Cat: Glow or No Glow. That is the Question...

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isuphipsi1052

New Member
Nov 15, 2006
83
Upstate NY - Near Rochester
I have VC Winterwam Small. At various times I'll see the area that covers where the cat is located turn a bright orange. I've seen a couple of posts that indicates that is normal (i.e., the cat is doing it's job), but in doing a Google search, I find that is not what should be happening (i.e., the stove is over firing; or the cat is clogged). What we've done in the past is to open the damper to release some of the heat until the glow disappears. So long and short, which is right? Glow or no glow?

Thanks in advance..
 
Cat glow is good. Do a search on Keystone, a cat stove from Woodstock. On that stove, it is easy to see the cat burning. I have one of these and if you look at my avatar you can see the cat glowing.

They will burn orange so long as the wood is giving off smoke, but once it goes to charcoal, then the cat will dim and eventually go out. BTW, the cat doesn't have to glow to be working. The easiest way to see if the cat is working when it is not glowing is stove top temps over the cat or look at the chimney - no smoke means the cat is burning.

Good luck,
Bill
 
The problem with my stove, you can't actually see the cat. It's behind a piece of cast iron. So what I think is happening is the cast iron is getting too hot.
 
I was wondering what that was in your new avatar Bill, I love how you can clearly see the cats in those Keystones. As far as isuphipsi1052's question it can have two answers.

The cat glowing is always a good sign that the cat is doing its job. However, the Winterwarm has the same refractory chaimber as the Defiant Encore if I remember correctly. This means that it is very fragile and susseptible to breaking and crumbling. With an insert people are less likely to look inside the secondary burn chaimber to see if it is clogged or clean. You should clean the secondary burn chaimber at least once or twice a year, a clean stove will heat much better than a dirty one.

Another thing is that the cats in those Winterwarms are not visible, they are behind other parts. If the cast iron parts are glowing red, this is NOT good. Refractory boxes will glow bright orange. However, keep a close eye on the cast iron so it is not glowing. I'm going to suggest that you get a probe thermometer for your insert in order to measure the cat temp. They come with a six foot cord and a digital read out screen that can be placed where you can clearly see how hot your catalyst really is. This does not mean that you will know the cast iron parts aren't glowing inside but it will give you an important reference as to what is going on inside the secondary burn chaimber. Look up Defiant Encore probe thermometer on Ebay, they go for about $80. I'm sure it can be inserted in the back of your insert.

Good luck.
 
VC -

Thanks for the insight. I did switch to a steel cat a couple of years ago, I do like the idea of the probe thermometer - I'll like into it...
 
You will find the following information at this web site...which is a catalytic combustor manufacturer:
Catalytic Combustor Effectiveness


Important Tips for Maximum Combustor Effectiveness

1. Burn natural wood Only. Do not burn trash, garbage, wrappings, coal, lighter fluids, treated or painted wood, driftwood, chemical cleaners or artifical or paper logs, or chemical starters that have not been approved by Süd-Chemie Inc.

2. Catalytic combustr temperatures above 1800°F (1000°C) will shorten the life of a combustor. Combustor temperatures between 1400°F and 1600°F (760°C - 870°C) are common, but operating temperatures between 700°F and 1400°F (371°C - 760°C) are recommended.

3. Full catalytic operation occurs at catalytic combustor temperatures above 700°F (371°C). Combustor glowing only occurs at temperatures above 1000°F (538°C). With Aged combustors, there will be a less glowing, but as long as the combustor reaches a light-off temperature of 500 - 700°F (260 - 371°C) catalytic operation is very effective. THE COMBUSTOR DOES NOT HAVE TO BE GLOWING TO BE OPERATING EFFICIENTLY.

...

So, a glowing catalytic combustor is a very common occurrence that does not cause any problems, unless the combustor temperature is excessive.
 
fdegree said:
So, a glowing catalytic combustor is a very common occurrence that does not cause any problems, unless the combustor temperature is excessive.

Yes, if you read the entire post you would have found out that his catalytic combustor is not visible! It is behind a cast iron fireback and a cast iron flap that covers the refractory housing. You can't see the cat on a Winterwarm. The parts he may see glowing are probably the cast iron around the secondary burn chaimber or maybe some small bits of the refractory housing.
 
Yeah, a cat probe is a very usefull tool. It will save you wood, help you fire your stove correctly and prolong the life of your cat.
 
VCBurner said:
fdegree said:
So, a glowing catalytic combustor is a very common occurrence that does not cause any problems, unless the combustor temperature is excessive.

Yes, if you read the entire post you would have found out that his catalytic combustor is not visible!

Yes, but the subject heading is "Cat: Glow or No Glow. That is the Question…"! Plus, the OP's google search was resulting in conflicting information regarding the glow of the cat. I was simply providing a reliable resource to better clear up the conflicting information that was found.
 
Cat glow good, Stove glow.......Bad.
 

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