Blaze King Princess 29 versus Pacific Summit LE - Insert Replacement for Regency I3100L

[brenndatomu]

Thank you very much! Despite all the science, I fear that the decision will be made by My wife based on the size of the backing plate. The Pacific energy summit has a huge backing plate and she will not be able to see as much of her brick. I don't really fear it I'm joking, and happy to get either unit. There are nice features of each unit.

Or leave the backing plate off?
That's what I did on my 1400i since I didn't want an ugly ole flat black plate covering the stone.
To make it look more like a free standing stove I made a steel platform with legs to set/attach the insert style stove on...nobody would ever guess it's not a free standing stove, other than maybe the fact that is has the blower on the front, the way inserts do (why I went away from the free standing stove there previously...cleaning the blower squirrel cage required annual removal of the stove!)
Here's a pic of it...although not a great pic.

 

[stoveliker]

Thank you very much! Despite all the science, I fear that the decision will be made by My wife based on the size of the backing plate. The Pacific energy summit has a huge backing plate and she will not be able to see as much of her brick. I don't really fear it I'm joking, and happy to get either unit. There are nice features of each unit.

Hey, I know that.
Happy wife, happy life

 

[davidmsem]

Or leave the backing plate off?
That's what I did on my 1400i since I didn't want an ugly ole flat black plate covering the stone.
To make it look more like a free standing stove I made a steel platform with legs to set/attach the insert style stove on...nobody would ever guess it's not a free standing stove, other than maybe the fact that is has the blower on the front, the way inserts do (why I went away from the free standing stove there previously...cleaning the blower squirrel cage required annual removal of the stove!)
Here's a pic of it...although not a great pic.
View attachment 293089

I wonder if the faceplate is required for safety of installation?

 

[brenndatomu]

I wonder if the faceplate is required for safety of installation?

Not that I've ever heard of...strictly cosmetic as far as I know...I've posted that pic of mine here before and never got roasted for it, so...

 

[davidmsem]

Looks like the Pacific energy Summit LE has way too big of back plate to make work. Any other suggestions for something that has a wide fire box, 2.5 to 3.0? I did see the Osburn 2700/3500 and wonder if that's another option for us.

Open to suggestions. I do have a lot of logs cut 18 to 19 in, probably 5 years worth so it would help to have the wider firebox.

Entering the head spinning phase of purchasing.

 

[stoveliker]

I do agree with the firebox dimensions, but I would not buy something that you don't like as much just for the split size you have.

Why?

Because I presume the stove will last way longer than 5 years. And you can very easily make a stand in which you stack 4 x1.5 ft of splits against a board, and cut them to size. (There are reports on here of such jigs.) The cut offs can go to an outdoor fireplace or be used in the shoulder season.

Just a thought.

 

[MongoMongoson]

We have about two year's worth of wood that is cut too long; for the old All Nighter which would take a log somewhere between 26 and 30 depending on how you angled it. I built a shortening jig to hold about 1 wheel barrow full of splits that I can saw off to the right length for the Summit. I have been doing that for 1 season. 2 more to go.

I agree, log length compared to what you have stacked should be a minor consideration when picking a new stove.

 

[davidmsem]

I do agree with the firebox dimensions, but I would not buy something that you don't like as much just for the split size you have.

Why?

Because I presume the stove will last way longer than 5 years. And you can very easily make a stand in which you stack 4 x1.5 ft of splits against a board, and cut them to size. (There are reports on here of such jigs.) The cut offs can go to an outdoor fireplace or be used in the shoulder season.

Just a thought.

Yes another awesome thought. How much do I owe you? I appreciate the idea and the jig. Give me something to do. I'm retiring next year.

Where does Osburn fall on the spectrum of quality?

 

[davidmsem]

We have about two year's worth of wood that is cut too long; for the old All Nighter which would take a log somewhere between 26 and 30 depending on how you angled it. I built a shortening jig to hold about 1 wheel barrow full of splits that I can saw off to the right length for the Summit. I have been doing that for 1 season. 2 more to go.

I agree, log length compared to what you have stacked should be a minor consideration when picking a new stove.

Much appreciated. Only unit that I really like so far is the BK Princess 29 That it might be a tad low on BTU output compared to my Regency I-3100L that I'm replacing.

It might be okay to run the princess 29 and use a little heat upstairs. I'm assuming the princess 29 would handle the downstairs of the colonial as a minimum even on the coldest days. Master bedroom upstairs is on a separate zone of heat.

Can't find a fit yet. Thought I had it with the Pacific Summit LE. I wish the princess 29 was a little bit larger, and the blower is a bit anemic at 60 CFM. I do like how it sticks out into the room to transfer heat.

Confused in Connecticut.

 

[stoveliker]

I have no experience with the Osburn, but folks here (@Caw and @EbS-P if my memory serves me correctly) have inserts and are happy with them. They are the better brand of Drolet (e.g. Lexus and Toyota).

And you don't owe anything.
I learned here as well. Give back when you can.

 

[brenndatomu]

I thought it was no big deal to cut wood down...but sold that unit then after the first winter because I was sick of dealing with cutting wood down. If I had to do it again I think I would just cut the wood in half and load it the other direction...it would be easier I think.

 

[MongoMongoson]

Osburn is made by SBI in Canada.

SBI makes Drolet, which is more of their big box store brand but on the better-quality end of the big box store stoves.

Osburn is a very well respected brand sold by dealers.

SBI makes Enerzone, and a couple of other brands. If I could have gotten an Enerzone in 2020 that met my requirements, I probably would have gone that route. Where they lost points (I had a spreadsheet that scored stoves) was that our stove needed to have legs. It could not be a pedestal. Why did it need legs? Because I am married.

I can accept things like "I like the legs better" and she can put up with me scoring things in spreadsheets. We have a system, and it works.

To answer your question more directly, Osburn as a brand is a good choice, based on everything I have read. I have not owned one.

 

[MongoMongoson]

I thought it was no big deal to cut wood down...but sold that unit then after the first winter because I was sick of dealing with cutting wood down. If I had to do it again I think I would just cut the wood in half and load it the other direction...it would be easier I think.

I don't know... I have a rack with an integrated ratchet strap that I load up to hold the wood while I lop off somewhere between 1 and 9 inches. Then I end up with a bunch of splits that are the perfect length and a bunch of shorties that I use up on a weekend or if I want a quick hot fire. I think it would be more of a pain to have nothing but 9-13" shorties that I had to make work in my stove. Maybe you normally load EW and you are saying you could load the half lengths NS. That would be OK. I normally load NS with 18" splits.

I also understand that different things are more painful/annoying for some people than others.

I hate stacking wood. My wife enjoys it. I like splitting it, and she wants nothing to do with that.

 

[EbS-P]

I wonder if the faceplate is required for safety of installation?

When I was considering the Princess insert I never got far enough to confirm that it was ok to install without it. Some cat molded the bypass lever goes through the surround but that could be addressed. Some day I might trim nine so it fits inside the opening.

 

[davidmsem]

Where they lost points (I had a spreadsheet that scored stoves) was that our stove needed to have legs. It could not be a pedestal. Why did it need legs? Because I am married.

I can accept things like "I like the legs better" and she can put up with me scoring things in spreadsheets. We have a system, and it works.

......

That is hysterical. I'm living the same life and happily for 35 years.

That's how I felt when she looked at the Pacific Energy Summit LE backer plate. That row of the spreadsheet just got deleted.

Osburn 3500 and 2700 we will look at more. The only thing I've heard bad so far is the 3500 has very very noisy fan. Vibration etc

 

[Caw]

I indeed do have an Osburn as @stoveliker mentioned and I'm very happy. As discussed above it's the higher end trim line of the SBI stoves like Drolet and Enerzone. It's sharp looking and we've been very happy with it.

This is my second year with the Osburn 1600 insert and I'm putting 4 +/- 0.5 cords a year through it to fully heat my 1600 sq ft two story cape and keep it between 68-72. It's usually around 63-66 when we wake up but we like it cooler at night. It's only a 1.85 cu ft firebox so I'm getting 4-6 hours of good heat out of it but I'm able to reload up to 8-10 hours later no problem if I want to delay reloading. It easily holds coals overnight. The door, seals, baffle, and tubes all seem to be good quality and handle the daily beating well.

The only issues I've had with it have been my own fault:

1. The glass has some etching on it because I scrubbed it too hard with chemicals before I knew any better. Easy to replace but it's $150 and doesn't bother me enough to bother.

2. The paint has worn off and some rust spots formed. This is from my dog who drooled on it in the summer and I didn't notice right away. The paint has held up fine everywhere else.

3. The blower doesn't like to start up on its own fast enough and doesn't shut off soon enough. This is because the bricks on my hearth are slightly uneven and the temp sensor doesn't sit quite flush with the box.

None of these are the fault of the stove it's just my situation here. The one thing I will say is that the blower is invasive on high. On low its not too bad and you simply get used to it. You really shouldn't have it on high ever anyways unless you're in a potential overfire situation. Low is plenty.

The last thing I'll mention is that this model, the 1600, is a pre 2020 epa reg stove. It was the final year they made it before the regulations changed. So, it makes a disgusting awful terrible (lol) 4 gm/hr of pollution versus the new 1700 model which is I think around 1 gm/hr. I got almost $1,000 off because it was the last pre 2020 in stock back in 2019. So, I can't comment on how their 2020 stoves run but I imagine it's extremely similar.

I know @marty319 has one of the new bigger free standing Osburn stoves and loves it too.

Good luck, share what you get!

The stove and the drooler:

 

[davidmsem]

I indeed do have an Osburn as @stoveliker mentioned and I'm very happy. As discussed above it's the higher end trim line of the SBI stoves like Drolet and Enerzone. It's sharp looking and we've been very happy with it.

This is my second year with the Osburn 1600 insert and I'm putting 4 +/- 0.5 cords a year through it to fully heat my 1600 sq ft two story cape and keep it between 68-72. It's usually around 63-66 when we wake up but we like it cooler at night. It's only a 1.85 cu ft firebox so I'm getting 4-6 hours of good heat out of it but I'm able to reload up to 8-10 hours later no problem if I want to delay reloading. It easily holds coals overnight. The door, seals, baffle, and tubes all seem to be good quality and handle the daily beating well.

The only issues I've had with it have been my own fault:

1. The glass has some etching on it because I scrubbed it too hard with chemicals before I knew any better. Easy to replace but it's $150 and doesn't bother me enough to bother.

2. The paint has worn off and some rust spots formed. This is from my dog who drooled on it in the summer and I didn't notice right away. The paint has held up fine everywhere else.

3. The blower doesn't like to start up on its own fast enough and doesn't shut off soon enough. This is because the bricks on my hearth are slightly uneven and the temp sensor doesn't sit quite flush with the box.

None of these are the fault of the stove it's just my situation here. The one thing I will say is that the blower is invasive on high. On low its not too bad and you simply get used to it. You really shouldn't have it on high ever anyways unless you're in a potential overfire situation. Low is plenty.

The last thing I'll mention is that this model, the 1600, is a pre 2020 epa reg stove. It was the final year they made it before the regulations changed. So, it makes a disgusting awful terrible (lol) 4 gm/hr of pollution versus the new 1700 model which is I think around 1 gm/hr. I got almost $1,000 off because it was the last pre 2020 in stock back in 2019. So, I can't comment on how their 2020 stoves run but I imagine it's extremely similar.

I know @marty319 has one of the new bigger free standing Osburn stoves and loves it too.

Good luck, share what you get!

The stove and the drooler:

View attachment 293120
View attachment 293122

Thank you for the great response. Have to forgive the dog. He thinks the stove is for him anyway. Thank you for the food for thought.

 

[BrianVA]

Thank you very much! Despite all the science, I fear that the decision will be made by My wife based on the size of the backing plate. The Pacific energy summit has a huge backing plate and she will not be able to see as much of her brick. I don't really fear it I'm joking, and happy to get either unit. There are nice features of each unit.

For some units, you can get the plate cut to your dimensions. I've been meaning to have that done. We've got a metal work shop nearby that will do it.

 

[davidmsem]

For some units, you can get the plate cut to your dimensions. I've been meaning to have that done. We've got a metal work shop nearby that will do it.

Yes, we did that with our Regency I3100 L. The Pacific Energy presents problems when trimming of cutting. Otherwise we had a solution with the PE Summit LE. Sigh.

 

[davidmsem]

It might just be impossible to get some sense of BTU output between two different fireplace inserts. There's probably some standard the manufacturer follows for one rating and other ratings that are EPA rating. That said I'm still trying to get a sense between the Blaze King Princess 29 insert and the Regency 2450 insert. Which is going to warm my house more?

BK brochure says the princess 29 insert is 43k BTU cord wood Max. Regency says the 2450 insert is approximately 34k BTU per hour EPA tested. Are these two numbers comparable???? Seems like they may be because the princess has a larger fire box but I'm not sure.

The Regency has a 2.3 cubic foot box and the princess 29 has a 2.6 cubic foot box. So is it reasonable to think that the BK princess is going to warm my house more than the 2450 regency?

Regency also has another number of Max BTU output at 75k for this unit. That might be Max BTU and you just keep stuffing it with wood I don't know.

On a related note, it's hard for me to believe that the Regency i-2450 has slightly less output than the Regency i-3100L. I realize efficiency has gone up but one is a 3.0 cubic foot box and the other are 2.3 cubic foot box. I've been told I will only experience a slight difference if I went with a Regency i-2450 to replace the i3100L.

Just a really confusing decision process.

I'm sure total burn time plays into the difference between the Princess 29 and the Regency 2450. But I'm really talking about in the coldest of winter and you're pushing them, am I going to feel a big difference between these two units. I've been spoiled by a unit that would heat my house well and I would not have to burn oil. Four bedroom colonial 3000 square feet total.

Perhaps someone has some thoughts that might help me resolve this nightmare.

Thanks.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

I’ve been reading a number of your threads recently and can’t help with this specific question about how to compare measurements of BTU output, but I thought I’d ping @jetsam to see if he can give you any insights on his older Princess Insert. He’s up in Long Island, I believe, and heats his house (or used to) with the insert.

 

[davidmsem]

I’ve been reading a number of your threads recently and can’t help with this specific question about how to compare measurements of BTU output, but I thought I’d ping @jetsam to see if he can give you any insights on his older Princess Insert. He’s up in Long Island, I believe, and heats his house (or used to) with the insert.

Thank you. I really appreciate the help here. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent on this in the last several weeks.

Just trying to do the right thing so I don't have to deal with the problem down the road.

The closest to what I have is the Pacific energy Summit LE. It's possible I can have a local factory cut a faceplate out of some half inch steel and replace the truly oversized faceplate on the Summit LE with a more appropriately sized faceplate for my situation. The stock face plate would leave a 2 inch band of brick showing on the side and it would just look silly. Have to give the Mrs credit for pointing that out. If I go that route I'm banking on the ability to slide the steel in place after the unit is there and then be able to push the unit up against the steel. Plus my ability to paint would be tested to make it look good. Ugh.

Nothing really easy. I like the Princess 29 but I don't think it's up for the task that the Regency 3100 was doing. That was a great unit and threw a ton of heat. The Regency 3100 evolved into the 2450 to meet EPA standards and the firebox dropped inside significantly 3.0 cubic feet to 2.3 cubic feet. They would have to be huge increases in efficiency for those two units to be equivalent.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

You’re welcome. I’ve spent many hours of my life on stove research. I do understand.

We used to heat our raised ranch in Virginia with a 2.2 cubic foot Lopi Revere insert, but we actually had planned to replace it with a BK Princess that I found on a clearance sale for an excellent price. We wanted the larger firebox and the ability to use the low and slow during shoulder seasons when our basement would be chilly without the stove. We never got to test it out, though, because we ended up relocating unexpectedly that summer. I do remember that Jetsam was helpful in answering questions when I was considering the purchase.

You might consider posting a link to this particular question over in the Blaze King Performance/Everything BK thread to draw some more eyes from actual users of the stove.

We now live in Texas and have a 2.5 cubic foot insert, and we love the larger firebox. I can certainly understand your hesitation about moving from 3.0 to 2.3 cubic feet. I wouldn’t want to do it.

The surround that came with our stove was not required, and it does not fit because of the way our river rock fireplace protrudes. We bought the stove on sale, and it was a whole package deal (and a very good one), but a lot of inserts don’t require a purchase of the surround. In our case, we were able to cut the top panel in half and use the halves as freestanding side panels to hide our fireplace. It’s not as elegant as the factory presentation, but it works for us. You should be able to find out whether the surround is optional or required, but I would choose the stove you want based on your heating needs and desires for firebox size or burn time. It would be nice if the perfect stove came with the perfect surround/shroud, but it doesn’t always happen. If you already know of a local place that will do metal work, that sounds great.

 

[begreen]

I'm not sure how the 3.0 cu ft firebox came up for the 3100. I suspect this is old accounting where the entire firebox was measured, including over the baffle. The 3100 has a fairly shallow firebox. Since the 2020 EPA regs came out manufacturers have been better about the actual usable size of the firebox., probably because it is now published in the EPA testing report.

 

[davidmsem]

You’re welcome. I’ve spent many hours of my life on stove research. I do understand.

We used to heat our raised ranch in Virginia with a 2.2 cubic foot Lopi Revere insert, but we actually had planned to replace it with a BK Princess that I found on a clearance sale for an excellent price. We wanted the larger firebox and the ability to use the low and slow during shoulder seasons when our basement would be chilly without the stove. We never got to test it out, though, because we ended up relocating unexpectedly that summer. I do remember that Jetsam was helpful in answering questions when I was considering the purchase.

You might consider posting a link to this particular question over in the Blaze King Performance/Everything BK thread to draw some more eyes from actual users of the stove.

We now live in Texas and have a 2.5 cubic foot insert, and we love the larger firebox. I can certainly understand your hesitation about moving from 3.0 to 2.3 cubic feet. I wouldn’t want to do it.

The surround that came with our stove was not required, and it does not fit because of the way our river rock fireplace protrudes. We bought the stove on sale, and it was a whole package deal (and a very good one), but a lot of inserts don’t require a purchase of the surround. In our case, we were able to cut the top panel in half and use the halves as freestanding side panels to hide our fireplace. It’s not as elegant as the factory presentation, but it works for us. You should be able to find out whether the surround is optional or required, but I would choose the stove you want based on your heating needs and desires for firebox size or burn time. It would be nice if the perfect stove came with the perfect surround/shroud, but it doesn’t always happen. If you already know of a local place that will do metal work, that sounds great.

Thank you for the thoughtful answer. That's why I'm leaning toward the Pacific energy Summit LE. It's got an awesome size firebox, 3.0, looks like a great design that people like but the baffle, and very rugged. So in terms of heating needs that's the best fit.

I visited the little industrial metal cutting factory a few miles from my house and the gentleman was so kind. He hates with wood and considers himself a minister of fire he said. He showed me things he builds to make fireplaces outside out of steel. It was a great visit. He said you draw up whatever you want and I'll get it for you. What a great stress and reliever that was.

So hopefully I could push the unit against that plate and it won't shake rattling roll. At 100 lb it's going to be hard to get that thing to rattle.

Thank you again. You must be in North Texas if you need a fireplace there!

Loved San Antonio when I visited it.