question about liner diameter for regency ci2600

[BillV]

Brand new to the forum and only had an insert for 2 seasons now. Sorry to introduce myself with a question instead of input, but I have a possible issue with the install. We had a total package install done in 2017. I had a chimney sweep (that did not do the insert install) come out last week for a cleaning, and he was surprised and troubled to find that I had a 5.5" liner (ID, stainless and insulated). He felt strongly that I should have a 6" liner. I didn't realize I had a 5.5" liner, because the installer quoted me a 6" liner. Anyway I am waiting for someone from Regency to call me about which I should have. It appears in the manual that 5.5 or 6 is acceptable, so at this point maybe I should be more worried about performance than safety? I don't understand yet why either diameter is acceptable.

Below is some info on the parameter of the installation. I would appreciate any thoughts on which diameter is suitable for my situation.

unit = Regency CI2600
exterior chimney, brick faced
top of unit to top of chimney ~11-FT (+/- 3")
liner is inside a ceramic flue with interior dimensions of roughly 10x14
located in Louisville, KY (elev ~500-ft)

Apologies if I've omitted any pertinent info.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts, Bill

 

[begreen]

Regency allows use of a 5.5" liner. From the manual:
Regency Inserts are designed to use either a 5.5" (140mm) or 6" (152mm) flue stainless steel liner.

Of perhaps greater concern is the short 11' length of the liner. How well is the insert functioning? Was the liner insulated?

 

[BillV]

Thanks for the reply.

The liner is pre-insulated (looks like 1/4 thickness), flex steel, with a coating on the insulation exterior. The installer said it's manufactured by National Chimney. The chimney sweep I had out last week said the ash build-up at the top of the liner looked good, which seemed to mean that he saw little creosote build-up.

I don't know exactly what to expect with function because I'm new to these units. I will say that it can take me 45 minutes to get the catalytic converter glowing so that I can close the damper, which seems like a long time and takes a good bit of attention sometimes. It came with an external thermometer display. I've seen it got over 1000 F, but normally it runs 8-900 F. I can fill the box at night when it's still hot, shut all the vents down, and still have coals enough to restart a fire with small-medium pieces in the morning. I'm not sure what to expect with ash/coal build-up, but after about 3 days of pretty solid running (evenings/overnight, letting it burn-out while away during the day) I need to clean out about a gallon of warm ash/coals that have built up so I can keep feeding it wood. Hope this makes sense and that I'm not doing something wrong.

Thanks again,
Bill

 

[begreen]

Doesn't sound like it is behaving badly. Modern stoves typically like 15' of liner/flue but there are exceptions. The ash content will vary with the wood species burned.

It's summer and quiet now, but there is a long thread here on the ci2600 that may have info on liner height.
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/the-regency-ci2600-operation-thread.158238/

 

[BillV]

Thanks for your assessment.

I'm curious why this unit can have a 5.5- or 6-inch liner, and if one is better than the other in my situation. Perhaps Regency will let me know when I speak with them. Why the installer used the smaller but quoted the larger is a mystery. He initially said the flue was too small, but I corrected him when I gave him actual dimensions.

Starting to vent a bit now - sorry.

Thanks again,
Bill