I just purchased the Regency Hi500. Probably about 4-6 weeks out until installed. I am trying to find info on how to make my first fire. It's pretty much at the end of the heating season once installed, so I'm not going to get much use out of it until next winter, but I feel I must use it and to wait 5+ month to use it. Will it come with a "getting started" guide as how to best make a long lasting fire and how to use all the levers, etc? Where is a good resource for that?
how do i get started with a wood insert?
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Download the manual. Read it and then ask any questions after that.
#1 most important thing to using your new insert is getting your wood. Wood needs a minimum of 1 year to dry (some species can take up to 3) and you can very rarely buy dry wood. Dealers will tell you there wood is seasoned but it's not. Hopefully you already have some wood split and stacked.
When it's not very cold outside, it can cause the draft to be weak. But you should be able to get a few burn in fires done. I would suggest after the burn in is done, learn how to brush the chimney. Next winter after a month or so you should brush it out, just to see whats being deposited in the chimney. When your running it good, with dry wood, most of us get by with once a year cleaning.
Let the light show begin!
Let the light show begin!
I'll re-iterate what's been said about seasoned wood, if you haven't got wood that was split and stacked well before last summer, you'll only make yourself miserable trying to burn wet wood. Even if you do have well seasoned wood, trying to burn when outside temperatures are above 50F can also be disappointing due to poor draft. If you do have good dry wood, wait for a cold early morning, and follow the start up break-in fire instructions. The nice thing at this time of year is that if the smell of curing paint is too bad, you can open a window without freezing.
I'm a complete convert to the top-down lighting technique, although I use much more newspaper and kindling than some pictures on this site, the goal of achieving steady secondary burn, with air turned down to cruise setting and no visible smoke from chimney is usually achieved within 15 minutes of a cold start.
If you don't have seasoned wood, it's not too late for Winter 2022/23, if you get started right now, but forget about lighting that fire.
TE
I'm a complete convert to the top-down lighting technique, although I use much more newspaper and kindling than some pictures on this site, the goal of achieving steady secondary burn, with air turned down to cruise setting and no visible smoke from chimney is usually achieved within 15 minutes of a cold start.
If you don't have seasoned wood, it's not too late for Winter 2022/23, if you get started right now, but forget about lighting that fire.
TE
If you need a small amount of dry wood for a break in fire or two those small batches of wood that supermarkets and gas stations sell is usually dry.
Yup, I have wood from last year for my outdoor firepit. Water content around 14%. Just got a cord of seasoned wood that I will use next winter. Currently around 24%.
This thread has some general tips on starting and running an EPA stove.
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Starting a fire and running an EPA stove
Questions about starting a fire and avoiding a runaway stove come up so frequently I decided to document starting our stove. This is a Pacific Energy Alderlea T6 with about a 3 cu ft firebox. The stove is connected to a straight-up, 20' interior flue. The outside ambient temperature is 34ºF. The...
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Ashful
Minister of Fire
Get some fast-drying woods put up now, if you don’t already have it, this will be your biggest problem as a new burner. If you have no doubts you’ll be sticking with this, I’d go so far as to recommend you buy your first three years’ worth today, if at all practical.
Search the threads to learn which local woods fall into the category of “fast drying”, but around here, ash holds the title for that.
Search the threads to learn which local woods fall into the category of “fast drying”, but around here, ash holds the title for that.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
Pine is good. In fact, I have about 9 cord drying (for a 1.7 cord usage this winter - and no oil used), of which about 1.5 cord pine. All done this spring (after I built my shed).
And three pines trees down that need bucking and splitting for another cord of pine.
This year I burned 1 year old pine that I had stacked, covered, off the ground on my asphalt drive way, facing afternoon sun. From fresh in March to 16% in November. Fantastic wood for either shoulder season, or to burn a quick hot fire on too many oak coals when it's COLD.
Pine is great for getting ahead. Figure out how much you need. Do that much in oak for year 3, that much in maple for year 2, and that much in pine for year 1 and you're all set. By then you'll be so addicted that you'll be getting more, which is good, because only oak in a year can be a little tough. So you'll get more maple and pine the second year, which will help with your third year oak season.
Pain sucks. Pine is good.
And three pines trees down that need bucking and splitting for another cord of pine.
This year I burned 1 year old pine that I had stacked, covered, off the ground on my asphalt drive way, facing afternoon sun. From fresh in March to 16% in November. Fantastic wood for either shoulder season, or to burn a quick hot fire on too many oak coals when it's COLD.
Pine is great for getting ahead. Figure out how much you need. Do that much in oak for year 3, that much in maple for year 2, and that much in pine for year 1 and you're all set. By then you'll be so addicted that you'll be getting more, which is good, because only oak in a year can be a little tough. So you'll get more maple and pine the second year, which will help with your third year oak season.
Pain sucks. Pine is good.
Pine is fine as long as it is well seasoned. Just like any other wood.
I prefer ash or silver/red soft maple. Dries about the same as pine but seems to burn better for me. Also usually more of it around.
CincyBurner
Minister of Fire
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