Regency 2100 Insert Efficient Reload and Burn Cycles

[k3c4forlife]

Installed my 2100 Insert on Saturday (pics on the way, forgot the camera this morning).

Ran it 24 hours yesterday into this morning and I am starting to learn the air control schedule. This morning I had a hard time getting everything restart. I had a full bed of coals (woke up at 3AM and threw two big splits in because I wasnt sure what the burn times and sched was going to be). I loaded the box up (probably 8 good sized splits) and left the door cracked open to give it air. Took a shower, got dressed for work, and come out to a dead coal bed, one piece half lite and a lot of smoke outside.

I live in a 1360 sqft Ranch, 15'x0.014" thick 6" chimney liner insulated with 1/2" insulation kit. Top plate but no bottom insulation or block off plate.

How do you reload a larger insert efficiently and be able to shut down the air in 30+/- minutes before an 8 hour day of work for an efficient and long lasting burn. Worried I am choking it, burning really inefficiently (stove temp dropped significantly during the reloading), and leaving a lot of buildup in the chimney line.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[bluefrier]

I don't have a big insert but when I reload on a coal bed with full size splits I like to throw some smaller kindling on the coals first. Not that it won't catch without the kindling but it reduce the start-up time considerably. Sometimes I pile all the coals in center of the stove and put two splits north/south beside the coal bed and then stack east/west on top of that.

 

[michaelryba]

I guess it's a little late now to follow the manufacturers recommendations about break-in fires for a new stove.
I don't think there's any secret to an efficient burn. Get a good hot burn going --20 min. with draft control open, not door, then close down to about 1/4 open for sustained burn.
If your wood didn't burn, then it's either wet wood or there wasn't enough coals to bring it up to ingition temp. Sometimes I'll throw in a piece of bark, or small splinter of wood that I know will light easily to help get things going.
Walking away from a lit stove for a 1/2 hr with the door open is asking for trouble.

 

[k3c4forlife]

I bought the stove used, so I am good on break in fires...

Ya, I gotta start working in a little kindling I guess. The problem is that when I am going to leave for work I need to leave the air a little higher just so that the fire keeps going. My wife just home from work like an hour ago. The stove running from 7:45 to 2:30 later, there should still be a good bed of coals to start back up right?

 

[Fsappo]

First off, this is more of a medium sized insert, not a large one. If you have the 2100 with a full liner and add dry splits to a bed of red coals, cracking the door should not be needed. Loading splits of a bed of coals and cracking the door and taking a shower (leaving the stove without adult supervision) is downright a bad idea.

I'm guessing your wood is green or wet. I can add wood to a bed of coals on my Enerzone at home, or my Hearthstone or Regencys I've used in my showroom, open the air control and have a good fire going in 15-20 minutes. I'd check the wood and practice some more.

 

[k3c4forlife]

I agree with it being a bad idea to leave it... Wont do that anymore. I left the smallest sliver of a crack, not the whole door open. Probably the wood.

 

[ChillyGator]

I WOULD NEVER LEAVE THE ROOM WHEN THE STOVE IS BURNING AND THE DOOR IS OPEN......ASKING FOR BIG TROUBLE!

That said, you probably just need to add a couple of splits to the coals and let those catch and burn a little before packing the stove......add a couple splits, take your shower, then pack the now hot stove before heading out the door. The stove temps will rise quicker while you shower and you should be able to reduce air without choking off the fire.

 

[Retreadsme]

Can't add much of anything to what others have said. Since your flue size & height are within spec the only thing suspect is the wood. I often times will wake to a "cooling bed of coals" and will place 3-4 splits (4" size) in my 3100L, open the air draft, and within 10 minutes have a blaze going nicely. I never leave the door cracked even if I am sitting by the fireplace. It also makes a difference what species wood one is trying to start with. Pine, Ash, Hackberry, and Ginkgo start really fast for me and oak requires more patience. Suggestion: Try a load of splits N-S instead of E-W and see if this helps. Doing such will allow air flow over the coals the full length of several splits instead of just up to the face of the split in the front with an E-W configuration. JMO - mileage is limited with no warrantee implied !

 

[k3c4forlife]

I think the biggest problem I have is that I am burning marginal wood. This morning I threw 3 pieces of kindling in there with the air on high, took a shower, and they were going good. Added 4 splits N-S and then 4 splits E-W and left the air on high while I was getting ready for work. The bottom 4 pieces were going good within 10 minutes or so.

My problem is when I cut the air back. If I cut the air back to half the fire dies pretty quickly, maybe a little flame is left in the middle where the air feeds the most. If I cut the air back to like 1/4 the fire dies completely and smolders. Most frustrating thing ever... For this reason, I have been leaving the air at half to provide a cleaner burn (even though this isnt that clean either). I am getting like 4-5 hour burn times and maybe an hour of coals. With better wood, 1/4 air is do-able for a full 8 hour efficient and clean burn? The important part being the efficient and clean part...

 

[Retreadsme]

Yep ! You just described exactly what will happen in a 2100 or a 3100 with "marginal" wood. If I throw in wood with a moisture content greater than 22% the throttle must be left open 1/2 or there's trouble in River City (glass blackens, creosote in flu, etc). Once you get wood down to 20% moisture or less, that insert will make you smile.

 

[k3c4forlife]

It's really frustrating haha.