Is this paint discoloration normal on a brand new (<1 day) Regency CI2700?

[north-east-colonial]

See attached images.

Installer installed the Regency CI2700 today and started the first fire ~3 hours ago. The flue is a 5.5" stainless 316L flex liner, 42 feet long (tall chimney!), and insulated with Thermix because there are 2 offsets that made it impossible for them to get the insulated liner down (they tried once from the top and once from the bottom).

The room was pretty smoky the first hour they fired it from the paint curing, and the curing smell is lingering. But its only been a few hours so I'm not worried. But I did notice a few discoloration spots and wondering if this is normal? Is this a sign that it was overfired (I attached the current thermometer reading, the max it got to was ~900 if I remember correctly... this is the therm that came with the unit so I think it is a cat therm?)? Can I just touch this paint up?

Thanks!

 

[DAKSY]

Have your installer come back out & touch it up. Grab a can of Stove Bright Metallic Black for future touch ups. Metallic Black blends very well with previously painted surfaces.

 

[north-east-colonial]

Have your installer come back out & touch it up. Grab a can of Stove Bright Metallic Black for future touch ups. Metallic Black blends very well with previously painted surfaces.

Sounds good, I'll pick up a can and ask the installer to touch it up. Is it likely because of going too hot on this first burn?

 

[stoveliker]

42 ft really is tall. Over firing is a real risk because of too much draft.

Insert so I assume no damper?
Close the air soon after reload... (@begreen can help more with when)

Where is that temp measured?

 

[bholler]

It is going to overfire with a 42' chimney. I put dampers on these over 25'

 

[north-east-colonial]

Temp is measured using the provided thermometer that is wired into the unit.. so I'm guessing it measures at the cat?

I reloaded with 3 splits. Opened air intake and cat bypass as they suggest. It was roaring quickly so I closed both the air intake (all the way) and bypass within a few minutes. Highest I saw it get over the next hour was ~1050.

And now we're at a new high temperature so some more curing smell is happening.

 

[north-east-colonial]

I did see another thread for the CI2700 where @begreen said all is good as long as the cat doesn't go above 1500.

 

[stoveliker]

It is very important for you to know that it in fact IS the cat temp. Because cat temps up to 1500 or so is fine. Any other place on your stove it would be highly problematic.

So, does the manual say anything about the thermometer that is delivered with the insert?

 

[bholler]

I did see another thread for the CI2700 where @begreen said all is good as long as the cat doesn't go above 1500.

Yes the cat is fine up to 1500. But that doesn't mean the stove isn't getting too hot in other areas.

 

[bholler]

It is very important for you to know that it in fact IS the cat temp. Because cat temps up to 1500 or so is fine. Any other place on your stove it would be highly problematic.

So, does the manual say anything about the thermometer that is delivered with the insert?

It is a digital cat probe

 

[north-east-colonial]

It is very important for you to know that it in fact IS the cat temp. Because cat temps up to 1500 or so is fine. Any other place on your stove it would be highly problematic.

So, does the manual say anything about the thermometer that is delivered with the insert?

Regency brochure says "Digital catalytic temperature monitor helps your stove reach maximum burn times & efficiency"

so it's a cat therm

 

[stoveliker]

Good. I still think a flue damper is probably necessary for a 42' flue.
Tough with an insert, but not impossible.

 

[north-east-colonial]

Yes the cat is fine up to 1500. But that doesn't mean the stove isn't getting to hot in other areas.

So the increased draft could cause the temperature to rise disproportionately for the stove and not the cat?

This is my first fireplace/insert, so not familiar with all of this!

 

[bholler]

Good. I still think a flue damper is probably necessary for a 42' flue.
Tough with an insert, but not impossible.

I don't think one will be enough honestly. I put one on a 33' chimney. And it was still running on the hot side with one damper.

 

[stoveliker]

Correct. The tall flue will have a draft higher than the stove mfg specs for the insert. As a result your insert will suck in more air than it was designed for. That will make the primary fire burn hotter. This leaves less fuel (smoke) for the cat. And it makes the gas flow through the whole system faster, leading to a shorter residence time for the gases inside the cat, so the cat won't be as efficient in combusting any residual fuel in the gases. And thus the cat could not get as hot as it would otherwise (and your insert might be hotter).

I have a cat stove, and often the cat temp *rises* when I decrease the air. (Because: less flame, more smoke, and that's the fuel that the cat converts into heat.)

edit: burn hotter AND faster. You won't get the burn times one could get with the stove.
And because of the hotter fire and faster gas flow, you'll be dumping more heat in the flue rather than in your home. So you'll be burning more wood for the same heat as you would with a properly installed (to draft specs) insert.

 

[bholler]

So the increased draft could cause the temperature to rise disproportionately for the stove and not the cat?

This is my first fireplace/insert, so not familiar with all of this!

Yes that is absolutely possible

 

[north-east-colonial]

In the CI2700 thread some people mention needing an air restrictor which regency provides, is that the same thing as a damper?

 

[north-east-colonial]

And should I get one of those magnet stove top thermostats to see if this is indeed happening? Or is there another way to measure if the draft is indeed too much?

 

[stoveliker]

The hottest parts will b visually inaccessible, I think (top of the insert).

A magnetic thermometer is fine but it's better to do a draft measurement (measuring the pressure difference between the flue and the ambient). That is, again ,hard for an insert. **** as this has to be done while a fire is going.

I don't know about the restrictor. Bholler will know.

 

[bholler]

In the CI2700 thread some people mention needing an air restrictor which regency provides, is that the same thing as a damper?

It comes with the restrictor installed

 

[bholler]

And should I get one of those magnet stove top thermostats to see if this is indeed happening? Or is there another way to measure if the draft is indeed too much?

It is to much if your chimney is 42' absolutely no question about it

 

[north-east-colonial]

It comes with the restrictor installed

Oh, so it's installed and engaged from the factory? Or installed, but not engaged, and so the installer can just unbolt it and engage it to restrict the air flow? Sorry for the dumb questions!

 

[north-east-colonial]

6:30 - loaded 3 splits with plenty of room leftover in the box, cat temp 720 after reload

6:43 (t+13m) - fire roaring, cat temp 911, close air intake and bypass

7-7:30 - observe cat temps around 1050

9:20 (t+2h50m) - cat temp 705, no active flame and logs are mostly gone, lots of coals left

10:10 (t+3h40m) - cat temp 565, not a lot of coals left

10:40 (t+4h10m) - cat temp 499, not a lot of coals left

11:10 (t+4h40m) - cat temp 436, a couple of coals and not much burning embers visible

-- no more pics --

11:40 (t+5h10m) - cat temp 379, same coal situation

12:30 (t+6h) - cat temp 320, very small coal ember barely visible

 

[north-east-colonial]

It is to much if your chimney is 42' absolutely no question about it

I just realized it's whistling quite a bit even on low, so yeah, seems spot on

 

[bholler]

Oh, so it's installed and engaged from the factory? Or installed, but not engaged, and so the installer can just unbolt it and engage it to restrict the air flow? Sorry for the dumb questions!

Yes it is engaged. They had issues with overfiring on many before adding it.