Regency Questions...........

[WoodMann]

Howdy all, I just moved into a house about a year ago with a Regency Wood Stove. This is my first wood stove and am very excited, as the heating bill is practically nothing. I've gotten a blower for the stove and find it very effective. I got a Thremometor while I was at it and it starts to shade orange, as in cautionary at 250*, then in the Danger zone over 500*, it also says too cold at 150*. What I've noticed is a nice flow out the flu at 250* and above, on the box.
Question in all this is, what's the ideal temperature without going dangerous? I feel most comfortable when the box is about 400* ( mind as well as body). Personally I don't like the flue to get over 250* and understand that whats read with that magnetic stat on the flu is really half the temperature that's inside. Any pointers, suggestions and advice is greatly appreciated as I'm still a noob...................................
Thanks.....................

 

[webbie]

In general it is best to not concern yourself with scales on the thermometer - just the actual temperature.

Put the thermometer on a single wall part of the stove top. You will want to keep that area from a low of 400 degrees to a high of 800. It may go above or below that sometimes, but you will find that is the optimum range.

 

[WoodMann]

Thanks- I did monitor the flu the other night, it got to 300*, I got spooked and closed everything up until it got down to 250*. Last thing I want is a chimney cire...........

 

[STOVEGUY11]

Mine stays at a pretty constant between 300-350 when I've got it loaded up and have the air shut down for the secondary burn mode

 

[WarmGuy]

If you haven't already: get the thing inspected and cleaned.

 

[WoodMann]

I did clean the flu- took apart the sectiones and brushed out the creosote. Popped the cap from the top and brushed from there catching everything in a bag on the bottom. i guess the thing I'm most afraid of is geting the pipe too hot and the ceiling getting hot then the roof catches on fire, or am I totally wrong and scared of nothing...............

 

[Jimbob]

I did clean the flu- took apart the sectiones and brushed out the creosote. Popped the cap from the top and brushed from there catching everything in a bag on the bottom. i guess the thing I'm most afraid of is geting the pipe too hot and the ceiling getting hot then the roof catches on fire, or am I totally wrong and scared of nothing...............

None of that should happen if it was installed properly in the first place. Have it checked.:coolsmile:

 

[WoodMann]

Thank, I'll do that, Ill get and post pics, too.............

 

[WoodMann]

Hey guys- I think I've reached Nirvanah, critical mass- whatever. I hadda good chunk of wood in the stove last night, closed the door and opened the draft. The box was heating along at 410* and the flue pipe was 220*. Was comfy cozy in the house and I felt great about the flue temp, anything over 250* and I start to freak................

 

[begreen]

It sounds like you are running the stove at low temps. Can you take a photo of where you are placing the thermometer?

Normal flue temps are about twice that of your readings. You want to keep the flue hot enough during the wood outgasing stage so that the gases don't condense in the flue creating creosote deposits.

As advised, ignore the markings on the thermometer or buy one that doesn't have them.

 

[WoodMann]

Hmm- I thought this was cool. But yeah- i'll snap some pics, I have one thermometer on the box and the other on the flue I'd say about a foot above the box.........

 

[BotetourtSteve]

Webmaster, you are always talking about that 800 degree stove. Whew! You like to torque 'em don't you? You've gotta be eating some wood at those temps. I'm running my new Jotul F600 from 300-400 and getting all the heat I need (with blower). Just for sh-t and giggles I've tried to run her up hotter but chicken out at 500 cause it is flat pumping at that point, plus I know I'll be loading the firebox again in 3 hours.

 

[WoodMann]

Yeah- that's another thing, the amount of wood used at those temps. I guess I could go for 500* and see ho everything looks/ feels..............

 

[PAJerry]

I don't understand how you can heat a house at such low stove temps - unless you have a way oversized stove. My little Vista is happy running at 500-700 stove temp. and heats the house just fine. If I kept it at 300-400, we'd probably be very unhappy with the heat output, and I also think that the blower, if set on the 'automatic' setting, wouldn't even come on - since it seemed to kick in at about 450 when we used to use the automatic setting.

I also belive that a hot stove burns much cleaner that a cool one. I don't see much light-off on the secondary burn until the stove reaches about 400. Craig's recommendations seem about right to use the stove efficiently and as clean as possible.

 

[WoodMann]

OK folks- I got up to 550* last night and the flue in the 350- 400* range, talk about reaching nirvanah. I took a pic of where I have the thermometers.................

 

[BotetourtSteve]

I don't understand how you can heat a house at such low stove temps - unless you have a way oversized stove. My little Vista is happy running at 500-700 stove temp. and heats the house just fine. If I kept it at 300-400, we'd probably be very unhappy with the heat output, and I also think that the blower, if set on the 'automatic' setting, wouldn't even come on - since it seemed to kick in at about 450 when we used to use the automatic setting.

I also belive that a hot stove burns much cleaner that a cool one. I don't see much light-off on the secondary burn until the stove reaches about 400. Craig's recommendations seem about right to use the stove efficiently and as clean as possible.

With stove in an unfinished basement, I am keeping floor above at 67-70 24/7, and sleeping quarters on next floor above that comfortable at my guess of 63-65. 2100 sq ft in top 2 floors, basement 1000. 4 rooms w/doors closed on top floor, totaling probably 600 sq ft. Outdoor temps of 40-50s day and 20-30s night. Blower running, eh, 50% of the time - I turn off, not sensor as I have seen it still blowing as low as 200 surface temp. As I understand it, clean burn occurs over 250, and secondaries are burning at 300/above, and no smoke from chimney over 250.

Keeping at that 350-450 temp allows for 6-8 hour burns during waking hours. Overnight (10 hr) burn more towards 300 end. When I have tried to torque it over 450, find full 3 cu ft disappearing to coals in 3-4 hrs. Probably will turn up the volume if real cold spell, but at current temps happy to have it where it is at.

 

[Bill]

I consider a 300* box non productive heat, but then again your in Virginia.

 

[BotetourtSteve]

I consider a 300* box non productive heat, but then again your in Virginia.

Trust me, with fan, it is plenty productive. Keep in mind too that during waking hours I usually am at the higher end of scale, more like 375-475 or so. Just seems like once she goes over 450, it becomes a wood eating machine. The overnight burn is more in the 300-375 scale, and when I head back to stove after a 9 or 10 hr burn, she is still at 300 or so.

Still learning the new stove, so there may be tricks for higher temps/less wood that I haven't figured out yet, and also keep in mind that we have not had any sub-20 degree weather since I got my new stove. That has always seemed to be the threshold where my house wants to get cold and the gas furnace and/or logs get used more regardless of how hot the old stove was burning. I will probably be more willing to burn more wood for higher temps/heat output once that happens - I know that wood is a h-ll of lot cheaper than that dam- propane, which was the reason main I got a new stove in the first place.