Woodstock Fireview steel cat question

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MJFlores

Burning Hunk
Dec 22, 2013
185
NH
I just swapped out my damaged ceramic cat for the new steel one. When the cat is glowing during a burn, it appears that half the cat isn't glowing. The cat has a metal seam dividing it in half, and the half furthest from the door seems to glow easily, while the half closest to the door doesn't glow. Ive checked the chimney cap a few times from the ground. during a burn with one side glowing there's nothing but heat shimmy raising from the chimney (no smoke). Seems to be reburning and keeping things clean but wanted to see if this is normal. Anyone else noticed this? Wondering if I should call Woodstock and ask to swap it out?
 
I would call Woodstock. There may be a dead cell.
 
On ours, the right side seems to glow first. Sometimes only that side but when we see the stove top temperature rise, we do not worry at all.

Question: Did you get the newest cat that is in its own frame or did you have to put it into the old frame? If the newer cat in its own frame, it does need to be bolted in and you can just use the shipping bolts that came with the stove.

One other thing we have noticed is that the steel cat seems to want to be cleaned a bit more often. Even though most times you really have to look to see a very thin film of fly ash, once we get that off, the cat fires off quicker.
 
As a test, can the cat be rotated 180 deg. so that the other end is now the one that should glow first?
 
If it is the new one (same as in the Ideal Steel) then yes, it can be rotated. If it fits in the old frame, then the only way to rotate it would be to take it apart to rotate and you would need to get the extra material for wrapping it from Woodstock.
 
Seems pretty normal, our cat glows more on the left side furthest from the door. Especially during early engagement. One a hot fire and after half hour both sides are usually glowing nicely.

I talked to one of the good folks at woodstock once about this and it is partly due to the way the airflows in the stove but there is no need for concern or worry.
 
Sometimes one side will light off before the other when the stove and cat temps have cooled down, but the other side will light off and catch up. My Fireview with the steel cat does seem to require more air on the slow burns, but the burn times are the same. I believe the steel cat and new combustor scoop are more restrictive than the old style cat and combustor scope.
 
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