Used Wood Stove Advice

I'm new to this forum and also to wood stoves. But I've been all over the internet researching and have been getting ready to buy a new stove when I came across a used Regency. It has an EPA July 1990 particulate emission standard sticker and I think it is model RA7. I can read part of the serial #, WH-8234??, and also "model small regency freestanding (R5/R7/RA7)".
Can anyone tell me much about this stove? Is it efficient? Is it compliant to newer codes? Will it heat my 1150 sq ft home (SoCal Coastal, it gets below freezing maybe a dozen times a year in the middle of the night). He wants 350.00 for it, seems like a good deal? It needs several fire bricks, clips to hold in the glass, and door seal rope, are these parts available? What might be the burn time or the BTUs? It has a tube with holes in it, so is this a newer design?
Thanks,
ThomBoz

Thom Boswell wrote:
Can anyone tell me much about this stove? Is it efficient?Is it compliant to newer codes? Will it heat my 1150 sq ft home (SoCal Coastal, it gets below freezing maybe a dozen times a year in the middle of the night). He wants 350.00 for it, seems like a good deal? It needs several fire bricks, clips to hold in the glass, and door seal rope, are these parts available? What might be the burn time or the BTUs? It has a tube with holes in it, so is this a newer design?

1990 EPA rated is going to be a reasonably efficient stove, but I am not familiar with that model. Square feet is not a very useful way of thinking about the heating needs of a house (yes, I know that is how all these stoves are rated). That said, I don't think there is a wood stove made that won't heat a small house in South California... Door seal is a common item in hardware store (in Maine anyways). Glass clips should be available. Fire brick might need to be cut, or ordered special if it is a custom shape. Burn time and BTUs are based on the kind of wood you put into it, and how you burn.

My concern would be whether there are any cracks, especially given the lack of some of the fire bricks. If the firebox is cracked the stove loses efficiency, and perhaps leaks Carbon Monoxide into the room. Not good.

Thank You Kindly,
Topher

Thanks Topher, I'll check it out real good before I buy it. He had it all apart, the top baffle, tube, firebricks, door & glass, so it'll be easier to examine it closely. I didn't ask him yet, but it looked so good I wondered if he had sandblasted and repainted it.
I'd sure appreciate any more opinions.
Thanks,
Thom

Here is a PDF that covers that particular model (and some others).
http://www.regency-fire.com/RegencyFireplaces/media/PDFs/Manuals-old/908-132.pdf
Might be handy to look it over before buying.

One site claims that it is an excellent choice for homes up to 1,200 square feet (but doesn't mention the climate).
BTU rating for an RA7 is 5,900 - 33,500