The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread

[Finners75]

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.

I've been using this unit now for a couple months. A couple things I'll add that has worked for me.

I warm up the flue with a torch to make sure I get a good draft prior to lighting any kindling. Then I start slow. and small. I find that I need to really get a solid coal bed before I close the door for the 1st time of the start up. I have a really good draft but yet it if I close door too soon it snuffs it out. I have to be patient and when I do everything goes better.

I slowly (over the course of 20-30 mins) add larger spits and then she's good to go and I can go larger and close the door.

When I re-load I'll open the bypass, air intake and I crack the fire box door a tad and just hold it closed with my hand. Air rushes in and I let it settle a bit and then I go in for the re-load. A little smoke comes out but not much at all. Mostly just enough to give off some wood smoke smell.

Maybe some of this will help. I have certainly smoked my house out more than once figuring this unit out but it's getting much better.

I hope you are able to figure yours out.

I'm coming from an outdoor boiler set up and am loving this thing!

 

[CollnsBrook]

new to this. I did start a new thread called Regency CI2700 - Is this right? but thought Id share here too.

I own a CI2700/HI500 wood stove insert. been installed for 13 months now, so this is my first full winter burning 24/7.

Please see attached pictures of from the inside of the firebox looking up into the Flue Collar Assembly/up into the flue.

When I took off the Bottom shield (number 19), I noticed the two ovals and thought is that supposed to be like that?

I looking in the installation instructions and the ovals look to be upper shield. Am I correct? And is that piece supped to be covering the Flue opening?

As you can see in the picture Bypass Open again, what I believe to be is the upper shield, shifted and it causes the bypass plate to not fully open and not fully shut without some manual adjustments to the upper shield. Note: I did get it to stay in place. I tested it by opening and closing the bypass a number of times and it did not move again, but it is in that same position covering the flue. Is it supposed to be in that position?

Would like to know ASAP as a winter storm is approaching and need to know if I should not operate my stove.

Great pictures. Mine looks just like that. The thing with the ovals might be the bypass plate. I have the same questions.

 

[CollnsBrook]

new to this. I did start a new thread called Regency CI2700 - Is this right? but thought Id share here too.

I own a CI2700/HI500 wood stove insert. been installed for 13 months now, so this is my first full winter burning 24/7.

Please see attached pictures of from the inside of the firebox looking up into the Flue Collar Assembly/up into the flue.

When I took off the Bottom shield (number 19), I noticed the two ovals and thought is that supposed to be like that?

I looking in the installation instructions and the ovals look to be upper shield. Am I correct? And is that piece supped to be covering the Flue opening?

As you can see in the picture Bypass Open again, what I believe to be is the upper shield, shifted and it causes the bypass plate to not fully open and not fully shut without some manual adjustments to the upper shield. Note: I did get it to stay in place. I tested it by opening and closing the bypass a number of times and it did not move again, but it is in that same position covering the flue. Is it supposed to be in that position?

Would like to know ASAP as a winter storm is approaching and need to know if I should not operate my stove.

Looks just like mine. I think the thing with the ovals is the bypass plate. Mine flops around two and obstructs the flue when the bypass is open.

 

[fussen]

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.

Hi! I'm curious about 'minimal smoke on the glass just the corners' as I'm considering this stove and it's a big consideration for us. Are you doing long (low) burns overnight & finding the same? Like you, we'll have well-seasoned, dry wood, so I'm hoping that might mean that the air wash might be effective.

We currently have a gorgeous (but cold & inefficient) open fireplace & love the flame view, so the last thing I want to do is install what will look like a black hole in our masonry!

Thanks in advance.

 

[blackgti]

Is the orientation of the upper shield in the manual for the CI2700 backwards? It seems the fork for the bypass rod will interfere with it in this diagram I’m replacing the bypass gasket . I’d rather not take the stove apart twice.

 

[garth_2022]

Hi! I'm curious about 'minimal smoke on the glass just the corners' as I'm considering this stove and it's a big consideration for us. Are you doing long (low) burns overnight & finding the same? Like you, we'll have well-seasoned, dry wood, so I'm hoping that might mean that the air wash might be effective.

I do slow burns, lasts me 8 -10 hours using kiln-dried wood at moisture level of 12-16 and I still get bottom left and right issues on glass. I don't care, I scrape it off during the next load.

 

[StevenY]

Hi everyone,

I have been a long-time reader of this forum. Today I finally registered an account and provide an update on the CI 2700. I got it installed in November 2022 and burned it all almost every day last winter. Last week I had it serviced and cleaned. The bad news is that the Cat is damaged and there is a small crack in the welding on the top right back corner. See the pictures below. The dealer is very helpful and working on it to get the unit replaced under warranty.

Hopefully, I can get a higher heat output from the new replacement. Last winter it could only keep the installed room at the lower 70s. The room beside it is usually in the 60s. I know I did not have the perfect wood, because it is impossible for me to get in the first burning season. I brought three cords of “fully seasoned” wood that claimed to be left from the season at the end of last winter, and stacked, covering the top with tarp. Right now, I can see the checks cracks on the end grain, and the discoloration (outside moisture level is 7, some do not show a value, besides the OAK is 11). I hope I will have much better wood for next winter. When the installer comes to replace the unit, I will ask them to install a block-off plate and do some insulation around the unit. By the way, my installer said he will make a block-off plate with an aluminum coil and put roxul around the unit. Is it an acceptable way to do it? I read it is recommended to use steel and rigid insulation?

I do not have any issues starting the fire. The top-down method works every time. I do not have issues maintaining the Cat temp. And I got the blackened glass on the left and right bottom quarter portion (starts from the right bottom corner, and the right portion is usually larger than the left portion). But when I let it burn with damp fully open, the black thing is burned off with only a little bit left in the bottom corners. And I get coals to start a fire in the morning.

The only issue I had is that the flame is still very high after I put the damp all the way to the right. And sometimes the secondary burn is shooting into the Cat, making it grows without the bypass rod being pushed in.

 

[bholler]

Hi everyone,

I have been a long-time reader of this forum. Today I finally registered an account and provide an update on the CI 2700. I got it installed in November 2022 and burned it all almost every day last winter. Last week I had it serviced and cleaned. The bad news is that the Cat is damaged and there is a small crack in the welding on the top right back corner. See the pictures below. The dealer is very helpful and working on it to get the unit replaced under warranty.

Hopefully, I can get a higher heat output from the new replacement. Last winter it could only keep the installed room at the lower 70s. The room beside it is usually in the 60s. I know I did not have the perfect wood, because it is impossible for me to get in the first burning season. I brought three cords of “fully seasoned” wood that claimed to be left from the season at the end of last winter, and stacked, covering the top with tarp. Right now, I can see the checks cracks on the end grain, and the discoloration (outside moisture level is 7, some do not show a value, besides the OAK is 11). I hope I will have much better wood for next winter. When the installer comes to replace the unit, I will ask them to install a block-off plate and do some insulation around the unit. By the way, my installer said he will make a block-off plate with an aluminum coil and put roxul around the unit. Is it an acceptable way to do it? I read it is recommended to use steel and rigid insulation?

I do not have any issues starting the fire. The top-down method works every time. I do not have issues maintaining the Cat temp. And I got the blackened glass on the left and right bottom quarter portion (starts from the right bottom corner, and the right portion is usually larger than the left portion). But when I let it burn with damp fully open, the black thing is burned off with only a little bit left in the bottom corners. And I get coals to start a fire in the morning.

The only issue I had is that the flame is still very high after I put the damp all the way to the right. And sometimes the secondary burn is shooting into the Cat, making it grows without the bypass rod being pushed in.

View attachment 313293 View attachment 313294 View attachment 313295 View attachment 313296 View attachment 313297

How tall is your chimney?

 

[StevenY]

How tall is your chimney?

Hi bholler,
The installer said it is 20 ft. And as others posted before, the installer said in my climate, there is no need for an insulated liner. So they just use a 6-inch flex steel liner and stuff roxul tight in the bottom portion and the top portion of the chimney. And the sweeper said the amount of creosote he sweep off is not bad (just fine powders), and nothing is dangerous.

Do I have an overdraft issue? But during the early season, when I turned the damper down to 0, there were low flames on the wood and flame blasted like a wave from the back to the front in the right portion circling in the box every other few seconds. Is it a normal operation? However, later in the season, when I turn down the damper, I can see the flame die down a bit, but still full of flames in the box.

 

[bholler]

Hi bholler,
The installer said it is 20 ft. And as others posted before, the installer said in my climate, there is no need for an insulated liner. So they just use a 6-inch flex steel liner and stuff roxul tight in the bottom portion and the top portion of the chimney. And the sweeper said the amount of creosote he sweep off is not bad (just fine powders), and nothing is dangerous.

Do I have an overdraft issue? But during the early season, when I turned the damper down to 0, there were low flames on the wood and flame blasted like a wave from the back to the front in the right portion circling in the box every other few seconds. Is it a normal operation? However, later in the season, when I turn down the damper, I can see the flame die down a bit, but still full of flames in the box.

At 20' as long as the restrictor plate is in place you shouldn't really be over drafting. The idea that climate has an effect on the need for insulation is absurd

 

[StevenY]

At 20' as long as the restrictor plate is in place you shouldn't really be over drafting. The idea that climate has an effect on the need for insulation is absurd

Thank you for your reply. Could you please provide an insight into why the CAT and firebox were damaged in the first season? What should I do to prevent this in the future?

 

[bholler]

Thank you for your reply. Could you please provide an insight into why the CAT and firebox were damaged in the first season? What should I do to prevent this in the future?

How are you running the stove?

 

[StevenY]

I open the damper and bypass to start a fire using the top-down method. After the larger log at the bottom is lighted and the cat temp is above 600 F and keeps going up, I engage the cat, and close the damper to 50%, and then to 85%, fully closed at night. I put a magnetic thermometer (Inferno Stove Top Meter) in the middle of the top door frame. After the fan auto starts, the magnetic thermometer will show 400f and climbs to 500f. After the magnetic thermometer drops below 250-300f, and at this point, the wood burns down to coal, I will reload it--open the damper, pull out the rod, put in new wood; when temp above 600f, push in the rod; fan off until the magnetic thermometer shows 400f).
I removed the andiron if I bring in 16-inch wood and load the firebox full N/S (some of the wood will be very close to the glass). Sometimes I put on the andiron, and load it E/W if the wood is more than 16 inches. Thanks.

 

[Baudi]

Has anyone else who purchased a ci2700 in 2022 had an issue with their catalyst burning up after 1 season? My stove was installed in the summer of 2022 so I only operated it for one winter. I followed the operating instructions pretty strictly, burned seasoned oak, ash, and some birch, kept the damper mostly closed (especially overnight), and never burned with the door open except when first starting a fire or reloading.

I spoke with my installer and they processed the catalyst warranty through Regency for me. They said that they've had other customers in the past year with a similar issue and wondered whether the Regency catalyst on the newer stoves is defective since apparently they no longer ask for pictures when processing the warranty replacements.

 

[begreen]

How did the cat fail? Was there visible degradation like StevenY's cat?

Is the insert connected to a 6" stainless liner? How tall is the liner?

 

[Baudi]

How did the cat fail? Was there visible degradation like StevenY's cat?

Is the insert connected to a 6" stainless liner? How tall is the liner?

Yeah, it was visibly degraded and crumbling. I believe the liner is 6" diameter and roughly 20 ft long. I opted to have the installer wrap it with an insulation kit as was recommended on here.

 

[StevenY]

Yeah, it was visibly degraded and crumbling. I believe the liner is 6" diameter and roughly 20 ft long. I opted to have the installer wrap it with an insulation kit as was recommended on here.

View attachment 317271

Does your unit have a restrictor plate installed? It does not come with the unit. My dealer ordered one for me. With a restrictor plate, the flames seem lower but still shoot into the flame guard. I am afraid that the new Cat get burned again, so I close the air damper about 70% or more to keep the flames low.

 

[Baudi]

Does your unit have a restrictor plate installed? It does not come with the unit. My dealer ordered one for me. With a restrictor plate, the flames seem lower but still shoot into the flame guard. I am afraid that the new Cat get burned again, so I close the air damper about 70% or more to keep the flames low.

Do you know what the restrictor plate looks like? AFAIK mine is just whatever comes standard on a 2022 model. I know there is a plate with holes in it, that covers over the catalyst that I had to remove to insert the new one and then there is another solid plate that basically bridges the gap between the front-top of the stove and the catalyst plate. Both were just secured with two bolts.

 

[albertacoyotecaller]

Third year running the 2700. Is it normal for large amount of smoke to be noticed at 4-500 degrees after restalking the fire box? it smokes out my neighborhood with fine grey smoke. Wood is dry (around 16%) and once it gets to over 600 degree it goes away. Is this a symptom of something?

 

[blackgti]

Has anyone noticed an air leak in the back of the firebox at underneath this bolt/slot? I was having a fire the other day and noticed a flame originating in this area.

 

[begreen]

What is that bolt for?

 

[Baudi]

Has anyone had issues with the sliding faceplate (to access the blower fan) vibrating sporadically? This is my second year with the CI2700 and I didn't notice it much last year but it seems like I constantly have to open/close/wiggle the faceplate so it doesn't vibrate too much. It has the gasket which looks like it's intended to stop vibration and I can't see anything obvious that is causing it. I'm wondering if I should try adding some additional adhesive gasket?