Fireview cat stall

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fireview2788

Minister of Fire
Apr 20, 2011
972
SW Ohio
OK, this is my second year with my FV and love the thing but it's been a little frustrating lately. Stove gets cranked up to operating temps, flip the cat lever, it snap crackles and pops as the metal expands and cooks along for awhile. After a while I notice my backyard is a little smokey. I check the stack and there's some smoke coming out. I disengage the cat, let a little more air through the stove, and then do it again. Most times it's fine after that.

I just happened to look at the mesh of the scoop and it appears to be mostly covered in fly ash. Of course I looked when the stove is hot and I can't reach in there and clean it! Is this my problem or is it that my cat is a year old and takes a little more to get her purring?

Thanks!

fv
 
Where is your stove top meter, and at what temp are you engaging? I haven't noticed much of a difference after a year with the stainless cat and scoop. Can't remember the last time it stalled.
As far as the ash on the screen, just let the stove go out when you can and take a brush of some type (old toothbrush, paint "chip" brush (new, or at least clean) etc, and brush off the screen from inside the fire box. No need to remove the screen...
 
Thermometer is directly over the cat. I'm starting to think it has to do more with draft than the cat itself.

fv
 
I have noticed with really dense woods such as oak or black walnut or locust that the wood sometimes if not charred enough will not out gas enough to keep the cat happy...for sure if the M/C. is a little high.

I rarely have that happen with ash.
So far ash is my favorite wood to burn.
It seems to be more consistent in the way that it burns.
Out gasses fairly easy but yet dense enough for longer burns.
If I could have only one species of wood to burn it would be ash.
 
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Run with a little more air. Maybe set it at about 1.25 for the first 30 minutes after engaging the cat, then go down to 1 or even under it. You may also have weak draft due to warmer outside temps this time of year. Again running with a bit more air will help that.
 
fv, do you also have a thermometer on the flue? If so, and if this happens again, get the flue temperature to 400 or more before engaging the cat.

That fly ash on the screen can definitely make a huge difference. The last time I had your problem I did let the fire burn down until I could reach in with an old paint brush and brush the fly ash off that screen. All went well after that.
 
That fly ash on the screen can definitely make a huge difference. The last time I had your problem I did let the fire burn down until I could reach in with an old paint brush and brush the fly ash off that screen. All went well after that.
Yeah, that's gotta be cutting his draft when the bypass is closed...
 
I was able to get some of the ash off while it was cooler this afternoon and think that did the trick. My wife said she was cold so I tossed three splits of ash in and let her rip. She quickly climbed to 600::Fand the cat was glowing a pretty shade of red.

fv
 
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Glad you got that done. Now you can enjoy the heat.
 
Yep, getting ready to head out for deer camp and now I can go knowing my family will be warm. The wife is at the Bengals' game so I want to make sure the house is warm when she gets home.

fv
 
Get a long handled grill brush so you can reach in there whenever you want and brush it clean.
 
I was packing for deer camp.

fv
 
My second stainless cat has been great. First one, not so much. I think we killed the ceramic one.
 
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