Jotul C550 vs. Regency I3100?

[Yellow Dog]

I have a large fireplace and like everyone has told me, it looks great but really isn't practical for providing heat. We have been looking at different inserts, and have narrowed it down to the Jotul C550 and Regency I3100. I really like the looks of the Jotul. I also looked at the Regency I3100. Both inserts are similar, but I am at a standstill. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[jatoxico]

Not sure in what way they are similar. The Jotul is a flush mount while the Regency extends onto the hearth. The Regency's firebox is nominally 0.5 cu/ft larger as well. If you can do it, any insert that extends onto the hearth will throw it's heat more easily and will function well even when the power is out. If you're comparing manufacturers spec's on BTU output or square feet heated you need to take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Yellow Dog]

Not sure in what way they are similar. The Jotul is a flush mount while the Regency extends onto the hearth. The Regency's firebox is nominally 0.5 cu/ft larger as well. If you can do it, any insert that extends onto the hearth will throw it's heat more easily and will function well even when the power is out. If you're comparing manufacturers spec's on BTU output or square feet heated you need to take that with a grain of salt.

They are similar due to sizing, both have close BTU rating, and burn times differ by an hour. I realize the Regecny extends onto the hearth. The Joutul however can take a 24" log as opposed to the Regency's 21" log. I was looking for overall performance and reliability information.

 

[jatoxico]

You can essentially disregard the BTU rating and burn times. I don't know what they quote, but the max for Jotul's firebox is 2.0 and really is slightly less as that's right to the burn tubes. Typically the manufacturers quote higher firebox sizes than are usable. I have heard some people say that Jotul quotes out 2.4. I have not seen that myself but gave you actual measurements.

The Jotul is a tank and very well built. Hopefully someone can chime in about the Regency. The firebox of the Jotul makes it a pretty much dedicated East West loader. Because the Regency extends onto the hearth it can likely be loaded N/S as well. That's another big advantage. All things being equal from a quality standpoint, I'd go with a unit that sticks out.

Where is the unit going? Will you need to extend your hearth or additional have floor protection? You need to have 16" of hearth in front of the unit. I have the Jotul because I could not meet that and my room layout more or less demands a flush mount.

 

[begreen]

Both stoves have shallow fireboxes. They need to be loaded E/W. Based on the firebrick layout (and not the claimed firebox size) both are only medium sized ~2.0 cu ft inserts. If the goal is 24/7 heat for a decent sized space in a cold climate I would consider a larger stove that allows N/S loading as well as E/W.

 

[Yellow Dog]

Both stoves have shallow fireboxes. They need to be loaded E/W. Based on the firebrick layout (and not the claimed firebox size) both are only medium sized ~2.0 cu ft inserts. If the goal is 24/7 heat for a decent sized space in a cold climate I would consider a larger stove that allows N/S loading as well as E/W.

Another reason I'm leaning toward the Jotul is because the Regency would extend out onto my hearth. I would not have the amount of clearance needed and would need to add some type of floor protection, stove board ect. I just want to make sure regardless of which way I go I'm not sorry later on.

 

[jatoxico]

Can't say if you'll be satisfied until you give some idea of the layout, square footage and your expectations i.e. occasional fire, full time heater or something in between.