Was talkin Cat with Steve today of Vermont Elm stoves and asked why he doesn't push the cat more. He said because most people won't maintain or replace as necessary. Sure they are a step up in clean air operation but a cat stove in bypass might be worse than an old smoke dragon. I got to thinking about a person I know with a cat stove that is like 15yrs old and they say I ain't buyin that 100.00 cat. Stove still works why do I need it. I'll bet that goes for most people operating cat stoves today. I know people on here are doing it right but the average jo on the street isn't into it like we are.
Talkin Cat
- Thread starter wkpoor
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Todd
Minister of Fire
The average Joe isn't burning the non cats properly either. Most people burn with wet wood and burn their EPA stoves like an old smoke dragon. We need more wood burning education to sink in like hearth.com.
Todd said:
Yep, cat or non cat plenty of people are doing it wrong. I think the reason most shops don't push the cat is due to customer complaints and they don't want to take the time to educate the customer. I'd imagine the non cat stoves when ran poorly produce less phone calls but I'm sure I could way off base.(wouldn't be the first time :lol: )
HotCoals
Minister of Fire
There does seem to be a lot of confusion with any EPA stove. I bought both of my cat stoves used and neither of the previous owners even knew what the cat was for. They both thought the cat bypass was just a damper. I didn't know what one was until I bought the 1st one and went online to get a manual. Luckily, I found this site shortly thereafter and usually learn something new almost everytime I log on.
jeff_t said:
I'm helping a guy at work with insert suggestions and suggested the Buck 91 cat stove among others and even a Buck dealer pushed him to the Buck 94 non cat. He's heating 4200 sq feet so I told him to go big or go home. I think I have him sold on the cat but also told him they shine on low burn and with the size of his house it's going to be rare for a low burn need. :lol:
I think the theory is if you sell them a non cat then they at least have a chance at burning clean and at worst they will be what burning once was. But if you sell them a cat, or if the second owner has no idea, you've sold them something that could be potentially dangerous.
Agent
Member
The inexperienced like to burn wet/green wood which I don't believe bodes well for most catalysts.
rdust said:
The dealer needs a willing student for the education to stick. I don't thing many people are interested in burning properly, all they want is heat. If they don't get heat, they may go back and ask why, and then listen. How many times do we say how important dry wood is, but don't really understand until they actually get to burn dry wood.
Backwoods Savage
Minister of Fire
rdust said:
Methinks you guys have nailed it right on the head.
In addition, when we were shopping what we noticed is that those who did not sell any cat stoves really put them down hard. Of course they wanted to sell what they have in stock. But you do not help your cause in sales by running down the competition. Respect competition and know the good points about them and then make a case why yours is better is much better than running others down.
Once a stove leaves the dealers shop he has no way of really knowing what the future of that stove is. Where will it be in a few yrs and who will be operating it. 2nd 3rd or 4th hand and so on. How many on here bought a house with a stove and had no idea it was a cat stove or maybe no idea such a thing existed. That is the real problem with cat stoves. I totally agree they are the cleanest burning option out there but in certain situations they could be the opposite. With that said I'm seriously considering a cat for my next stove.
AppalachianStan
Minister of Fire
AppalachianStan
Minister of Fire
joecool85 said:
With good dried wood, keep the chimney clean you want have that problem with creosote.
AppalachianStan said:
Without the Cat in their you will build a lot more creosote than with it regardless of wood type. But you're probably right that it wouldn't be too bad with dry wood even if it is worse.
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
The real reason that most dealers do not promote the cat stove or even discourage them is that they don't sell cat stoves. Look around, there are only two or three oddball brands of stove that even have cats.
The dealer at a ford dealership will not try and sell you a Honda.
The dealer at a ford dealership will not try and sell you a Honda.
Highbeam said:
I thought there were a lot of cat stoves on the market. I guess I haven't looked into it much so maybe you are right.
Stump_Branch
Minister of Fire
wkpoor said:
Wont need another stove for some time but, when the time comes i doubt ill switch back. Once you get to run a cat, youll never want to go back i swear. From someone who hasnt had to replace one yet.
jharkin
Minister of Fire
Yeah really oddball ;-) ... Blaze King, Woodstock, Vermont Castings, Buck Stove. I believe Englander, Lopi and Jotul also made them in the past...
mellow
Resident Stove Connoisseur
Highbeam
Minister of Fire
jharkin said:
Yes oddball. BK stoves are superior to anything on the market but you typically find them in hardware stores. I live in a populated area near Seattle and the closest BK for me is an hour's drive away. Woodstock is very oddball, it's a freaking mail order stove company rarer than hen's teeth. VC is not even a real company anymore and only recently introduced a partial cat stove. Buck is about the closest to a normal stove you can get but do not have national exposure. We don't see Buck stoves out west.
So yes, oddball. I'm convinced that the cat stoves use a superior technology for the 24/7 burner. I want one, but don't fool yourselves, they are not mainstream at all.
HotCoals
Minister of Fire
Once you go cat..you won't go back.
But that said those secondary burn tube stoves can sure put out some heat!
But that said those secondary burn tube stoves can sure put out some heat!
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