Stove upgrade time! I'm mildly excited..

[Mr4btTahoe]

Well... when we bought our 2400sq house in the woods, I installed a used Silent Flame stove from the 80s. The stove has been a good one but as of late, has had some issues with running away. I've replaced gaskets and such but was having no luck fixing the incoming air issue. We haven't been able to leave the stove unattended for the last 2 seasons which was getting old. It gave us 6 years (and probably has more in it) but figured now was as good of a time as any to upgrade.

I knew that I wanted a stove with a 4+ cu. ft. box and an 8" flue which led me to either the BK King or the Regency Pro 5200. Both seem to get solid reviews from members.. so I started looking for local dealers. The nearest BK dealer was over 100 miles away... and they wouldn't return a call or email. Finally found a dealer for BK (several states over) that would respond... price wasn't terrible but they couldn't ship it.

Started looking for a Regency dealer and found one 30 miles from me. Got them on the phone easily and he emailed a quote over within the hour. At the bottom of the quote, he stated it would be the end of March before we could get it... BUT.. Regency said they had a "B" rated unit ready to ship with a ding on the rear panel that had been straightened... comes with a full warranty and 40% off the price.

So... the 5200 is on the way. Lol. I couldn't pass up the price... I pretty well ordered it fully optioned out... taxes and shipping included for 900 less than the BK base price.

Needless to say I'm a bit excited. I may have to do some work to my stove pipe as I think the 5200 is a bit taller than the stove it is replacing. Should be a relatively easy fix though.

Can't wait for it to show up!

 

[stoveliker]

That's a great deal! Show us pics when it is in operation! Congrats

 

[marty319]

I don't understand people that are in business at least returning emails or phone calls.its pathetic where I live.took me 2years to get a load of topsoil.no one phones you back.same goes for my woodstove dealer.i understand people are busy but it's the customers that are paying your bills.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

I don't understand people that are in business at least returning emails or phone calls.its pathetic where I live.took me 2years to get a load of topsoil.no one phones you back.same goes for my woodstove dealer.i understand people are busy but it's the customers that are paying your bills.

Which is precisely why I went with the Regency. The salesman was on point... responded to everything I asked quickly and got me a solid deal. If I could have found a BK dealer that would do the same in my area, I probably would have went with BK for the longer burn times... but then again, I like the looks of the 5200 a lot more.

A good salesman can make a business... that's for sure.

 

[marty319]

I'm glad you got a good dealer.regency is a top product

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

Just got home and took some measurements. New stove is 3" taller. Can I safely trim down the flue adapter? The adapter that goes from my current stove to the 8" double wall is 7" tall. It looks like I could cut it down 3" easily enough and the new stove would slide right in.

Just didn't know of there was an issue modifying the adapter. Otherwise, I could delete the adapter and extend the telescopic double wall pipe directly to the stove.

Thoughts?

 

[begreen]

The adapter may not be necessary depending on the 5200 flue collar ID. Best to check it out.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

The adapter may not be necessary depending on the 5200 flue collar ID. Best to check it out.

Will do. The adapter has the same ID as the pipe so I'm not sure why it was necessary in the first place. I think the only reason I bought one was because it was listed in the diagram from the chimney manufacturer.

 

[begreen]

It the telescoping pipe currently all the way retracted?

Will do. The adapter has the same ID as the pipe so I'm not sure why it was necessary in the first place. I think the only reason I bought one was because it was listed in the diagram from the chimney manufacturer.

Some stoves need them and others don't. It also depends on the adapter manufacturer. DuraVent's is a bit on the small side IMO.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

It the telescoping pipe currently all the way retracted?

Yes. I got the telescopic pipe thinking it would make the original install easier (was my first install) but it was a tight fit with it fully retracted. It can extend several feet if it isn't stuck.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

The chimney I'm using is from Selkirk. Double wall stove pipe from stove to ceiling then double wall class a.

Yeah I got the adapter just because it showed one in the diagram. The adapter isn't a tight fit to my current stove.. just sits in place. It's not even screwed down as the chimney collar on the old stove was 1/4" thick and the screws they sent wouldn't cut it. It's never leaked so I left it.

It's likely not necessary at all but I wasn't sure.

 

[fvhowler]

Ahhh, the Silent Flame wood stove. I had one back in the 90s. It heated our house for many years. A good quality stove in its day. I'm now burning a Regency Hampton non-cat.

Word of advice...just forget how you operated that old Silent Flame. If you've never burned an EPA stove, its a different animal. The new stoves are more finely tuned and picky about what they eat. Well seasoned wood is a must and you can't really cheat this step and get the most out of your stove. The Regency will be waaaayyyy more efficient an should use much less wood to heat your house in the woods.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

Ahhh, the Silent Flame wood stove. I had one back in the 90s. It heated our house for many years. A good quality stove in its day. I'm now burning a Regency Hampton non-cat.

Word of advice...just forget how you operated that old Silent Flame. If you've never burned an EPA stove, its a different animal. The new stoves are more finely tuned and picky about what they eat. Well seasoned wood is a must and you can't really cheat this step and get the most out of your stove. The Regency will be waaaayyyy more efficient an should use much less wood to heat your house in the woods.

For sure!

After the first year of burning the Silent Flame, I did some modifications to the stove which greatly improved it's efficiency. I added fire brick, an insulated baffle, and a secondary air system. I could get 12-15hr burns out of it and it produced great heat and zero smoke. 2 years ago while I was at work, my wife had a log roll and bust the glass in the door. Ever since replacing the glass, the stove hasn't been manageable. The new glass didn't seal properly and the retainer for the glass was all warped (had been since I got the stove). I never had time to remake the glass retainers or double up the gasket for the glass so we just started running it like a fireplace... just a few splits and never leaving it unattended. Before, it was a set it and forget it burner... now.. I don't trust it anymore. It got away from my wife twice after the glass break... buried the needle on our flue thermometer before I could get it shut down (not a chimney fire.. just uncontrollable combustion). She no longer wanted to run it after that... so now its time for a change. It was a great stove and could likely be fixed easily enough... But I'd been wanting a newer stove anyways and this was a great way to get the wife to go along with the investment.

I've been reading up on how to properly run the new stove and it seems pretty straight forward. I'll run it by the book and tweak as necessary to get the best burn and burn times out of it. Really looking forward to it.

Our supply of wood is mostly hardwood and has been stacked for 2 years. Have some gum thats been stacked for a year but it was dead and down for a year or so prior.

I went back and read the manual for the chimney system and the newest manual for it just states the adapter may be necessary for some stoves so I can likely delete it if the flue collar will fit the pipe directly. If not, I'll just trim it down.

If I delete it, I'll need to extend the telescopic pipe a foot or so. It currently has a probe style thermometer in that section so it has a hole through both the outer wall and inner liner. Will that be a problem to have an open hole (1/4" diameter or so) in the inner liner of the pipe? The outer hole will still have a thermometer in it so not too worried about that. I don't think it'll be a big deal but figured it best to ask.

 

[fvhowler]

Wow, impressive mods to the SF. Sound like you got all you could out of the old stove. No question, its time for a significant upgrade. Enjoy the Regency.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

What a day! Took off early to pick up our new stove. Was fun getting it off the truck as you'll see...

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

Had to pull the back tires off the truck to get enough clearance for my tractor. Even with the brick and all exterior panels/door removed.. there was no way we'd make it to the ground by hand.

Got it down... got it inside.. and got it done.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

I was able to pull the stove adapter and just extend my telescopic double wall. Fit perfect.

Still need to drill a new hole and add the stack temp probe. Will probably do that here in a bit.

Got the first fire going and bringing temp up slow. Can't wait to see how it runs once up to temp.

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

Okay... so first time operating a catalytic stove.

The cat lit off easily and the stove is producing great heat. My only concern is that the gauge provided with the stove for the cat temp is now nearly pegged. Air is choked down as its not super cold out and wanted to run it slow.

Stove seems to be doing what I'd expect... but was worried about the cat temp. Is it normal?

Quite a bit of metal popping and tinging sounds which doesn't surprise me too much since it's a new stove... but just want to make sure I'm good.

The logs are just a glow... no active flame... but no smoke either and cat temp is obviously up.

 

[Tar12]

Looks good! No worries with your cat temp gauge...new cats are often "over active" ...it appears to be working perfectly! Enjoy!

 

[stoveliker]

^^that.

Enjoy!

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

This stove is impressive. My light load yesterday for the first fire still had a hot coal bed 13 hours later and took back off this morning without a hitch.

I reloaded it with a full load this time.

It's taking some getting used to letting the thing run as hot as it does. Flue temps are staying around 500-600 (have settled down around 500 now)... The cat probe goes beyond the active range on first start but settles back down to the top of the active range after a bit and stays there.

Overall, happy with the investment and upgrade.

 

[stoveliker]

Sounds good to me! Flames look awesome!

 

[all night moe]

Glad you've got a happy investment! And, yes, those are some nice looking flames!

For me, I'm tempted to add a cat stove to 4500 sqft. Also with so much space, I'm concerned about my wood supply of not always having 20% MC or less for a cat stove. My 2nd winter hear and I'll have a bit more leftover for next season than I did last. My supply is building, but I'm no where close to a 3yr plan. I'll be adding another pre EPA model for now.

Everytime I see someone's results like yours .... I want a cat stove. I hope you continue to have great luck with yours.

PS In your first group of picks, I was hoping to see a 4bt Tahoe.

 

[begreen]

That's a good-looking stove and installation. Enjoy the heat.

Have you tried closing down the air a bit sooner to lower the initial cat temp spike?

 

[Mr4btTahoe]

Glad you've got a happy investment! And, yes, those are some nice looking flames!

For me, I'm tempted to add a cat stove to 4500 sqft. Also with so much space, I'm concerned about my wood supply of not always having 20% MC or less for a cat stove. My 2nd winter hear and I'll have a bit more leftover for next season than I did last. My supply is building, but I'm no where close to a 3yr plan. I'll be adding another pre EPA model for now.

Everytime I see someone's results like yours .... I want a cat stove. I hope you continue to have great luck with yours.

PS In your first group of picks, I was hoping to see a 4bt Tahoe.

Oh its there... just not in the pictures. Lol