Regency F3100 air tubes - homemade

[richard1988]

My home has two woodfires and one of them (a Masport F3101, which is just a re-branded Regency F3100 freestanding) needs replacement air tubes. The 1 inch pipe at the back still works but is corroded, but 2 of the 3 three-quarter inch tubes have collapsed and are no longer functional. (I bought the home a couple of years ago, and the fireplace was installed in 2000, so I don't know the history).

Here in Australia I cannot buy secondary air tubes from Masport or Regency. Masport dont stock any as the model is now too old for them to care, and Regency don't return e-mails. While Regency now sell in Aus in their own right, my unit was sold under Masport branding so it doesn't appear in any of Regency's Australian documentation anyway.

After intensive searching I can't find anyone who sells the required air tubes in Aus, and various suppliers in North America do not ship here., which leaves me in a bind.

So I am asking for advice on how to make my own. I've had a go at making the three-quarter inch pipes. I tried to copy the factory ones as closely as possible using steel tubing, but the heater is not heating adequately. The fire burns well with the door ajar, but as soon as I close it, it starts a process of the wood turning black (which I think means it's not getting enough air flow). The room is also not being heated, except the area immediately around the heater (within a few meters), when it used to comfortably heat the room (combined kitchen dining TV room). Just wondering if I am missing some sort of trick, or whether this is all just a waste of time.

If I can't work out a solution I need to get a replacement wood heater, which sounds ridiculous just because the air tubes need replacing, but that's where I am at. The other heater in the house is a Jarrahdale Innovator Jumbo which heats superbly, so may get another one so there's a matching pair - but doing so seems ridiculous just over some tubes, so thought I'd ask for some advice first.

 

[TomMcDonald]

Greetings from sunny Canberra!

Are you getting any secondary burn from your home-made tubes at all? What about from the factory installed tube now?
If you've replicated the factory tubes, and not getting any air/flames from them, I wouldn't discount a coincidental blockage in the system preventing adequate secondary air entering the fire box.

You might also investigate the moisture content of the wood you're burning, as turning black is also a symptom of wet wood.

Thirdly, if this is the first time you've run the stove this winter, it's worth checking your flue for blockages.

 

[richard1988]

Hi. Bit of a delayed reply. Didnt expect a reply from Canberra - seems a mainly North American forum. I salvaged what was left of the originals and put them back in and the fire is back to normal, so was something wrong with my tubes. However, a couple of weeks after that the tubes then collapsed into the fire for good. There's no going back now. I'm trying to chase up replacements from Canada. Need to look into postal forwarding services (all of which seem to have terrible reviews).

I still dont like the Masport/Regency. Compared to the Jarrahdale it seems pretty flimsy, especially the baffle arrangement. The tiles which sit on top of the air tubes dont seem very strong, whereas the Jarrahdale has an 8mm steel plate which is strong (and very heavy).