Jason- did you noticed longer burn times with the restrictor plate? How did you get Regency to send you one?
I did get a half a cord of unseasoned wood to start for next year.
The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread
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sorry for the back to back.
Today- while shoveling my driveway, I noticed my chimney emitting an odor that was not the pleasant wood burning smell. The smoke is also thin. My current cat temp is 900 and the air is down all the way. I tried moving the air and did not notice anything different. Are others experiencing the same?
Thank you in advance.
Today- while shoveling my driveway, I noticed my chimney emitting an odor that was not the pleasant wood burning smell. The smoke is also thin. My current cat temp is 900 and the air is down all the way. I tried moving the air and did not notice anything different. Are others experiencing the same?
Thank you in advance.
Id also like an opinion on the burn time with the restrictor plate from Jason.
i recently placed a block off plate and insulated the firebox. I do see an improvement with how much heat I am getting into the house. I just want to be as efficient as possible.
my current burn cycle gets to 1150-1200 in the first hour and then by hour 5 or 6 the flue temp is below 500 and I have to reload. There are still a decent amount of coals by hour 5/6 but with temp below 500, it isn’t sufficient to keep my house comfortable.
do you guys have the same type of burn cycle or should I look into getting a restrictor plate. Does the restrictor plate inhibit high temps or keep high temps cruising for longer?
thanks in advance. Of course, the dealer who thought we didn’t need a block off plate(Incorrectly due to external chimney) thinks everything is fine with the burn cycle....wish there was more competition to keep them honest.
regards
I do not have a block off plate (i dont think) and have a vanilla installation (no insulation) and get about 5-6 ours of heat, maybe 1-2 hours of burn time, depending on the logs. I can only fit about 4 logs and load E/W since my logs are big.
I usually let the heat drop to around 500F before I reload with 4 fresh logs and its back up to 1000F in 5-6 min.
I have noticed the secondary burn isnt very strong (it looks like it just escapes out into the cat.) Ive seen videos where peoples secondary burn is basically touching the logs. I've tried messing with the airflow and cannot find a resolution. Thoughts?
I usually let the heat drop to around 500F before I reload with 4 fresh logs and its back up to 1000F in 5-6 min.
I have noticed the secondary burn isnt very strong (it looks like it just escapes out into the cat.) Ive seen videos where peoples secondary burn is basically touching the logs. I've tried messing with the airflow and cannot find a resolution. Thoughts?
new to this. I did start a new thread called Regency CI2700 - Is this right? but thought Id share here too.
I own a CI2700/HI500 wood stove insert. been installed for 13 months now, so this is my first full winter burning 24/7.
Please see attached pictures of from the inside of the firebox looking up into the Flue Collar Assembly/up into the flue.
When I took off the Bottom shield (number 19), I noticed the two ovals and thought is that supposed to be like that?
I looking in the installation instructions and the ovals look to be upper shield. Am I correct? And is that piece supped to be covering the Flue opening?
As you can see in the picture Bypass Open again, what I believe to be is the upper shield, shifted and it causes the bypass plate to not fully open and not fully shut without some manual adjustments to the upper shield. Note: I did get it to stay in place. I tested it by opening and closing the bypass a number of times and it did not move again, but it is in that same position covering the flue. Is it supposed to be in that position?
Would like to know ASAP as a winter storm is approaching and need to know if I should not operate my stove.
I own a CI2700/HI500 wood stove insert. been installed for 13 months now, so this is my first full winter burning 24/7.
Please see attached pictures of from the inside of the firebox looking up into the Flue Collar Assembly/up into the flue.
When I took off the Bottom shield (number 19), I noticed the two ovals and thought is that supposed to be like that?
I looking in the installation instructions and the ovals look to be upper shield. Am I correct? And is that piece supped to be covering the Flue opening?
As you can see in the picture Bypass Open again, what I believe to be is the upper shield, shifted and it causes the bypass plate to not fully open and not fully shut without some manual adjustments to the upper shield. Note: I did get it to stay in place. I tested it by opening and closing the bypass a number of times and it did not move again, but it is in that same position covering the flue. Is it supposed to be in that position?
Would like to know ASAP as a winter storm is approaching and need to know if I should not operate my stove.
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread](/talk/data/attachments/274/274858-d915cc6cf41e897a70b3b4b4326add96.jpg?hash=6GAf4zWnue)
![[Hearth.com] The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread](/talk/data/attachments/274/274859-04cc21e9cb532ea18fd224639c8da1d1.jpg?hash=Vr3RFHv3ym)
![[Hearth.com] The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread](/talk/data/attachments/274/274860-455b9465f178e4e414358296bc9a7ffe.jpg?hash=4lgL9Jml4O)
![[Hearth.com] The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread](/talk/data/attachments/274/274861-108821957a41357a2aef010b5b68eb8c.jpg?hash=K-tyfnqqaM)
looks like i may have answered my own question. I searched in Youtube Upper Shield for Ci2700 and got this video.
To provide an update incase anyone in the future encounters this, Regency did email me back and they did confirm it is the upper shield.
This is their response:
"This upper shield will be seated into 2 bolts 1 on either side acting as a track which simply slides back and forth from front to back based on the movement of the bypass. The intent of this shield is to move heat towards the front of the appliance to avoid heat loss when initially lit as we are trying to get as much heat forward from the exterior chamber as possible. There are no mechanical fastener which hold this into place as it was designed to be removed in case it ever needed to be replaced. If you put your hands up into the area you will feel both ends of the bolt which this is affixed to as the flame shield has 2 large slots on either side of this part when moved back and forth".
We had a Regency ci2700 insert installed a month ago. Heating with wood is new to us and everything I've read online says that this insert takes some time to learn how to use effectively. Are there any tips people would suggest? We have vaulted ceilings and I'm wondering if we should install some ceiling fans?
It gets up to 73F in the fireplace room but the dealer sold us this unit based on the fact that it would heat up to 1500 sq ft. We're running it constantly and using up a ton of wood but I thought it would be warmer. Can anyone make any suggestions? I assume it's user error.
It gets up to 73F in the fireplace room but the dealer sold us this unit based on the fact that it would heat up to 1500 sq ft. We're running it constantly and using up a ton of wood but I thought it would be warmer. Can anyone make any suggestions? I assume it's user error.
So I've owned my Ci2600 for just about 9 months and burned practically everyday.... continuously trying different things to improve my burn times which generally only last about 6-8 hours (at best). When I say I tried everything, I tried everything without modifying the unit itself. In other words different types of wood, moisture content, damper open, middle, closed, etc. One of the most interesting things for me was how long it took to get the fire established with the door open initially, then shut after about 15 minutes. It took about an hour to get the temp to 400-500 degrees with the damper fully open. Ive burned fully open with the CAT disengaged for hours and never saw my temps hit 600 or above.
That said, I have come across people mentioning the restrictor plate to improve draft, so today I just figured out how to remove it and took it out. Funny thing is its 55 degrees today and the rest of the week look warm so I don't know if I'll be burning any time soon, just hope this solves my struggle finally...
Note - My chimney is about 20' to the top since the fireplace is located in my great room with no second story.
Question - Now that the restrictor plate is removed should i worry about the CAT temps my stove reaches? What is the max?
That said, I have come across people mentioning the restrictor plate to improve draft, so today I just figured out how to remove it and took it out. Funny thing is its 55 degrees today and the rest of the week look warm so I don't know if I'll be burning any time soon, just hope this solves my struggle finally...
Note - My chimney is about 20' to the top since the fireplace is located in my great room with no second story.
Question - Now that the restrictor plate is removed should i worry about the CAT temps my stove reaches? What is the max?
Avian Manor
New Member
Hello everyone,
I'm new to the forum but thought I would chime in on the installation of our new Regency Hampton HI500, which is identical to model CI2700, but with the decorative cast iron face plate (gorgeous insert!). My wife and I chose this stove as a replacement for our aging 35 year old Regency Classic, with the desire to reduce airborne emissions and increase burn times / efficiency, as our wood stove is the primary heat source for our 1280 square foot home. First off, we are getting 8 to 10 hour burns with well seasoned Fir and Maple, which is about 3 times as efficient and long lasting as the previous non-catalytic Classic; very impressed and pleased with this performance. I think with very dry hardwood, burn times approaching 12 hours are possible - we have yet to test this theory with well seasoned Arbutus, a local hardwood.
Yes, there is certainly a bit of a learning curve whilst transitioning from a conventional to hybrid catalytic stove, but it's not rocket science. One must weigh all the factors, such as existing draft, type of firewood, moisture content and settings on the wood stove itself, all being prerequisites for proper combustion and performance. I noticed for example allot of conversation on this forum re residue build up on the glass. My experience so far is that on a hot burn (damper from 100 to 50 % and catalytic combuster engaged), and similar to our previous non-catalytic stove, there was very little resin deposit on the viewing glass, the "cold air wash system" doing it's job quite admirably -a light dusting of brown ash and some darkening in the corners being all that could be negatively noted, easily removed with the wipe of a dry paper towel. Well seasoned wood with a 12% or less moisture content, and proper air flow is the answer here. If one doesn't already own a moisture meter, it's a must have and a dime a dozen on Amazon -this stove requires a well seasoned fuel source with low moisture content to perform as claimed by the manufacturer.
Now then, under ideal conditions, with decent draft, dry firewood, bypass closed , damper below 50%, catalyst up to temperature and glowing red, long burns and even heat output were achieved from our stove for many hours. What my wife and I wanted, was to be able to stoke the stove at bedtime and not have to add additional firewood or attend the wood stove again until we rose from bed the next morning - our Regency Hampton 500 has given us just that luxury! But let's give further thought to this ......... essentially, once dampened down to a minimum, we are essentially snuffing out the fire and producing copious amounts of smoke ...... the very fuel the catalytic combuster needs to continue operating for many many hours on end, maintaining temperatures above 500 degrees F and minimizing emissions at the same time. In turn, the heat generated by the combuster keeps the firewood below smoldering, feeding the catalyst until nothing remains but ash. 1100 degrees F is typically what the supplied premature monitor reads initially when the combuster is doing it's job, obviously diminishing in degree over the course of the evening and wee hours of the morning as the fuel source is used up. In my mind, it stands to reason therefore, under these conditions, with so much smoke and volatile vapor circulating in the firebox, aforementioned smoke and vapor will undoubtedly condense on the relatively cold ceramic viewing glass, creating oily deposits, and clouding over. It's to be expected and normal operation IMHO. This is all of course dependent on inherent draft, damper settings and moisture content of one's fuel source. I don't think it's reasonable to expect a perfectly clean viewing glass after hours of use under these conditions. Long and even burn times as a result of a fully dampened fire do not go hand-in-hand with a spotless viewing glass -just saying, it's common sense.
One issue we have yet have to resolve however with our new HI500/CI2700 Catalytic Wood Stove, is smoke ingress into the living room whenever the door is opened for first fire or stoking up. Even with the damper wide open, and catalytic bypass engaged, smoke wants to travel the path of least resistance, which, with the secondary upper shield in place on a system like ours with lower chimney draft, is out the front opening of the wood stove insert and into the room. I'm thinking of removing this part to see if the problem can be easily resolved by increasing draft, as the smell of wood smoke in our living room, blows.
In response to Molson Golden's query, we also have vaulted ceilings, and a ceiling fan running in reverse makes a world of difference in terms of heating a room, or an entire house for that matter! A blower is also a must! We went with an AC Infinity Airblaze over the OEM AC Blower we had previously, as the AC Infinity unit is far more efficient being PWM DC, with temperature/humidity sensing , 10 speeds and allot less noise!
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth -will report back with results of any change in smoke ingress after removal of the upper shield. Hope my experience and thoughts will be of benefit to other forum members with similar questions.
All the best,
Avian Manor
I'm new to the forum but thought I would chime in on the installation of our new Regency Hampton HI500, which is identical to model CI2700, but with the decorative cast iron face plate (gorgeous insert!). My wife and I chose this stove as a replacement for our aging 35 year old Regency Classic, with the desire to reduce airborne emissions and increase burn times / efficiency, as our wood stove is the primary heat source for our 1280 square foot home. First off, we are getting 8 to 10 hour burns with well seasoned Fir and Maple, which is about 3 times as efficient and long lasting as the previous non-catalytic Classic; very impressed and pleased with this performance. I think with very dry hardwood, burn times approaching 12 hours are possible - we have yet to test this theory with well seasoned Arbutus, a local hardwood.
Yes, there is certainly a bit of a learning curve whilst transitioning from a conventional to hybrid catalytic stove, but it's not rocket science. One must weigh all the factors, such as existing draft, type of firewood, moisture content and settings on the wood stove itself, all being prerequisites for proper combustion and performance. I noticed for example allot of conversation on this forum re residue build up on the glass. My experience so far is that on a hot burn (damper from 100 to 50 % and catalytic combuster engaged), and similar to our previous non-catalytic stove, there was very little resin deposit on the viewing glass, the "cold air wash system" doing it's job quite admirably -a light dusting of brown ash and some darkening in the corners being all that could be negatively noted, easily removed with the wipe of a dry paper towel. Well seasoned wood with a 12% or less moisture content, and proper air flow is the answer here. If one doesn't already own a moisture meter, it's a must have and a dime a dozen on Amazon -this stove requires a well seasoned fuel source with low moisture content to perform as claimed by the manufacturer.
Now then, under ideal conditions, with decent draft, dry firewood, bypass closed , damper below 50%, catalyst up to temperature and glowing red, long burns and even heat output were achieved from our stove for many hours. What my wife and I wanted, was to be able to stoke the stove at bedtime and not have to add additional firewood or attend the wood stove again until we rose from bed the next morning - our Regency Hampton 500 has given us just that luxury! But let's give further thought to this ......... essentially, once dampened down to a minimum, we are essentially snuffing out the fire and producing copious amounts of smoke ...... the very fuel the catalytic combuster needs to continue operating for many many hours on end, maintaining temperatures above 500 degrees F and minimizing emissions at the same time. In turn, the heat generated by the combuster keeps the firewood below smoldering, feeding the catalyst until nothing remains but ash. 1100 degrees F is typically what the supplied premature monitor reads initially when the combuster is doing it's job, obviously diminishing in degree over the course of the evening and wee hours of the morning as the fuel source is used up. In my mind, it stands to reason therefore, under these conditions, with so much smoke and volatile vapor circulating in the firebox, aforementioned smoke and vapor will undoubtedly condense on the relatively cold ceramic viewing glass, creating oily deposits, and clouding over. It's to be expected and normal operation IMHO. This is all of course dependent on inherent draft, damper settings and moisture content of one's fuel source. I don't think it's reasonable to expect a perfectly clean viewing glass after hours of use under these conditions. Long and even burn times as a result of a fully dampened fire do not go hand-in-hand with a spotless viewing glass -just saying, it's common sense.
One issue we have yet have to resolve however with our new HI500/CI2700 Catalytic Wood Stove, is smoke ingress into the living room whenever the door is opened for first fire or stoking up. Even with the damper wide open, and catalytic bypass engaged, smoke wants to travel the path of least resistance, which, with the secondary upper shield in place on a system like ours with lower chimney draft, is out the front opening of the wood stove insert and into the room. I'm thinking of removing this part to see if the problem can be easily resolved by increasing draft, as the smell of wood smoke in our living room, blows.
In response to Molson Golden's query, we also have vaulted ceilings, and a ceiling fan running in reverse makes a world of difference in terms of heating a room, or an entire house for that matter! A blower is also a must! We went with an AC Infinity Airblaze over the OEM AC Blower we had previously, as the AC Infinity unit is far more efficient being PWM DC, with temperature/humidity sensing , 10 speeds and allot less noise!
Just my 2 cents for what it's worth -will report back with results of any change in smoke ingress after removal of the upper shield. Hope my experience and thoughts will be of benefit to other forum members with similar questions.
All the best,
Avian Manor
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Avian Manor
New Member
Hello again,
When a spell of warm weather briefly arrived and weren't using our new Regency Hampton HI500 /CI2700, I took a little time while the stove was cold and removed the upper shield. This was quite easily done by removing the Catalytic Combustor, threading out the Bypass Rod, lifting up the Fork and shield, then sliding it out through the Catalytic opening. The manufacturer says this part is designed to push hot air and smoke forward during start up (when Bypass is open), to speed heating of the stove and Combustor.
After reassembly, and cooler seasonal temperatures prevailed, I fired up the stove again with this part removed. Wow! What a difference this made! It was immediately apparent draft was greatly improved, the fire taking hold in a fraction of the time it had previously, and warming up much quicker than before (as observed via included temperature probe / digital pyrometer) -within15 minutes of first fire I was able to close the Bypass, observed the Catalyst glowing red and temperatures climb as normal up to approximately 1000 F , eventually maintaining this temp with the damper closed 80% .
Now here's the really good part, come time to re-stoke the fire, opening the damper and Bypassing completely, then cracking the door for 5 or 6 seconds before fully opening it, not a wisp of smoke entered the room; there now appeared to be more than enough draft to draw all the smoke up the flue and out, rather than spilling over the front of the stove and into the room. So all round, I'd say this experiment was a great success. I must point out however, that said modification might possibly void the manufacturer's warranty, and this is something one must consider before attempting the same on your Regency HI500 / CI2700 Hybrid Wood Stove.
Hope this info will be of benefit to others. All the best!
Avian Manor
When a spell of warm weather briefly arrived and weren't using our new Regency Hampton HI500 /CI2700, I took a little time while the stove was cold and removed the upper shield. This was quite easily done by removing the Catalytic Combustor, threading out the Bypass Rod, lifting up the Fork and shield, then sliding it out through the Catalytic opening. The manufacturer says this part is designed to push hot air and smoke forward during start up (when Bypass is open), to speed heating of the stove and Combustor.
After reassembly, and cooler seasonal temperatures prevailed, I fired up the stove again with this part removed. Wow! What a difference this made! It was immediately apparent draft was greatly improved, the fire taking hold in a fraction of the time it had previously, and warming up much quicker than before (as observed via included temperature probe / digital pyrometer) -within15 minutes of first fire I was able to close the Bypass, observed the Catalyst glowing red and temperatures climb as normal up to approximately 1000 F , eventually maintaining this temp with the damper closed 80% .
Now here's the really good part, come time to re-stoke the fire, opening the damper and Bypassing completely, then cracking the door for 5 or 6 seconds before fully opening it, not a wisp of smoke entered the room; there now appeared to be more than enough draft to draw all the smoke up the flue and out, rather than spilling over the front of the stove and into the room. So all round, I'd say this experiment was a great success. I must point out however, that said modification might possibly void the manufacturer's warranty, and this is something one must consider before attempting the same on your Regency HI500 / CI2700 Hybrid Wood Stove.
Hope this info will be of benefit to others. All the best!
Avian Manor
Attachments
![[Hearth.com] The Regency CI2600 & CI2700 operation thread](/talk/data/attachments/278/278889-c2bc0ef3c735a9c981c0ccb5852cd72d.jpg?hash=e5L5gBHnUY)
Interesting test. What were the outdoor temps at the time?
This may not be a universal panacea, especially during cold spells. It also could prove detrimental with 2 story liner connections that have strong draft.
This may not be a universal panacea, especially during cold spells. It also could prove detrimental with 2 story liner connections that have strong draft.
Avian Manor
New Member
I agree 100% begreen -it all depends on how much draft one has in their particular installation. Outdoor temperatures were in the mid 40s during my tests. With the Bypass closed, draft should be the same with or without the upper shield in place.
Cheers!
Avian Manor
How are you burn times with the upper shield removed? Hopefully not shorter. My HI400 has that upper shield, however I don't have problems with smoke coming in the house. 15' chimney, 5.5" liner, draft is average.
Avian Manor
New Member
Burn time of 8 to 9 hours for my setup remain unchanged. Since the upper shield only covers / deflects smoke heat rising from the firebox into the flue when the bypass is open (first fire), it stands to reason when the bypass is closed and catalytic combustor is operating normally, the aforementioned shield will have no function or effect on performance. Under these circumstances, only the damper setting would effect burn rate/time and intensity.
My chimney is approximately 12', 5.5" flex liner. Never had draft or smoke ingress issues with the previous 35 year old Regency Classic, but then the design of that old beast was quite different.
Cheers!
Avian Manor
I just had a Ci2700 installed and I have been experiencing some creosote build up on both bottom corners of the glass. It seems to happen during the first 30 minutes or so of operation and it pretty much stabilizes in size and location over the burn cycle.
I am burning mostly ash and maple which has been seasoned for 1+ years with a moisture content between 15 and 20. I am able to get temps up to 1200 F but the buildup doesn’t seem to burn off at all, even when operating for over 12 hours straight. It wipes right off with cleaner once the glass is cool but it is somewhat annoying.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to prevent the buildup or is it normal and I should just live with it?
I am burning mostly ash and maple which has been seasoned for 1+ years with a moisture content between 15 and 20. I am able to get temps up to 1200 F but the buildup doesn’t seem to burn off at all, even when operating for over 12 hours straight. It wipes right off with cleaner once the glass is cool but it is somewhat annoying.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to prevent the buildup or is it normal and I should just live with it?
Avian Manor
New Member
Hello blackgti,
Congrats on your new Regency 2700! We've been using ours (purchased six months ago) quite a bit the past few months, and if my experience regarding creosote buildup on the glass is typical (mirroring your experience), I'd say it's "the nature of the beast" and you're likely going to have to live with it. It stands to reason that when this stove is damped right down, there is little air flow / wash to keep the glass clean, copious amounts of smoke, oils and volatile gases thus generated to feed the catalyst above, which in turn generates heat for your home as well as keeping the fuel below smoldering. This is how the extended burn times and continuous / even heat output are achieved.
If I run my stove half damped, very little buildup occurs on the glass, but then burn times are 3 hours instead of 10 or 11, and fuel consumption is much greater (equivalent to our 25 year old Regency Classic previously installed). I don't think you can have long burn times and low fuel consumption with spotlessly clean glass all at the same time -that smouldering fire is necessary to feed the catalyst, and it stands to reason it will condense on the relatively cold glass when there is little air flow.
Having said all of this, I'm extremely pleased with the long duration heating performance and low firewood consumption of our 2700, not to mention the environmental benefits of significantly reduced emissions. I can live with the deposits on the glass when using our stove damped right down as a primary heat source, and without creosote buildup when running the stove hotter for ambience / flame effect, damper half way.
Just my take on it blackgti, hope this helps answer your questions.
Cheers!
Congrats on your new Regency 2700! We've been using ours (purchased six months ago) quite a bit the past few months, and if my experience regarding creosote buildup on the glass is typical (mirroring your experience), I'd say it's "the nature of the beast" and you're likely going to have to live with it. It stands to reason that when this stove is damped right down, there is little air flow / wash to keep the glass clean, copious amounts of smoke, oils and volatile gases thus generated to feed the catalyst above, which in turn generates heat for your home as well as keeping the fuel below smoldering. This is how the extended burn times and continuous / even heat output are achieved.
If I run my stove half damped, very little buildup occurs on the glass, but then burn times are 3 hours instead of 10 or 11, and fuel consumption is much greater (equivalent to our 25 year old Regency Classic previously installed). I don't think you can have long burn times and low fuel consumption with spotlessly clean glass all at the same time -that smouldering fire is necessary to feed the catalyst, and it stands to reason it will condense on the relatively cold glass when there is little air flow.
Having said all of this, I'm extremely pleased with the long duration heating performance and low firewood consumption of our 2700, not to mention the environmental benefits of significantly reduced emissions. I can live with the deposits on the glass when using our stove damped right down as a primary heat source, and without creosote buildup when running the stove hotter for ambience / flame effect, damper half way.
Just my take on it blackgti, hope this helps answer your questions.
Cheers!
Thanks for your posts Avian Manor, really informative. What type impact did see in terms of room temperature after installing your AC Infinity Airblaze?
Avian Manor
New Member
Hello Molsen,
Compared to the OEM, ancient technology, two speed AC motor driven fan installed in my old Regency Classic (virtually identical to the optional factory unit for the new CI2700 /Hampton HI500), the AC Infinity fan is a huge upgrade! Out of the box, the PWM DC powered Airblaze is far more efficient and quieter than the OEM fan, plus the fact it runs on 12 Volts D.C. would likely be a plus during a power failure (could be driven by batteries, solar etc.). Although the digital controller that comes with the Airblaze series is quite Skookom, I took it one step further and modified the new controller 67 (looks identical but not directly compatible) to work with my Airblaze blower. The advantage of the Controller 67 is can be controlled manually or wireless via Bluetooth and smart phone app. Furthermore, the 67 controller also has a mode where fan speed can ramp up and down automatically from 1 to 10 based on the difference between your set temperature and ambient temp, rather than simply cycling off and on at one fixed speed / temperature. I have a 1280 square foot Redwood Cedar Pana-Bode home, which has to be one of the least efficient building types in terms of retaining heat, but once the Regency has the house up to temp, the Airblaze fan runs inaudibly at speed 1 or 2, maintaining room temperature within one degree of set.
The maximum operating temperature for the Airblaze (if memory serves) is around 160 degrees ..... beyond that, the unit can be damaged. I measured max temperature at the fan location in the bottom of the Regency with the stove running full bore pretty close to that max -another feature of the Controller 67 is the ability to set minimum and maximum fan speeds, so I've set the minimum speed at 1 (which keeps the fan running at all times when the stove is hot), ensuring a small amount of cool air is pulled through the fan, preventing a situation of overheating the super quiet / efficient D.C. PWM motor. The only down side to this is that when the ambient temperature outside is greater than 45 degrees, I have to open a window and let some cool air in from outside, lest the Regency wood stove overheats the house.
I also picked up a magnetic thermal switch off Amazon to shut the fan off completely when the stove is stone cold. If I happen to be away from home for more than 20 hours or so, this prevents the Airblaze Blower from operating when there is no heat available from our Regency wood stove insert. This set up is the cat's meow and infinitely superior to the two speed OEM blower, and at about half the cost, I might add.
Hope this answers your question MG -if anyone is interested in regards to the modifications needed to adapt a controller 67 to an Airblaze product (and has technical / soldering iron skill), please PM me for further info.
Cheers!
Avianmanor
That sounds like an awesome upgrade - I am expecting to get my CI2700 installed in a few weeks and may ask you for further details after that.
Re: your previous post about creosote build-up: do you know if anyone has tried to insulate the glass during long burns to make it not the ideal cold-spot for creosote to deposit on? You wouldn't be able to watch the fire, but there isn't much to watch when doing a long low temp burn, I think.
Avian Manor
New Member
Hello Treehouse22, happy to assist with the blower when required.
Insulating the glass is a very intriguing idea! I don't know of anyone who has tried that.
Actually, on slow burn (assuming the glass is without heavy buildup), a beautiful Aurora Borealis effect can be observed in the firebox, as the gases burn off in shades of yellow, red and blue. The drier and denser your firewood, the better!
Cheers!
Re: my impending CI2700 installation - I was wondering what people's feelings are re: the 5.5" or 6" liner option. I was told by our mason to always go with 6". I have read a lot (mostly on other sites...haven't found all that many useful threads on here talking about flue size trade-offs) that height is the primary contributing factor to having a good draft. If my intention is to rarely get a roaring fire, but instead want to focus on efficiency, wouldn't it make sense to stick to the smaller diameter so the line velocity is higher at low air-flows?
