New to Woodburning and Questions about insert draft adjustment for max heat and blockoff plate.

[Blkbeard]

I have just recently purchased a regency 1200i for my fireplace. It was the largest stove I could purchase for my prefabricated fireplace. I have had a few fires going in the stove but I am not sure about how to use the draft to obtain maximum heat output. If I move lever all the way to the left I see yellow flames If I set it back I start to see the blue flames dancing around and I was under the impression that blue flames are better and Hotter than yellow which is correct?. Non insert stove users recomend a thermometer to tell what is going on in the stove what should a insert user use? I also have a question about my install. If I have a stainless liner from stove to cap but No blockoff plate is this ok? Will I be losing heat that should be going into my room and instead rising up the chimney? if heat is rising on the exterior of my new stainless liner where the original fireplace stainless liner is but cant escape can that build up of heat cause problems if it cant escape?

Thank you.

 

[jtp10181]

Technically if a full liner is run and the top is sealed then a block off plate is not required. I am not well versed in them but I am sure others will point out many reasons why you should have one.

 

[Blkbeard]

Technically if a full liner is run and the top is sealed then a block off plate is not required. I am not well versed in them but I am sure others will point out many reasons why you should have one.

Ok I was just worried about heat from the stove rising up on the outside of the liner and being trapped at the top of the chimney.

do you have any suggestions about how to determine temperature on an insert similar to how freestanding users place a thermometer on the pipe?

 

[Mike Wilson]

Seriously, try the search function here. We've recently digested this same question in about three threads in the last month alone. There's a lot of information available.

-- Mike

 

[Gooserider]

I have just recently purchased a regency 1200i for my fireplace. It was the largest stove I could purchase for my prefabricated fireplace. I have had a few fires going in the stove but I am not sure about how to use the draft to obtain maximum heat output. If I move lever all the way to the left I see yellow flames If I set it back I start to see the blue flames dancing around and I was under the impression that blue flames are better and Hotter than yellow which is correct?. Non insert stove users recomend a thermometer to tell what is going on in the stove what should a insert user use? I also have a question about my install. If I have a stainless liner from stove to cap but No blockoff plate is this ok? Will I be losing heat that should be going into my room and instead rising up the chimney? if heat is rising on the exterior of my new stainless liner where the original fireplace stainless liner is but cant escape can that build up of heat cause problems if it cant escape?

Thank you.

Yes you ARE probably loosing a great deal of heat up your chimney since you don't have a blockoff plate. It isn't technically required by code w/ a full liner and blockoff at the top of the chimney, but it's a good idea nonetheless. In your area, I hope you got an insulated liner as well, especially if you have an outside chimney - you are in a climate where an insulated liner will probably make a BIG difference in the amount of draft you get.

Insert users do have a problem w/ temp monitoring, most put a thermometer on either the face of the insert or on the top if the insert sticks out of the fireplace. The trick is to try and find a place where the firebox is exposed to the outside, preferalby with minimal insulation - not on an area with an air jacket, and where the fan doesn't blow on it too much. Try doing a search for your specific model, or just the make if that doesn't work, and see if anyone has any suggestions as to the best spot to put the thermometer.

You may also need to figure out what the readings should be in terms of "optimum" and "over-fire" temperatures, again, use the search...

Your heat output will mostly be a function of the amount of flames you see, as oposed to their color, but be careful not to over-fire the unit - you really should get a thermometer, figure out how to use it, and control your fire based on temps rather than flame volume.

Gooserider