The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread

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If there is a screen on the chimney cap, that's the first thing to check. It's a common place for soot and sote to build up. Also, make sure the catalyst is not starting to plug up with ash. Brush it clean if it is, then blow some air through it.
 
Givent that it's a triple-burn insert, I assume there's a baffle. Any blockage there? And behind the cat (if you can reach this).
 
I just finished taking apart the inside of the stove, some soot but nothing appears to be blocked including the cat. I’ll head up to the roof tomorrow to see if the cap is clear.
 
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Hello Again,
My less than 3 month old CI2700 has developed a new problem and I was wondering if anyone else has experienced the same themselves. Two mornings ago I had trouble getting the stove going, weak draft and lot’s of smoke coming into the room. I came home from work and the glass was as extremely black. I thought at first it was due to ash build up in the box blocking the draft port, so I proceeded to clean all but about an inch of ash out of the box.
This morning, same problem, no draft and I came home to glass even blacker than the day before. I then decided to get a shop vac and try sucking out the draft port. Same result, no draft, huge smoke buildup in the box. I am new to the whole wood insert thing but what would cause it to be functioning fine one day and not the next?
As JRFarmer suggested, you might want to check for some type of blockage. Assuming you used the fireplace prior to the installation of the insert, was there any type of draft problem then? If not that might indicate a possible installation problem in which case you should call the installer. If so that might indicate a possible height problem with the chimney which could affect (or is it effect?) the draft.
Good luck.
 
Well I ventured into the roof and low and behold the slots in the vent pipe cap so we’re pretty plugged up with soot. I cleaned it up and the draft seems better.
 
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Hello Molsen,

Compared to the OEM, ancient technology, two speed AC motor driven fan installed in my old Regency Classic (virtually identical to the optional factory unit for the new CI2700 /Hampton HI500), the AC Infinity fan is a huge upgrade! Out of the box, the PWM DC powered Airblaze is far more efficient and quieter than the OEM fan, plus the fact it runs on 12 Volts D.C. would likely be a plus during a power failure (could be driven by batteries, solar etc.). Although the digital controller that comes with the Airblaze series is quite Skookom, I took it one step further and modified the new controller 67 (looks identical but not directly compatible) to work with my Airblaze blower. The advantage of the Controller 67 is can be controlled manually or wireless via Bluetooth and smart phone app. Furthermore, the 67 controller also has a mode where fan speed can ramp up and down automatically from 1 to 10 based on the difference between your set temperature and ambient temp, rather than simply cycling off and on at one fixed speed / temperature. I have a 1280 square foot Redwood Cedar Pana-Bode home, which has to be one of the least efficient building types in terms of retaining heat, but once the Regency has the house up to temp, the Airblaze fan runs inaudibly at speed 1 or 2, maintaining room temperature within one degree of set.

The maximum operating temperature for the Airblaze (if memory serves) is around 160 degrees ..... beyond that, the unit can be damaged. I measured max temperature at the fan location in the bottom of the Regency with the stove running full bore pretty close to that max -another feature of the Controller 67 is the ability to set minimum and maximum fan speeds, so I've set the minimum speed at 1 (which keeps the fan running at all times when the stove is hot), ensuring a small amount of cool air is pulled through the fan, preventing a situation of overheating the super quiet / efficient D.C. PWM motor. The only down side to this is that when the ambient temperature outside is greater than 45 degrees, I have to open a window and let some cool air in from outside, lest the Regency wood stove overheats the house.

I also picked up a magnetic thermal switch off Amazon to shut the fan off completely when the stove is stone cold. If I happen to be away from home for more than 20 hours or so, this prevents the Airblaze Blower from operating when there is no heat available from our Regency wood stove insert. This set up is the cat's meow and infinitely superior to the two speed OEM blower, and at about half the cost, I might add.

Hope this answers your question MG -if anyone is interested in regards to the modifications needed to adapt a controller 67 to an Airblaze product (and has technical / soldering iron skill), please PM me for further info.

Cheers!

Avian manor

Hello Avian Manor. I'm hoping you might be able to help me.

Thanks for taking the time to share your blower upgrade. I'm a Canadian but living over in the San Juan Islands so was inspired by your post. I've just ordered a ci2700 and I'm struggling with finding some information about the blower. Looking at the air blaze units I'm finding 3 models - 10" 12" and 14". I can't find anything on the stock regency blower so I'm unable to sort out which size airblaze I should purchase.

Interested in the controller 67 modification as well if you can share any tips on that.
 
Hello jham,

You're going to want the largest of the three (14"). At one time, AC Infinity offered a 16", which would have been ideal, but alas, no longer available.

I can send you specs on the controller 67 mod -best to PM me for that as I'd need to forward a diagram and instructions. You will need a soldering iron and the basic skills to use it.

Cheers!

Hello Avian Manor. I'm hoping you might be able to help me.

Thanks for taking the time to share your blower upgrade. I'm a Canadian but living over in the San Juan Islands so was inspired by your post. I've just ordered a ci2700 and I'm struggling with finding some information about the blower. Looking at the air blaze units I'm finding 3 models - 10" 12" and 14". I can't find anything on the stock regency blower so I'm unable to sort out which size airblaze I should purchase.

Interested in the controller 67 modification as well if you can share any tips on that.
 
Hello jham,

You're going to want the largest of the three (14"). At one time, AC Infinity offered a 16", which would have been ideal, but alas, no longer available.

I can send you specs on the controller 67 mod -best to PM me for that as I'd need to forward a diagram and instructions. You will need a soldering iron and the basic skills to use it.

Cheers!
As a new member, jham will need a couple of posts before he can PM you, but maybe you can PM him?
 
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Hello jham,

You're going to want the largest of the three (14"). At one time, AC Infinity offered a 16", which would have been ideal, but alas, no longer available.

I can send you specs on the controller 67 mod -best to PM me for that as I'd need to forward a diagram and instructions. You will need a soldering iron and the basic skills to use it.

Cheers!


Thanks for the quick reply. I'll get that ordered up then and will send you a PM about he wiring setup. I'm good with a soldering iron so think I can pull it off.

Thank again for sharing.
 
The cold weather is finally here in New Jersey and I've been burning my ci2700 consistently the past few days. It's doing a great job but I've noticed when reloading a hot stove, the door latch is really hard to get closed. I've tried to gently lift up a bit when closing or apply inward pressure on the door when latching but I'm worried about damaging the latch or pin that the latch grabs by forcing it.
Has anyone else experienced this? It doesn't look like there is any way to adjust the latch itself but perhaps the hinge side needs some adjusting? Also, wondering if a little bit of graphite lube or high heat grease on the latch mechanism might help?
 
The cold weather is finally here in New Jersey and I've been burning my ci2700 consistently the past few days. It's doing a great job but I've noticed when reloading a hot stove, the door latch is really hard to get closed. I've tried to gently lift up a bit when closing or apply inward pressure on the door when latching but I'm worried about damaging the latch or pin that the latch grabs by forcing it.
Has anyone else experienced this? It doesn't look like there is any way to adjust the latch itself but perhaps the hinge side needs some adjusting? Also, wondering if a little bit of graphite lube or high heat grease on the latch mechanism might help?
I had similar issues with mine too.
I found that my installer did not do a thorough job and ended up going through the install process in the manual myself.
they failed to level and seat the stove and as stated in the manual using high heat grease lube the door hinges and the door latch. It takes very little grease. It is a game changer when it comes to latching the door. It always the little things that make a big difference.

Good Luck
Mike
 
Hello Molsen,

Compared to the OEM, ancient technology, two speed AC motor driven fan installed in my old Regency Classic (virtually identical to the optional factory unit for the new CI2700 /Hampton HI500), the AC Infinity fan is a huge upgrade! Out of the box, the PWM DC powered Airblaze is far more efficient and quieter than the OEM fan, plus the fact it runs on 12 Volts D.C. would likely be a plus during a power failure (could be driven by batteries, solar etc.). Although the digital controller that comes with the Airblaze series is quite Skookom, I took it one step further and modified the new controller 67 (looks identical but not directly compatible) to work with my Airblaze blower. The advantage of the Controller 67 is can be controlled manually or wireless via Bluetooth and smart phone app. Furthermore, the 67 controller also has a mode where fan speed can ramp up and down automatically from 1 to 10 based on the difference between your set temperature and ambient temp, rather than simply cycling off and on at one fixed speed / temperature. I have a 1280 square foot Redwood Cedar Pana-Bode home, which has to be one of the least efficient building types in terms of retaining heat, but once the Regency has the house up to temp, the Airblaze fan runs inaudibly at speed 1 or 2, maintaining room temperature within one degree of set.

The maximum operating temperature for the Airblaze (if memory serves) is around 160 degrees ..... beyond that, the unit can be damaged. I measured max temperature at the fan location in the bottom of the Regency with the stove running full bore pretty close to that max -another feature of the Controller 67 is the ability to set minimum and maximum fan speeds, so I've set the minimum speed at 1 (which keeps the fan running at all times when the stove is hot), ensuring a small amount of cool air is pulled through the fan, preventing a situation of overheating the super quiet / efficient D.C. PWM motor. The only down side to this is that when the ambient temperature outside is greater than 45 degrees, I have to open a window and let some cool air in from outside, lest the Regency wood stove overheats the house.

I also picked up a magnetic thermal switch off Amazon to shut the fan off completely when the stove is stone cold. If I happen to be away from home for more than 20 hours or so, this prevents the Airblaze Blower from operating when there is no heat available from our Regency wood stove insert. This set up is the cat's meow and infinitely superior to the two speed OEM blower, and at about half the cost, I might add.

Hope this answers your question MG -if anyone is interested in regards to the modifications needed to adapt a controller 67 to an Airblaze product (and has technical / soldering iron skill), please PM me for further info.

Cheers!

Avianmanor
I agree, there is certainly a bit of a learning curve whilst transitioning from a conventional to hybrid catalytic stove, but it's not rocket science. Instead of burning the wood you are baking/smoldering it to feed the catalytic combustor. I find this works best after I have established a good coal bed after the first fire of the day.
I am interested in your blower mod. You mention a lot less noise (that would be a huge plus) do you have any DB readings? The factory two speed blower is not that great and is loud.

Mike
 
Is there any recommendation on keeping vs removing the little metal part bolted over the intake? Just wondering if it designed to increase flow or not. Thanks
030698B0-660B-48BB-9F0E-D2CA689D3A9C.jpeg
 
Is there any recommendation on keeping vs removing the little metal part bolted over the intake? Just wondering if it designed to increase flow or not. Thanks
View attachment 305401
Don’t think I can edit my last post. But also just curious where the stove pulls air in. I have a wind detector that I use for hunting and just trying to see if I have a visible draft being pulled into the stove.
I just had my stove installed two days ago and I’m having issues with smoke coming into the house. I pre heat the stove with a torch for about 10 mins, the probe temp well over 100*F. Then get my kindling/paper going, keeping the door cracked until it takes off for 5-10mins. I can get the temp over 500* off the kindling/small stuff and when I go to load more in it billows out from the top. It seems to get better once the flames die down a bit. Other than that it seems to work great, easily get 1000*F and maintain once I’ve got the big stuff in. I put (5) 4-5 in split pieces in and it’s lasted almost 3 hours before getting below 600*.

Windows cracked in the basement, 6” piping aprox 20’ piping. Well seasoned wood, minimal smoke on the glass just the corners, paper test good. I was told by my installer I need to install a 4” intake duct into the room. Thanks for any input.
 
Has anyone else had issues with their digital thermometer? Mine worked great for two months but now it either just displays “HI” even when the stove is not lit or it displays temperatures that don’t make any sense like 1900°F when first lighting kindling. I spoke with my installer and they have a call in to Regency. I’m assuming it’s under warranty since it’s not even a year old.
 
Is there directions or videos on how to get to the chimney liner? Not sure what parts I have to take off to clean the chimney. Thanks.
 
Hello!
I'm curious about the airblaze + controller 67 setup that @Avian Manor was referring to earlier in the thread.
I don't have enough posts to PM him 😂

I'm using a ci2700 and just installed the t14 blower. Unfortunately the mounting locations don't line up, but it still sits in there nicely. It moved a good amount of air quietly, but I'm unsure if it moves more than the OEM regency blower. However, I was looking for more fine grained blower control and regencys 2 speed blower wasn't doing it for me.


Thanks!
 
After reading some of these reviews I am starting to think my insert doesn’t work properly. I have seasoned wood and I can’t get up 600 degrees. Once I put the catalytic on the temperature just starts to drop instantly and it goes to around 400. Does anyone else have this problem?
 
After reading some of these reviews I am starting to think my insert doesn’t work properly. I have seasoned wood and I can’t get up 600 degrees. Once I put the catalytic on the temperature just starts to drop instantly and it goes to around 400. Does anyone else have this problem?
That's not right, if u r using dry seasoned wood and have a well established fire with the temp above 500-700 for 30 minutes or longer. If you refuel, you need to wait a minimum of 10 minutes with the air intake damper fully opened (far left) and the cat bypass pulled out to burn off the moisture in the fresh fuel and to resteblish operating temperature. After the wood has caught on fire I push the cat bypass in to engage the cat then close the damper about 75-95%, once the cat engages my temperature will raise quickly to around 1050 - 1300 F. You need to build a fire gradually, split your wood into 1" or < pieces. When I start the stove I use 1 piece of Fatwood and a bunch of finger sized sticks of dry wood, I let that burn down to coals then add more wood with a about 25% finger sized pieces and 75% wrist sized pieces and let that burn down to coals. After about 15 minutes ill add about 10% finger sized pieces, 40% wrist sized and 50% 4-6" pieces. After that I put the biggest logs I can fit, wait 10 minutes for the moisture to burn off then engage the cat and close the damper about 90%
After reading some of these reviews I am starting to think my insert doesn’t work properly. I have seasoned wood and I can’t get up 600 degrees. Once I put the catalytic on the temperature just starts to drop instantly and it goes to around 400. Does anyone else have this problem?
After reading some of these reviews I am starting to think my insert doesn’t work properly. I have seasoned wood and I can’t get up 600 degrees. Once I put the catalytic on the temperature just starts to drop instantly and it goes to around 400. Does anyone else have this problem?
After reading some of these reviews I am starting to think my insert doesn’t work properly. I have seasoned wood and I can’t get up 600 degrees. Once I put the catalytic on the temperature just starts to drop instantly and it goes to around 400. Does anyone else have this problem?
That's not right, i have a ci2700, using dry seasoned wood (20% moisture or less) with a well established fire, temperature above 500-700 for 30 minutes or longer, your cat should increase the stove temperature.

If you refuel, you need to wait a minimum of 10 minutes with the air intake damper fully opened (far left) and the cat bypass pulled out to burn off the moisture in the fresh fuel and to resteblish operating temperature. After the 10-15 minutes after a refuel (temps above 500), I push the cat bypass in to engage the cat then close the damper about 75-95%.

Once the cat engages, my temperature will raise quickly to around 900- 1300 F.

You need to build a fire gradually, split your wood into 1" or < pieces for the 1st load of fuel.

When I start the stove, I use 1 piece of Fatwood and a bunch of finger sized sticks of dry wood, I let that burn down to coals then add more wood with a about 25% finger sized pieces and 75% wrist sized pieces and let that burn down to coals. After about 15 minutes ill add about 10% finger sized pieces, 40% wrist sized and 50% 4-6" pieces.

After that I put the biggest logs I can fit, wait 10 -15 minutes after refueling so the moisture can burn off, then rengage the cat and close the damper about 90%,. My stove temperature will rise to between 900 - 1300 F, depending on wood quality and the girth of the logs,

I don't bother with the cat until the fire has been going for an hour or so, the startup should be slow to get the draft primed. Use lots of small, fast burning kindling to start the fire.

Use proper tools to process your wood. I buy presplit wood so I don't use a full sixe axe much, so mainly use a 4lb eastwing hatchet/hammer (around 45$) for all my wood processing. I also bought a round cast iron log splitter on Amazon (90$) that cuts logs Into 4 pieces, i also also u use it to hold wood for chopping and breaking thr wood down into tiny pieces easily and efficiently. If that doesn't work call the installer/dealer.

I love mine, heats r 2k sqft home nicely. Good luck.
 
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That's not right, if u r using dry seasoned wood and have a well established fire with the temp above 500-700 for 30 minutes or longer. If you refuel, you need to wait a minimum of 10 minutes with the air intake damper fully opened (far left) and the cat bypass pulled out to burn off the moisture in the fresh fuel and to resteblish operating temperature. After the wood has caught on fire I push the cat bypass in to engage the cat then close the damper about 75-95%, once the cat engages my temperature will raise quickly to around 1050 - 1300 F. You need to build a fire gradually, split your wood into 1" or < pieces. When I start the stove I use 1 piece of Fatwood and a bunch of finger sized sticks of dry wood, I let that burn down to coals then add more wood with a about 25% finger sized pieces and 75% wrist sized pieces and let that burn down to coals. After about 15 minutes ill add about 10% finger sized pieces, 40% wrist sized and 50% 4-6" pieces. After that I put the biggest logs I can fit, wait 10 minutes for the moisture to burn off then engage the cat and close the damper about 90%



That's not right, i have a ci2700, using dry seasoned wood (20% moisture or less) with a well established fire, temperature above 500-700 for 30 minutes or longer, your cat should increase the stove temperature.

If you refuel, you need to wait a minimum of 10 minutes with the air intake damper fully opened (far left) and the cat bypass pulled out to burn off the moisture in the fresh fuel and to resteblish operating temperature. After the 10-15 minutes after a refuel (temps above 500), I push the cat bypass in to engage the cat then close the damper about 75-95%.

Once the cat engages, my temperature will raise quickly to around 900- 1300 F.

You need to build a fire gradually, split your wood into 1" or < pieces for the 1st load of fuel.

When I start the stove, I use 1 piece of Fatwood and a bunch of finger sized sticks of dry wood, I let that burn down to coals then add more wood with a about 25% finger sized pieces and 75% wrist sized pieces and let that burn down to coals. After about 15 minutes ill add about 10% finger sized pieces, 40% wrist sized and 50% 4-6" pieces.

After that I put the biggest logs I can fit, wait 10 -15 minutes after refueling so the moisture can burn off, then rengage the cat and close the damper about 90%,. My stove temperature will rise to between 900 - 1300 F, depending on wood quality and the girth of the logs,

I don't bother with the cat until the fire has been going for an hour or so, the startup should be slow to get the draft primed. Use lots of small, fast burning kindling to start the fire.

Use proper tools to process your wood. I buy presplit wood so I don't use a full sixe axe much, so mainly use a 4lb eastwing hatchet/hammer (around 45$) for all my wood processing. I also bought a round cast iron log splitter on Amazon (90$) that cuts logs Into 4 pieces, i also also u use it to hold wood for chopping and breaking thr wood down into tiny pieces easily and efficiently. If that doesn't work call the installer/dealer.

I love mine, heats r 2k sqft home nicely. Good luck.
Wow that’s crazy. I’ll have to call someone in to inspect it then. I can’t even get a good fire going if I close the door. I have to leave the door ajar for the wood to really catch fire. If I close the door to early the fire goes out a little and takes even longer to reach my max temp.
 
Crack a window. Is your draft good? Is the air intake damper clean and free of debris? Small coals tend to get stuck in the air intake, If ur not brushing it out weekly, I could see it causing a lot of issues.

I use an old paint brush 2 1/2" with a short handle, I am constantly brushing out small pieces charcoal from coals that got trapped in the air intake and died out.

I use a map gas torch to start mine with the damper wide open to the left and the cat bypass pulled out, I use a lot of kindling and 1 piece of fat wood by the air intake, I hit the fatwood for about 10seconds and hit some of the kindling on top of the fatwood for 10 seconds then close the door.

It is smokey at first but it clears out as the kindling burns up, I add more wood about 5 minutes after the first load, then continue the process.

I refuel around 4 times in the hour, after that I could put a block of ice on it and it would burn that too.

Assuming your stove was hooked up by a licensed professional installer who followed the manufacturers installation requirements and had the system inspected by a building inspector and the fire Marshal and it passed. Then I would start with the air intake, it's easy to tell if it's working if you able to get a fire started. If u close the damper while there is a fire, you will see the fire burn much slower, if you only have a small fire, it may even put it out, when you open back up, you should see the coals light up.

You may have an obstruction in the liner as well. Or it could have been installed wrong, mine looked like a pita to assemble, the company I used installed over 200 of them in the last 3 years so they made quick work of it but there are some parts of the assembly I could see an installer making an honest mistake.

Once you get it figured out, it's a great stove, I am impressed with the heat output from a flush mount insert. I can put some decent sized logs in it which is nice for overnight burns.

I recommend welding/stove gloves tho so u can place the wood in the firebox without getting burned, I kept hit my hand on the top of the firebox, so

I bought a pair of gloves off Amazon for 20$ that can withstand temps around 950 f they are a game changer for placing big logs into the small firebox.
 
Crack a window. Is your draft good? Is the air intake damper clean and free of debris? Small coals tend to get stuck in the air intake, If ur not brushing it out weekly, I could see it causing a lot of issues.

I use an old paint brush 2 1/2" with a short handle, I am constantly brushing out small pieces charcoal from coals that got trapped in the air intake and died out.

I use a map gas torch to start mine with the damper wide open to the left and the cat bypass pulled out, I use a lot of kindling and 1 piece of fat wood by the air intake, I hit the fatwood for about 10seconds and hit some of the kindling on top of the fatwood for 10 seconds then close the door.

It is smokey at first but it clears out as the kindling burns up, I add more wood about 5 minutes after the first load, then continue the process.

I refuel around 4 times in the hour, after that I could put a block of ice on it and it would burn that too.

Assuming your stove was hooked up by a licensed professional installer who followed the manufacturers installation requirements and had the system inspected by a building inspector and the fire Marshal and it passed. Then I would start with the air intake, it's easy to tell if it's working if you able to get a fire started. If u close the damper while there is a fire, you will see the fire burn much slower, if you only have a small fire, it may even put it out, when you open back up, you should see the coals light up.

You may have an obstruction in the liner as well. Or it could have been installed wrong, mine looked like a pita to assemble, the company I used installed over 200 of them in the last 3 years so they made quick work of it but there are some parts of the assembly I could see an installer making an honest mistake.

Once you get it figured out, it's a great stove, I am impressed with the heat output from a flush mount insert. I can put some decent sized logs in it which is nice for overnight burns.

I recommend welding/stove gloves tho so u can place the wood in the firebox without getting burned, I kept hit my hand on the top of the firebox, so

I bought a pair of gloves off Amazon for 20$ that can withstand temps around 950 f they are a game changer for placing big logs into the small firebox.
Where is the air intake that you are cleaning?
 
Really getting so tired of this insert. Get the fire started good with the door ajar. Temp reaches about 700+ degrees. I close the door and it just drops instantly. I’m about to give up and just stop using it. The amount of smoke that comes back in is insane too.
 
Really getting so tired of this insert. Get the fire started good with the door ajar. Temp reaches about 700+ degrees. I close the door and it just drops instantly. I’m about to give up and just stop using it. The amount of smoke that comes back in is insane too.
When you start the fire is the catalytic combuster lever pushed in or pulled out? If it is pushed in on startup it will smoke u out with the door ajar, I made the mistake of trying to restart the fire with the catalytic combuster(CC) engaged and soon a I put the torch to the kindling the smoke was escaping into the room, I noticed right away and disengaged the CC and the draft kicked in instantly.

The air intake I'm referring to is located in front middle of the stove, the lever on the bottom of the stove control the amount of air that is allowed to enter the system, if the lever is all the way to the left, that will let the maximum amount of air, all the way to the right will let in the least amount of air. When starting your fire, the cc rod should be pulled out and the air intake to the far left. If your fire is dying out when u close the doors, my guess is your are either not getting enough air or your draft is being restricted. If the fire isn't getting enough air then I would try brushing the air intake out to remove any debris that may have gotten stuck in the intake and is restricting the air flow. If it's not the air intake, you may have a blockage in your liner, from a crimp, animal, or creosote build up. The may have forgot to install the cc.

I've read a lot of negative reviews on ci2700 and some people who raved about it. I have had great luck with mine, I fill 3-4 times a day and my heat never kicks on unless it has to make hot water. I get build up on the glass wien I run it low and slow but if I refuel and let it burn with the airintake all the way to the left, the black clears up in 30 min. When the fire is out I use a damp pieces of newspaper dipped in ash
And the stain on the glass comes right off with little to no elbow grease. I follow the directions in the manual and the stove operates flawlessly. I almost never get smoke I'm the house and if I do, it's because I did something wrong. I hope u figure it out call regency directly.