Regency I3100 roaring fire with damper closed

[TomL]

I got the regency I 3100 5 days ago and already noticed the top baffle already has 2 cracks in it and is bowed. I followed the installers advice to break in my stove with 2 log at a time fires at a medium to low burn to allow the bricks to dry out and paint to cure. Last night I filled the stove with split ash and closed the damper completely. I came back out a half hour later to a raging fire with the one tube on the top glowing orange and the entire load of wood on fire top and bottom.

I was under the impression that when the damper is closed the fire should smolder not burn seemingly out of control to the point I felt I had to stay awake to keep an eye on things. Maybe I’m just not used to being able to see what’s going on inside a wood stove but this seemed not right. Thanks

 

[begreen]

I came back out a half hour later to a raging fire with the one tube on the top glowing orange and the entire load of wood on fire top and bottom.

I was under the impression that when the damper is closed the fire should smolder not burn seemingly out of control to the point I felt I had to stay awake to keep an eye on things. Maybe I’m just not used to being able to see what’s going on inside a wood stove but this seemed not right. Thanks

Modern stoves are designed to NOT let the wood smolder. This insert will burn quite differently from old smoke dragons. My guess is that the air was not turned down soon enough. It's a good idea to do some practice loads during the daytime in order to learn how the stove runs. Start turning down the air as soon as the fire starts burning well. This could be in as little as 10 minutes. Turn it down until the flames get lazy, then let the fire regain strength and turn it down as far as possible without snuffing out the fire. Lazy flames are good.

 

[TomL]

Thanks for the response. There was a hot bed of coals when I put the load of wood in but as soon as I closed the door I closed the damper all the way. I never even saw a flame. 15 minutes later You would have thought the damper was wide open the way the thing was roaring. Maybe I had too many coals going when I loaded it.

 

[begreen]

Yes, it's a good idea to burn down the coal bed a bit by opening up the air. What sounds like may have happened is the large coal bed superheated the fresh load of wood which started outgassing intensely. The insert is designed to try and burn these wood gases completely and that can produce some very intense heat.

 

[edyit]

as I closed the door I closed the damper all the way.

so you were trying to get it to smolder? newer stoves are built to put off more heat with the air turned down on them, it's counter intuitive, buts thats how they work, load it up, get the fire going, turn the air down and enjoy the secondary burn

 

[begreen]

Yes, the air control works on the primary air. The secondary air is unregulated. As the primary air is shut down, the vacuum created by the draft sucks air from the holes in the secondary tubes. This secondary air mixes with the wood gases, turbulates them and they ignite at the top of the firebox under the baffle.

 

[TomL]

I was trying to slow the burn speed to try to maximize the burn time. The room was already at a toasty 82 lol. This stove puts off some heat once she gets warmed up. I was expecting a little more radiant heat then what It gives off without the blower running. I’m used to free standers. I know it’s a different setup but thought anything in the front or sides metal would be putting off some
Heat. I’m curious how my power bill will be affected by having to run the blower 24/7. Still cheaper then 150 gallons of oil a month for sure. Thanks for the responses guys

 

[weatherguy]

I was trying to slow the burn speed to try to maximize the burn time. The room was already at a toasty 82 lol. This stove puts off some heat once she gets warmed up. I was expecting a little more radiant heat then what It gives off without the blower running. I’m used to free standers. I know it’s a different setup but thought anything in the front or sides metal would be putting off some
Heat. I’m curious how my power bill will be affected by having to run the blower 24/7. Still cheaper then 150 gallons of oil a month for sure. Thanks for the responses guys

Very little electric is used by the fan.