Advice / Review need: Regency CI2600 fireplace insert risky & costly?

[Wolves1]

We have been loading are the stove the exact same for 2 months. The cat temp usually rises to 1250-1350 then lowers. The past few days it has been 2000! Right now it's been there for 30 min and fan has not kicked on either, had to turn it on manual. Any thou h ts? I'm thinking a problem with the temp gauge. And except for the cat, I think, nothing is glowing cherry red. Everytime our dealer has been out to fix something, something else gets screwed up.....not sure if u can see the frayed wires on my pic. , they did that last time they were here and chose not to respond back to me about that. Thoughts?

When the battery starts the die on the temperature gage the temperature starts jumping up.

 

[kcoombs]

When the battery starts the die on the temperature gage the temperature starts jumping up.

Oh, good to know, Thank you!

 

[Trogdor]

Thank you schramj...I have already sent many emails back-and-forth with Joe. After explain to him my situation, he just gave me the runaround on the emails. He finally said I had to get my dealer involved so that is what I am doing. He would not give me his number though or call me and talk on the phone. I just told him thank you and moved on, before I said something I would regret. I even went as far as copying this thread from all the complaints, and sent it to him in an email. I also sent him photos from my stove. He was not helpful whatsoever, and maybe repeat the same information in a different manner just to get my point across.

If you don't get the help you need, or hear back in a reasonable amount of time, you can always write in to:

BBB:
http://www.bbb.org/mbc/business-rev...ace-products-international-in-delta-bc-217019

Truth in Advertising Canada (Regency/FPI is Canadian) - complaint:
http://www.adstandards.com/en/ConsumerComplaints/howToSubmitAComplaint.aspx

It's extreme, and doesn't mean an immediate response, but helps label buyer beware...

Work with your dealer as others have and you may ultimately find some satisfaction.

 

[Wolves1]

I just filled the stove about ten pieces of wood I'm experimenting with something let's see how it works. I was looking at the cat with the stove temp at 400 I closed the bypass and the cat went red within 10 seconds and stove temp went up to 750 within 1 min. Tonight temp outside is 20 so I'm not closing the air all the way I have it about 1/4 open fan on high, like to see house temps are after 9 hours. Let's see how it burns tonight.

 

[Grisu]

Need to figure out a way of moving the heat out of the room. I have a Thruwall fan in the old closed up door way wall and had it pushing cold air in. Reversed it last night and it seems to work marginally better. I will probably start a new thread on this.

Is that fan over the door? If yes, you have been trying to push cold air at the ceiling where the warm air wants to flow out. I can see how reversing the fan and blowing warm air outwards will work better in establishing a convective loop. However, it is usually best to have a desk fan on the floor blowing cold air into the stove room. That cold air will make the warm air to flow out of the stove room along the ceiling to make up for the lost air. Since cold air is more dense than warm air it is much easier to move. I would give that a try.

 

[Wolves1]

This morning 9 hours of burning stove temp was 400 and living room temp 72. That was with air 1/4 open. This morning I closed bypass when stove temp hit 350 same thing cat started glowing with 10 second stove temp jumped up to 1000 within 10 min, I closed the air all the way. Lets see.

 

[Log]

Question about loading: In the manual it says not to load the logs past the andirons, however, it's pretty tough to get a north/south burn out of the stove if you can't load the logs past the andirons

Now, I am not having my logs pressed right up against the glass but they do go past the andirons a bit. I am just wondering if anyone else burns this way, the only thing I could figure is that the blower is located beneath that lip, and maybe that is why they advise you not to have any log touching that area?

 

[Wolves1]

Question about loading: In the manual it says not to load the logs past the andirons, however, it's pretty tough to get a north/south burn out of the stove if you can't load the logs past the andirons

Now, I am not having my logs pressed right up against the glass but they do go past the andirons a bit. I am just wondering if anyone else burns this way, the only thing I could figure is that the blower is located beneath that lip, and maybe that is why they advise you not to have any log touching that area?

I past the andirons even regency has sent pictures on how to load and they go past the andirons, they don't want people to load east west and have logs rolling on the window. I load 4 longer logs east west on the bottom one of the logs i put on the metal it wont hit the galss and about 5 to 6 shorter logs 16 1/4 inches and under north south, try not to have to many gaps between the logs.

 

[Wolves1]

This morning 9 hours of burning stove temp was 400 and living room temp 72. That was with air 1/4 open. This morning I closed bypass when stove temp hit 350 same thing cat started glowing with 10 second stove temp jumped up to 1000 within 10 min, I closed the air all the way. Lets see.

Got the same 9 hours stove temp was 400 with the air all the way closed. I just tried somthing I haven't tried before I blocked the plates off on the side with the reduction plate in let's see what happens. I do like what I see I have less flames stove temp is 1150 instead of 1200 no big deal.

 

[Mynameisbrian]

Wolves....what is the square footage of the area ur heating, if u don't mind me asking!?

 

[Mynameisbrian]

Thank you trogdor for the information.....

 

[Wolves1]

Wolves....what is the square footage of the area ur heating, if u don't mind me asking!?

1600 two floors

 

[Wolves1]

1/2 the 1st floor has no insulation, it's the old plaster, the house was built in. 1930.

 

[Mynameisbrian]

Btw I did this a couple days ago to trap all possible heat....

 

[Mynameisbrian]

 

[Mynameisbrian]

Still not a raging improvement in heating house or duration!

 

[Grisu]

Still not a raging improvement in heating house or duration!

What are those black chunks that are in your firebox? Are those the coals you have left over after a fire? It looks like wet wood could be contributing to your problems. How long has it been split and stacked outside? Did you ever test it with a moisture meter?

 

[Mynameisbrian]

I was trying a couple of pieces of wetter wood....but I have gone through a whole stack of season wood that I actually bought!

 

[Grisu]

View attachment 152918 I was trying a couple of pieces of wetter wood....but I have gone through a whole stack of season wood that I actually bought!

Unfortunately, most wood sellers advertise their wood as seasoned just because they had the logs sitting on their lot for a few months. Nevertheless, for proper drying the wood needs to be split and stacked in a sunny and windy location for one to three years depending on the wood species. Firewood sellers have rarely the time and space to do that. Plus, few customers would be willing to pay a premium for properly seasoned wood.

The outside of a split will dry quickly but to get the true internal moisture content you need to split a piece in half and press the pins in the center of the fresh surface. Make also sure the wood is above freezing before measuring. When your wood shows 15% at the end, I am pretty sure you will get a much higher number once you measure the inside.

 

[Mynameisbrian]

 

[Mynameisbrian]

Feel pretty good about the quality of wood.....

 

[Grisu]

Was that just split again?

 

[Mynameisbrian]

Ok pulled one off the stack outside.....split it def more moister but still in the appropriate range....and dropped a piece on my toe!

 

[Trader]

q
[quote="Jonny006, post: 1892466, member:
I just read some of the other posts in regards to the 2600 and I feel for you. This stove is a massive disappointment. I don't understand how a few are getting good results and the others are not. Very frustrating. I am curious to know how many others are having issues who don't post on forums!.[/quote]

If I did this correctly.. think I can answer johnny006 and say there are likely a bunch of us out here paying attention to this. I too have the ci2600 along with a number of problems to work out. Right now, yes, a big disappointment. For those of us that have been eavesdropping and not participating, big thanks to all those that have taken the time to put the info out there. It's concerning we are not reading more positive reviews on this, or even a balance. The only opinions out there so far are overwhelming negative. And it's concerning that Regency is not countering - or maybe able to counter the amount of negativity on this unit, publicly. Afterall, they can't possibly not know about the on-going comments on this site. I'm hoping they are quietly working on the issues and will take care of those of us who spent so dang much money. I thought they were a reputable company. We will see. For those that have the time, please keep the info coming. It's appreciated by many of us lurking from the wood piles!

 

[Wolves1]

Brian I know you looked at the bypass and it closes but there has been people that went to check and found that the fork attached to the bypass was on wrong it should that it closed but for some reason heat was still going out. They changed the fork something about the arrow pointing in the right direction and they had good burn times. That big chunk of black wood in the stove showed a problem for sure.