Regency 2450 backdrafting

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I'll echo comment above expressing appreciation for this forum. It's been a while since I have posted but it was a great help in 2021.

We've had a Regency 2450 since summer 2021. It's been great. The installers also didn't remove the 4 inch blanking plate but I caught that immediately. I haven't had to do anything to the deflector. I have started it dozens of times without an issue until this last week.

We had been having a very cold, windy period. Temperatures were down to 6F. Then the weather changed and we had a rainy period with temps in the 30s and low 40s. One night we had a real problem with smoke filling the fire box and even pouring back into the room through the bottom and air damper control. I am assuming there was a lot of heavy damp air in the chimney that stopped it drafting properly. We opened up a window and a door for a few minutes and that seemed to help get it going. Since then I haven't had similar issues. I guess there are odd days when the prevailing conditions make drafting difficult.

The other issue I encountered is that I started having trouble controlling the air intake. It was clearly burning too hot even though I had the control shut down. After some investigation I discovered that the the nut holding the door handle in place had loosened so I wasn't getting a good door seal. I tightened it and that fixed the issue but it appears to just come loose again. Anyone got any insight on the best way to keep the nut in place? The stove guy in town suggested a locking nut or using nail polish to keep the existing nut in place. I am a bit skeptical about the latter at high temps. Loctite was another idea but even the "high temp" version says it only operates up to 450F. And which type of locknut? Presumbly not the ones with the nylon inserts but there appear to be at least a half dozen different types of metal locknuts.

I can't speak to the door seal as mine has been good, even after taking it apart to add a bit of anti-seize to stop the squealing. If I was having that issue, I'd probably start with either a stainless steel split lock washer, or a spring washer (or both) and see how it holds.

Occasionally I did have little wafts of smoke coming from the damper control rod when I first started burning in the fall. I found it really only happened on cold starts after emptying ash from the firebox. I think I was taking too much out, so now I leave ~1" of ash behind and it seems to have stopped.

On the subject of damper control, though, I think mine uses an absolutely terrible set-up. Damping is controlled by sliding a little rod below the ash lip to the left or right, and this little rod only sticks out from the stove ~1.5". The stove came with a separate, longer handle/tool that slides over the notches in little rod and allows you to operate it. The little rod gets VERY hot during long burns (75*C using an [uncalibrated] infrared thermometer), so the longer handle is needed. I know it's not a huge deal, but needing to use the second piece every time I want to adjust the damper is unnecessary.

Damper Control 2.jpgDamper Control 3.jpg


I read these comments and had to create an account as well.
I just had the Regency i2450 insert installed and was/am having the same backdrafting issue.
The installer has already come and removed the deflector after reporting the backdraft issue and it seems to have helped a bit but still having some smoke issue when fire is running hot and open the door to add a log or two. My main issue now is the damper rod jams when pulled all the way out and I have to hit it back in to start to close the damper. Im thinking its not even opening all the way when it jams. Does anyone have the insert i2450 and can advise how long the stroke is from all the way closed to all the way open?

Sorry I can't comment on the damper stroke length as I think my control is different than yours.

When you're burning hot and you open the door a crack, does smoke pour out the entire time the door is open (suggesting it could be draft-related) or only for the first few seconds (meaning draft is fine but your damper control suspicions could be correct)? That's just a thought I had, but someone with more experience or knowledge please correct me if I'm wrong.