Adding wood to a cat stove?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Wolves1

Minister of Fire
Nov 15, 2014
582
Malverne ny
If adding wood to a cat stove and the temp is above the the active temp of 500 and after adding wood temp is still above the 500, is it ok to close bypass right away?
 
If adding wood to a cat stove and the temp is above the the active temp of 500 and after adding wood temp is still above the 500, is it ok to close bypass right away?

It is okay to close the bypass right away. The worst case, and it's never happened to me, is that your new load of wood is so big and your remaining hot coals are so small that you will stall the cat. Not the end of the world, just open up the bypass and let the new load get rolling better until the cat temp goes active and then reengage.

I recommend reloading and before slamming the bypass shut, be sure that the wood is catching and starting to flame up, no need to wait for a full char just long enough that things are getting hotter. Leave the air control wide open until you're happy with the char.

To reduce smoking out the neighbors I want that cat engaged asap.
 
  • Like
Reactions: edge-of-the-woods
I guess if you reload quick enough and your wood is dry enough you can close quicker, every stove is different but with mine if I reload and the air hits the cat for long enough I have to get the temps back up in the firebox before closing the damper again, but then again I only load 2 or 3 times a day and do a full load every time.
 
I guess if you reload quick enough and your wood is dry enough you can close quicker, every stove is different but with mine if I reload and the air hits the cat for long enough I have to get the temps back up in the firebox before closing the damper again, but then again I only load 2 or 3 times a day and do a full load every time.

Ah, we're not talking about the damper, we're talking about the cat bypass. It goes without saying that the damper (combustion air intake) would be wide open during reload and afterwards until the load settles in. Just no reason to bypass the hot smoke around the cat when it is at full active temperature. There's enough thermal mass/inertia/momentum to keep the cat active while the fresh load takes off unless you waited too long and have very few coals left.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bmore
I always wait until I see the temp rise a bit before closing the bypass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: English BoB
Good question, I have wondered the same thing myself!

If I reload and the cat temp stays at 500 for 5-10 minutes after I close the door, then I engage the cat. Then if the temp rises in the next few minutes (99% of the time), I leave it engaged and watch the temp for when to start shutting down the damper. If the temp falls and stays low, I'll disengage and wait for the new load to get up to 600 or so before re-engaging.

Usually when I reload at around 500, the temp will start to climb right after I engage the cat, ticking up to 55o, 600, 650, 700, 75o in the next few minutes. Rarely, it drops down to 450 and sits there, and I have to baby it a little before re-engaging the cat.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.