door.


A 300-400 reading on the door does not seem HOT enough to burn efficiently. I normally burn my Heatilator Constitution between 450-600 degrees F measured with my Rutland Thermometer on the metal at the center between the double doors, and that baby is not close to over-firing. I did have a couple of instances when I did not damper it down fast enough with the unit loaded to the gills with wood that the temperature did peak up to about 750 deg F....and a couple of the manifold tubes glowed red for a short while. That seems to be the point I would consider to be over-fire.
kev
 
I wonder if I am burning too hot. I normally hit 500 with good secondary burn and it dampered down all the way. It seems to settle in around 475 for a while. The tubes glow red for about an hour or so. I have the thermometer on the left hand side, right above the door. I am not sure how to get cooler. I damp down 1/4 at time until secondary burn is flowing hard, then I damp it down all the way. This is with 3 medium splits north/south and 2 splits on top east/west.

My wood is seasoned about 16 months and is a mix of Ash, Cherry and Maple. My liner is about 30 feet into a masonry chimney.
 
I, too - have thermometer on left side just above the door handle. As far as temps - I generally get to that 350 degree range with the fan going. If the fan is off it'll push 500. As far as wood direction - east/west while at work and overnight for long burns. On weekend when I'm home - i'll have 3 or 4 splits in the stove and i'll place them any old way....it makes a nice fire and generally it's hotter than the east / west set up - i know it's because of the spacing and what not - but i like the look of it and i can get to were i can dampen it down all the way and have that nice slow fire with the blue flames and great secondaries dancing around....
 
On the Hampton with temp on top 350 is where I try to burn at. I've been up to 375 but not for very long. I can only get to 350 with the fan on low. Once it hits 350 I close down the air and turn the fan on high. You have to be careful because the temps will still rise for awhile before dropping. At 375 everything was still ok. I wouldn't go much past that though.
 
JAmuso said:
I, too - have thermometer on left side just above the door handle. As far as temps - I generally get to that 350 degree range with the fan going. If the fan is off it'll push 500. As far as wood direction - east/west while at work and overnight for long burns. On weekend when I'm home - i'll have 3 or 4 splits in the stove and i'll place them any old way....it makes a nice fire and generally it's hotter than the east / west set up - i know it's because of the spacing and what not - but i like the look of it and i can get to were i can dampen it down all the way and have that nice slow fire with the blue flames and great secondaries dancing around....

I have always left the fan on high and set to auto. I will try low and see what kind of temps I get.
 
I previously had my rutland above the handle on the face and consistently hit 325. Then, I moved it to the top shelf middle and all the way back. Now, I consistently hit 350. Blower is always on in High. Never crosses 350 and never had the tubes glowing. I usually reload 4 medium splits and start with 5 medium splits.
 
Update: I hit 450 on this stove (with fan on high) for the first time yesterday when I loaded with 6 mid-sized splits - bottom north/south, top east/west 3 on each row. The fire roared with the primary air 3/4 open.
A cold house at 48 at 5:30 evening - with the help of 1500 watt electric space heater, was able to raise 11 degrees in 1 hour, and 15 degrees in 2 hours and to 68 in 3 hours...with no help from oil boiler.

But it sucks if I had to do this every evening.
 
WoW! I measure mine with the damper choked down all the way! That is hot.
 
Good to hear from the Regency/Hampton guys. I don't have a thermometer yet, just using the force so far. :red: I have noticed that later in the burning season it's gotten, the more I've been forgetful or lazy and overfiring the stove. Do any of you guys frequently do this? To me, overfiring is when I can look into the vent area on the top of the firebox and it and the liner collar is glowing red. It's usually when I load up some oak and leave the room for a bit and forget the air is open all the way. I just started using the timer trick, which is working well....
 
I just got a Hampton h200 stove (smaller cast iron stove). I am new to burning. This stove has an air gap between stove top too. What is a good temp to keep the stove top at? I keep moving themometer around for various readings. Side of the stove is reading 300-350 degrees right now. Stove top has been 300 mostly. Does is matter how hot the exhaust pipe gets? I know it has been getting between 400-500 degrees but it is conect to DVL that is always cool, cool enough to keep your hand on it.
 
Pulldown, I have NEVER seen it glow, I have barely broken 350 a few times. I will try to load er up and see if I can get it that high. It is -15 right now and no oak so I can't open the damper up much or lose a lot of heat!
 
My regency I2400 usually is about 350, (fan on high) with the thermometer located right above the door handle, underneath the overhang. I have had the tubes glow at times when I really load it up. I usually put the bottom logs n/s, next on top e/w and a third if it will fit, diagonal. According to what I read from people with experience on this site, the thermometer is only a guide, especially on our insert, due to it's location. If we could read the temp at the outlet of out insert, i'm sure it would be higher, similar, to a free standing wood stove with the thermometer mounted at the outlet. The insert is cranking out the heat as I type and the family loves it. It is 0 out right now. 8;25 p.m. I hope that made sense, use the thermometer as a guide and you'll be fine. Stay warm Jim
 
BucksCountry,
I have a Hampton H300 and I keep the thermometer on the cast iron flue connection. I like to get it up to 475 - 500 degrees. At this temperature I can close down the air almost all the way and keep good secondary burn, and the stove really pumps out the heat.
 
Jim41 said:
My regency I2400 usually is about 350, (fan on high) with the thermometer located right above the door handle, underneath the overhang. I have had the tubes glow at times when I really load it up. I usually put the bottom logs n/s, next on top e/w and a third if it will fit, diagonal. According to what I read from people with experience on this site, the thermometer is only a guide, especially on our insert, due to it's location. If we could read the temp at the outlet of out insert, i'm sure it would be higher, similar, to a free standing wood stove with the thermometer mounted at the outlet. The insert is cranking out the heat as I type and the family loves it. It is 0 out right now. 8;25 p.m. I hope that made sense, use the thermometer as a guide and you'll be fine. Stay warm Jim

I can not get a magnetic thermometer to stick there, what are you using? Sorry, just realized its a 2400 series.
 
Burntime: It's a Rutland that I bought at the hardware store for $15...It's magnetic. I should try to put on top and see what I get for a temp. I'll have to move the pot of water I have there to do it.
 
Jim41 said:
Burntime: It's a Rutland that I bought at the hardware store for $15...It's magnetic. I should try to put on top and see what I get for a temp. I'll have to move the pot of water I have there to do it.

That would work, then we have an apples to apples comparison.
 
Burntime, right now the air control is 1/4 open, real nice fire that's been going for five hours or so, ( lit when I got home from work) The temp is about 425 right in the center of the shelf, all the way back, Hope that helps you. Jim
 
Do you need to have it open a quarter of the way? I would think it would get hotter all the way closed?
 
I've placed my rutland on the door handle, just above door handle, insert top center, insert top side (finally its resting in insert top center back). There is little difference in temperature between all locations.
I would not fire it over 400... Today when I hit 400, 3 of the tubes were slightly glowing. If you have enough splits in and even pack the stove 75%, if you don't damper down in time, you can easily hit 400-450. So, while packing this firebox, please remember to damper down after 20-30 mins.

My insert works best when I damper down by 60% to 70% - this is the time I see the lazy flames coming out slowly from the logs. Closing it further and I can see only the secondary flames, but after 15 minutes, the secondary flames are minimal to non-existent. Should I leave it that way or should I open it a little bit for the wood to burn after the secondaries have died?
 
Jim41 said:
Burntime, right now the air control is 1/4 open, real nice fire that's been going for five hours or so, ( lit when I got home from work) The temp is about 425 right in the center of the shelf, all the way back, Hope that helps you. Jim

Jim, the 5 hours you mentioned - is it from a single load?
 
Joe: It's not from a single load, I reloaded once after the initial start up got burnt down. Remember that these inexpensive thermometers could be off from a few to a significant amount of degrees. This is my first year with the insert, after burning in an open hearth for nine years. After the initial load, and after each reload, I usually open the air all the way to char the wood and to get a strong fire, then I begin to choke it down to slow the burn. Let me know how you are doing with your Regency......Jim
 
Status
Not open for further replies.