bk owners with (update w/ new cat ?)

Hey guys just curious. Think this has pretty much happened since ive owned the stove. but when i reload and shut the bypass and with it on 3 i seem to get some white smoke. if i was to run in on 3 for a while i think it'd pretty much clear up. seems like when i get it to 2 its completely nothing. just curious on how your guys systems run.

I honestly haven't been able to watch the stack yet with mine. I'm loading at night and it burns to the next night so all my fires have been in the dark so far.

How hot are you letting it get before closing the bypass and how charred do you let the wood get?

pretty charred. and nice and hot. cat in active zone good.

It's most likely steam, water vapor makes it through the cat. It is most prominate after reloading, by the time you make it to setting 2, the wood has no moisture left in it.

That's what I was thinking it could be, I remember reading this from other BK owners.

+1
My guess too. Steam.

alrighty then. i figured as much. just like to here it from other people

well i have only been burning at night so i havent check the stack much till tonight. and it seems now even 4 hours after ive loaded it im getting a little smoke. im think the piece i knocked off of my cat is starting to effect it.

I don't see steam until it is a lot colder.

yeah. i thought about that to. it doesnt seem to dissipate away.. im thinking maybe my cat has takien its toll. also i think i put it through quit a learning process a few years ago when i was learning the stove. plus the knock out when i hit it with the vacuum this is why i planned on purchasing one this coming month.

Where are you seeing this smoke?

in the stack

Well i ordered a new combustor so hopefully this should do the trick. i just think in my learning in the beginning and also taking a hit out of it with the vacuum its just gonna have to be replaced.

Wood is dry? Door seal good? Does it look like you have control of the burn? Responds to adjustments in the tstat? Does the cat light off? Draft sluggish?

You bought a new cat conveter because of some white smoke??? It's going to smoke some, it's a stove.

Mine has smoked since day one. I mean it's not fogging out the neighborhood, but you can usually tell that a fire is going in the stove. Stove works great, cat lights up and glows red and all that. I sure as hell wouldn't waste $300 something dollars just over some white smoke!

Same here, I used to worry about it when I first got the stove, but the cats lit, the stoves tight and the woods dry and its not much smoke and its not all the time.

Cats have 9 lives
Catalytic combustors don't.
Difficult to trouble shoot the problem, got a picture of the broken combustor?
Depending on how much is missing & how much un-burned smoke & vapors thru the missing part, difficult to know what the visible stack exhaust will look like.
If any unburned components are getting thru, you'll have more visible exhaust.

Exactly.

I think most of the time it's more steam than anything too. Even thought it's not really cold, when my nat gas boiler kicks on that makes steam too.

wood is decent. im burnig some chunks but theyve been seasoned for over a year and the seal is pretty good. and it responds good to the stat. im not really worried about it.

i was buying a new cat anyway cuz i wanted to have a new one on hand. but your saying that you see some white smoke from time to time as well? heres a pic of the cat. i did a post on it in the beginning of the season. still learning. i just want to get the best out of the stove. jsut feel like if im seeing smoke then im doing something wrong or something's wrong. ill keep an eye on it and see what happens.

Also heres a pic of the cat lit off. so it still lights off fine. u can just see a fain glow.

I'd give it a good burn at the beginning of the cycle. Sounds like the fire may not get well enough established before you turn it down. I've seen that on warmer days especially if the wood isn't perfect. Also happens almost every time if my wife does one of her throw a log on the fire moves when it is warm out.

I assume we are talking wisps of smoke and not billowing?

yeah def. not billowing. and and the last few loads i did on 24 hour reloads as well. and the coal bed was pretty weak. wondering if that has something to do with it as wel.

Yeah, get that thing nice and hot front center for reloads. I've been doing 2 pieces off the stack on the left on the coal bed for every reload. It does a nice job jump starting the burn cycle especially when its warmer out and the draft isn't as strong.

do you put those on and then Load on top of them or do ya let them burn for a few and then Load on top of it?