Regencey l3100 insert burn issues

[Snowman32]

Hi guys. I recently purchased a used Regency l3100 fireplace insert. Original owners bought the stove in 2006 so its had some use but is in great shape. First thing I did was refinish the outside of the stove with Stove Brite paint. (Looks like a brand new stove now!) Next, I replaced all the fire brick, baffles and a new secondary burn tube. My chimney is about 20' of 8"x12" clay liner. My issue is, the stove only burns hot enough to maintain 70° in my 1200sq.ft. house if I open the air control to at least 80%, and then it only last for a couple of hours before it needs reloaded. Anything less then 80% on the air control will result in low heat and no secondary flames from the burn tubes. I've read lots of reviews that say this stove easily heats homes twice the size of mine!? I'm burning split cherry that was cut in may so im guessing it's a bit on the wet side yet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[jscs.moore]

Hi guys. I recently purchased a used Regency l3100 fireplace insert. Original owners bought the stove in 2006 so its had some use but is in great shape. First thing I did was refinish the outside of the stove with Stove Brite paint. (Looks like a brand new stove now!) Next, I replaced all the fire brick, baffles and a new secondary burn tube. My chimney is about 20' of 8"x12" clay liner. My issue is, the stove only burns hot enough to maintain 70° in my 1200sq.ft. house if I open the air control to at least 80%, and then it only last for a couple of hours before it needs reloaded. Anything less then 80% on the air control will result in low heat and no secondary flames from the burn tubes. I've read lots of reviews that say this stove easily heats homes twice the size of mine!? I'm burning split cherry that was cut in may so im guessing it's a bit on the wet side yet. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Something is definitely wrong. I have the Regency medium sized insert (HI300) and it heats my 2000 sq ft Colonial up to 75/76 degrees easily in moderately cold temps (low 30s). In these frigid cold temps over the last week or so (teens to single digits) it has to work much harder but will keep my house around 70...but the heat pump will kick on between loads when it's this cold. But that bad boy (13100) should be cooking you out of a 1200 sq ft home no problem. I don't know if you have an open floor plan or not as open floor plans usually help move the heat around. But I would suspect from what you described it may be unseasoned wood. I know from experience over the last three years with the HI300 that any wood over 20% moisture content is not going to allow the insert to burn hot and efficiently and kick out the heat you're looking for. The other possible issue could be the lack of a block off plate if you have an exterior chimney. I have a 28ft exterior chimney and my first year burning I didn't have a block off plate and was losing a ton of heat to 28 ft of cold masonry.
Bottom line is something is definitely not right as the 13100 is Regency's big boy insert and should kick out a ton of heat. I would love to have that insert in my house but my fireplace dimensions were too small for it. Look for a poster on this site named bholler...he is a certified sweep and installs Regency products and has expert knowledge of this stuff...he can probably give you some ideas to resolve the poor burning performance.

 

[fespo]

Someone will chime in about your set up, chimney liner and block off plate for sure.

 

[Snowman32]

Thanks for the quick response guys!! When I removed the old insert that was here when we bought the house, ( brunco hearthglow) there was nothing connected directly to the stove and it was wide open for 3 ft. or so till the clay flue started. I was told if the stove creates enough draft when i simply push the new stove in place and insulate around it, it should be fine?? Would a 4-5ft section of flue do the same thing as the block off plate? That would be a relatively easy fix!☺

 

[kniffin50]

It's the wood,night and day between seasoned and non seasoned.I have a i2100 regency insert about the same vintage as yours. Burning some nice seasoned oak don't even have the blower running and its nice and toasty.Almost 0 outside.

 

[jscs.moore]

Thanks for the quick response guys!! When I removed the old insert that was here when we bought the house, ( brunco hearthglow) there was nothing connected directly to the stove and it was wide open for 3 ft. or so till the clay flue started. I was told if the stove creates enough draft when i simply push the new stove in place and insulate around it, it should be fine?? Would a 4-5ft section of flue do the same thing as the block off plate? That would be a relatively easy fix!☺

Just want to make sure I'm understanding your set up...do you have a chimney liner (insulated or non-insulated) connected from the top of the insert and running to the top of the chimney? If not...I would guess that IS the problem. My apologies if I misunderstood your post above. I'm not an expert but I believe you have to have a liner to meet code and it will allow your insert to burn efficiently and kick out the heat it's supposed to.

 

[kniffin50]

If it's a slammer install you do need to get a liner on the stove.You really should not be burning anything in it until you do.

 

[bholler]

Thanks for the quick response guys!! When I removed the old insert that was here when we bought the house, ( brunco hearthglow) there was nothing connected directly to the stove and it was wide open for 3 ft. or so till the clay flue started. I was told if the stove creates enough draft when i simply push the new stove in place and insulate around it, it should be fine?? Would a 4-5ft section of flue do the same thing as the block off plate? That would be a relatively easy fix!☺

The way you have it installed now does not meet code or manufacturers instructions. That and it just wont work well and it is unsafe. You can just direct connect it with a stub of pipe but you still will not be happy with the performance. You need a full liner probably an insulated one.

 

[jscs.moore]

If it's a slammer install you do need to get a liner on the stove.You really should not be burning anything in it until you do.

Yeah...my guess is not having a liner IS the problem and why the insert is not operating as it should. I would start go on-line and down load the I3100 manual from Regency and review the installation specifications. There are also a lot of experts on this site who can assist you in this process. I agree...slammer install is not safe and OP should NOT be burning with this set up.

 

[stovelark]

You answered part of the question when you said you need the air control out most of the way for the stove to run at all. Very typical result of a stove that is not having draft established sufficiently by the chimney, which drives the stove, not the opposite..... The problem is definitely the lack of a liner fully up the chimney. You are lucky it is a Regency- it did better drafting than most would, give it the right tail pipe, dry wood and stand by to be amazed. Good luck with her.

 

[Hogwildz]

8" x 12" is too large a flue area to draft that stove properly. As others noted, get a full top to bottom insulated liner attached and some dry wood, and you'll see & feel the difference.

 

[Snowman32]

Ok, so it sounds like my problem must be the chimney setup. I wondered from the start if it was going to work properly but beings I never had a smoke issue I assumed it was working. Just to help me undertand the magic of wood stoves, would someone be willing to briefly explain to me how the proper chimney/draft setup will cause my stove to produce more reliable heat? Just curious. I appreciate all the response I've gotten from the forum so far and look forward to more great advice! Happy New Year to all you wood burners!!☺

 

[bholler]

Ok, so it sounds like my problem must be the chimney setup. I wondered from the start if it was going to work properly but beings I never had a smoke issue I assumed it was working. Just to help me undertand the magic of wood stoves, would someone be willing to briefly explain to me how the proper chimney/draft setup will cause my stove to produce more reliable heat? Just curious. I appreciate all the response I've gotten from the forum so far and look forward to more great advice! Happy New Year to all you wood burners!!☺

The chimney is what creates the draft that runs your stove. Without a good chimney there will not be adequate draft to make the stove burn correctly.