Regency: Alterra Wood CI1150

Wood heat behind a flat, clean cast iron face. Quick Facts • Heating Capacity: 600–1,200 sq ft• Efficiency: 70% (EPA, higher heating value).• Maximum Log Size: 18″• Fuel: Wood.• Controls: Front-mounted air adjustment.• Fan: Included Who It’s For An open fireplace sends the air your furnace already heated up the chimney. Most wood inserts that fix that problem come with a stove-style door and grille that look traditional in a modern room. You need wood heat that sits flat and clean against the wall. If you have a smaller masonry fireplace in a contemporary room and you want a real wood fire that heats the space, the Regency Alterra was made for that room. A traditional insert will give you the same warmth, but this one makes the fireplace look like it belongs there. What Makes It Special The Alterra’s front is a flat four-piece cast iron faceplate that sits flush in your fireplace, so the wall reads as stone or tile with a fire set into it instead of a stove pushed into a hole. The cast iron and the heat-radiating ceramic glass both give off warmth of their own, the way the sun warms your face, and the brick-lined firebox reflects heat back into the room. A flush-mounted two-speed blower pushes that heat to the far corners of the room. Regency rates it for 600 to 1,200 square feet, which covers a living room plus the kitchen or dining area that opens off it. At 70% efficiency, more of every armload becomes heat in your room instead of going up the chimney, so you load less wood and split less wood. Living with it is simple. One front-mounted control sets the air for the fire, an air wash keeps the glass clear so you see flames instead of soot, and a forged cam latch keeps the door sealed tight. It has no catalytic combustor to monitor or replace, and it takes logs up to 18 inches long. Possible Downsides • The contemporary four-piece faceplate is the only front. For traditional cast iron, see the small Hampton.• It burns without a catalytic combustor. For longer burns from the same size firebox, see the small Cascades hybrid.• The blower needs electricity to run. The cast iron and glass still radiate heat when the power is out. If you want wood heat in a small fireplace without giving up a clean, modern wall, the Regency Alterra is the right decision. The fireplace finally looks like part of the room you designed, and the couch in front of it becomes the warmest seat in the house. The Alterra comes with the contemporary four-piece cast iron faceplate, and you can add a regular or made-to-order backing plate to finish the opening around it.

Manuals & Spec Sheets

Documentation for this model is available in the showroom.