Regency CI2600 EPA Hole Location?

[JSeery]

I've been having some issues with my CI2600, after years of operation. The draft is pretty weak, it takes forever for the fire to get up to temp, and whenever I open the door tons of smoke blows back on me. I've been burning with this stove for years, and I've never really had these problems. I removed the restrictor plate on the main air intake, which sort of helped. I also checked my flue, which seems fine (no real buildup). I'm wondering if something might have blocked the EPA hole, but I can't seem to find it (and didn't see a reference in the manual). Anybody able to point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bholler]

I've been having some issues with my CI2600, after years of operation. The draft is pretty weak, it takes forever for the fire to get up to temp, and whenever I open the door tons of smoke blows back on me. I've been burning with this stove for years, and I've never really had these problems. I removed the restrictor plate on the main air intake, which sort of helped. I also checked my flue, which seems fine (no real buildup). I'm wondering if something might have blocked the EPA hole, but I can't seem to find it (and didn't see a reference in the manual). Anybody able to point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance.

Did you pull the cat and check it? How old is the cat have you ever cleaned behind it?

 

[JSeery]

Good question, but I just replaced the cat at the beginning of the season. It was burning great until a couple weeks ago, when I started getting smoke blowback and also much more soot/creosote on the glass. Also, I think even if there was an issue with the cat, that wouldn't explain why the draft is so bad when the bypass is open.

 

[bholler]

Good question, but I just replaced the cat at the beginning of the season. It was burning great until a couple weeks ago, when I started getting smoke blowback and also much more soot/creosote on the glass. Also, I think even if there was an issue with the cat, that wouldn't explain why the draft is so bad when the bypass is open.

What moisture content is your wood at? Is it different than previously?

 

[jetsam]

You said you checked your flue... did you check the cap too? That is a list of clogged cap symptoms up there!

 

[begreen]

The odds of the problem being a plugged air intake are about .01%. Look elsewhere starting with the chimney cap.

 

[brenndatomu]

Any new changes to the home itself, or to household standard operating procedues?
Insulation, new bath fan, appliances, etc?

 

[jetsam]

The odds of the problem being a plugged air intake are about .01%. Look elsewhere starting with the chimney cap.

Possibly less since it smokes with the door open.

 

[JSeery]

Thanks for all the helpful input. We did have new windows installed throughout the house, and as a result it is far less drafty. I'm guessing that is cutting down on the draft overall. I took the general advice presented here and went up on my roof this weekend. I didn't see any blockage in the cap, and the cap seemed to be sealed on by the installation team. I was able to get my extendable brush rod down through one of the openings in the cap (without the brush attachment on it) and it did seem like that might have knocked something loose. (Sounded like it anyway, though I didn't get any real resistance to pushing the rod about 12 feet down) The draft definitely improved after I did that, so I'm guessing that was the issue. Thanks again for the help.

 

[JSeery]

What moisture content is your wood at? Is it different than previously?

My wood is quite dry (all less than 20% currently). I was burning through a couple holz hauses, had gotten to the bottom layer of one about a month ago so I think for about a week my wood was wetter than normal (as the bottom layers of holz hauses can be). Maybe that caused some sort of creosote blockage at the cap, but the wood that is smoking back at me now is pretty dry so I don't think that's the immediate source of the problem.

 

[weatherguy]

I had those exact problems one year and it was a clogged cap, check there first.

 

[jetsam]

Thanks for all the helpful input. We did have new windows installed throughout the house, and as a result it is far less drafty. I'm guessing that is cutting down on the draft overall. I took the general advice presented here and went up on my roof this weekend. I didn't see any blockage in the cap, and the cap seemed to be sealed on by the installation team. I was able to get my extendable brush rod down through one of the openings in the cap (without the brush attachment on it) and it did seem like that might have knocked something loose. (Sounded like it anyway, though I didn't get any real resistance to pushing the rod about 12 feet down) The draft definitely improved after I did that, so I'm guessing that was the issue. Thanks again for the help.

Well, take the cap off and brush the pipe out. It takes 5 minutes.

If there is something in there so big that it was blocking your draft and you knocked it loose with a stick, it is probably in your stove or stuck somewhere in the flue. That's a serious problem and you shouldn't be burning the stove until you find it and/or inspect the whole system (which also only takes a few minutes if you have a boroscope, or a straight shot flue and a strong flashlight).