Cat stoves are no good

  • 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.
summit said:
precaud said:
summit, are there details on the new mandates anywhere?

I'm gonna try to find some. The HPBA trade mag had some charts, but I have been unable to locate it at the shop, and a google search does not find me any hard #'s... But the trade mag did say it had the potential to put many stove co's under because of the stricter mandates: new testing, retrofits, new UL listings, etc. think cali style emissions regs, no burn areas, etc.. The owner of Husdson River stoves was in a few weeks ago (we buy alot of pipe from their distribution co) and he was all worked up about it. 2014 was the target date for these, I believe.

It is called "New Source Performance Standards". Here is the presentation they saw at HPBA:

http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/workshop2010/nsps.pdf
 
BrowningBAR said:
Highbeam said:
REF1 said:
So what is the difference between shutting down an air control to cruise on a non cat, versus shutting down your bypass and air when a cat hits 500?

I just fail to see the efficacy in any argument which says a cat is more difficult to run than a non-cat.

So there you go, one step for the non-cat and three steps for the cat stove with one of them being a variable depending on the user reading a thermometer. Three times as complicated to run a cat stove. Open your eyes man.

VC Intrepid Cat Stove: Lever to engage Cat, Air Control Lever. Total: 2

VC Vigilant Non Cat: Vertical/Horizontal Burn Lever, Air Control Lever, Pipe Damper Control. Total: 3

Hearthstone Heritage Non Cat: Air Control, Pipe Damper Control. Total: 2

Please point out which stove is more complicated to use.

Stove dampers are not recommended any manufacturer (that I know of) unless you have an extreme chimney situation, in other words, you created your own problem there.

So that makes the non-cat only have one control. Winner.

As you know, the VC stoves are not typical and really should be dismissed as a company. They also sell that other cat stove with several intake controls.

Yes, it is silly but is so simple that you understand why the vast majority of stoves sold are noncat. It is mostly because they are easier to operate. I'm with you in regards to which stove tech is superior, I would rather own a cat stove but you and I are not typical, we are stove enthusiasts.
 
Highbeam said:
Stove dampers are not recommended any manufacturer (that I know of) unless you have an extreme chimney situation, in other words, you created your own problem there.

You're going to have to explain that one.
 
Check your manual, the makers of the stoves do not recommend that you install an inline flue damper unless you have a high suction chimney which creates a super strong draft. On our heritages, BAR, the manual specs out a figure for measured suction before you should install an aftermarket damper. So what I'm saying is that adding a flue damper to the non-cat is optional at best, and actually discouraged by manufacturers. Ref1 added the damper to his "lever" count as though it is part of standard equipment when in reality it is not standard. Heck, you could add 8 dampers if you want.
 
Damper? What damper? I didn't add a damper. Main air intake and cat bypass rod/lever. Two. But as mentioned a bunch of non-cat stoves have two controls, as well. Dampers in pipes would make three in my book, and not part of the stove.

Not that I have done any search on Why, but I would suspect the reason manufacturers stayed non-cat, or went non-cat is one of expense. Cats add money to the stove's design and manufacture - cat, housing, chamber, rod/lever connections ...adds to the price of the stove. If you can get the same test burn without the cat - less money to manufacture, but same retail price in the marketplace - more profit. Plus what the EPA regs add to the price of every stove.

As far as operation I just do not believe it's an issue for any adult wanting to burn wood for heat.
 
Highbeam said:
Check your manual, the makers of the stoves do not recommend that you install an inline flue damper unless you have a high suction chimney which creates a super strong draft. On our heritages, BAR, the manual specs out a figure for measured suction before you should install an aftermarket damper. So what I'm saying is that adding a flue damper to the non-cat is optional at best, and actually discouraged by manufacturers. Ref1 added the damper to his "lever" count as though it is part of standard equipment when in reality it is not standard. Heck, you could add 8 dampers if you want.

Fudge factor, just cuz the manufacture recommends no damper doesn't mean you couldn't use one. I think they know most people don't burn properly as is and a damper would only worsen the situation but for stove enthusiests that burn dry wood and monitor stove and pipe temps a damper can help out with efficiency and burn times.

Didn't you install a pipe damper this year?
 
Todd said:
Highbeam said:
Check your manual, the makers of the stoves do not recommend that you install an inline flue damper unless you have a high suction chimney which creates a super strong draft. On our heritages, BAR, the manual specs out a figure for measured suction before you should install an aftermarket damper. So what I'm saying is that adding a flue damper to the non-cat is optional at best, and actually discouraged by manufacturers. Ref1 added the damper to his "lever" count as though it is part of standard equipment when in reality it is not standard. Heck, you could add 8 dampers if you want.

Fudge factor, just cuz the manufacture recommends no damper doesn't mean you couldn't use one. I think they know most people don't burn properly as is and a damper would only worsen the situation but for stove enthusiests that burn dry wood and monitor stove and pipe temps a damper can help out with efficiency and burn times.

Didn't you install a pipe damper this year?

They don't encourage a pipe damper because if they did their stoves would have to be tested using one. And that would do nothing good for them in the testing with that fifteen foot chimney mandated by the test procedures. Kinda like a blower. If a blower is standard or an option with a stove a test run has to be made with the blower running full blast start to finish.
 
A little off topic......I'm interested in looking at some of the Steel or CAST CAT stoves on the market.(not soapstone or VC) I'm familiar with Blaze King and Buck, who else makes CAT stoves?
 
That's funny ref1, you listed your heritage as:

"Hearthstone Heritage Non Cat: Air Control, Pipe Damper Control. Total: 2"

I have a heritage and there is no pipe damper unless you add one. So which is it? Did you add one or not? Regardless, the modern heritage only has one little lever to control the whole stove just like all but a handful of non-cat stoves.

You're right, it just isn't an issue for any of us enthusiasts burning wood for heat. It is an issue for the thermostat crowd, those folks that have no interest in burning wood except for a cheap source of heat with the absolute minimum amount of fuss. The sales folks have spoken as well, additional fuss is not a sales plus. There's a reason that manual transmissions are getting rarer and rarer.

We're both here because we have this oddly strong interest in burning wood. I think your new stove venture with the elm is great and am watching closely how it goes. Do you think this is normal? Not really, it makes perfect sense to all of us here but most people would think that I am weird for knowing so much about a guy's stove in VA.
 
Backwoods Savage said:
Eric, I'm sure you do the right thing. I just hate to hear the "extra work" or some even refer to it as being "more complicated" with having that little lever to move. Folks like that should not even burn wood. I think also too many people when the start burning wood tend to think of it just like an oil or gas furnace. You go out and buy wood, put wood in the stove and stay warm. Well, that sounds good, but as you know, there is much more to it and folks need to know this and should know before they buy the stove.

On the fuel, I like to tell folks if they are looking at stoves to start heating with wood that they are getting ahead of themselves already. The very first thing to look at and get on hand is their fuel supply. That one little subject itself can be very complicated for new wood burners....but they do need to learn. Hopefully we are able to help a lot of folks in these areas. That is the only reason I am on hearth.com is to try to help others.

Just to put my 2cents in. This was my first year burning with an 1983 Consolidated Dutchwest Federal Airtight 224CCL (man that's a mouthfull). Anyway it has a cat and worked flawless. The reason why I quoted Backwoods was because like he said I put the stove before the wood and spent alot of my winter scrounging for wood. I had enough standing dead trees that I was able to not technically burn green wood, but as all of you know standing dead when first split has a very high moisture content. Aside from the few occasions where I was able to get my hands of some very good seasoned wood I was burning newly split standing dead wood. Well towards the end of February (burning 24/7 since November) I noticed my cat had begun to deteriorate and had cracked. This was a brand new cat from Condar. Anyway it was thermal shock that did it. Totally my fault.

The times I was burning wood with 20% or less MC the heat output (especially when the cat and blower were working together) was tremendous. Burn times were excellent considering my stove is very small. The glass would definitely get sooty, but with good dry wood it would usually clear itself up with a nice hot fire. If you burn wet wood you'll never get it clean even with a hot fire.

As far as cats being "old technology" explain to me why they are in every single one of the cars we drive. Obviously if this technology were not the best out there for efficiency and pollution reduction I would think the car industry would be using something else.
 
Highbeam said:
That's funny ref1, you listed your heritage as:

"Hearthstone Heritage Non Cat: Air Control, Pipe Damper Control. Total: 2"


That was me, not ref1.
 
I'm so confused. Sorry about that.

There is no cat in my 2000 model truck. Never was either but they have since added them. Cats are wonderful technology especially in autos since they work with NO human input and last for pretty much the life of the car.

I did try and put a damper in my stove pipe bacause I wanted additional control over my non-cat for super long burntimes, I'm jealous of the cat guys, but it wouldn't work since Simpson appliance adapters don't adapt to hearthstone flue outlets. I know, I actually wanted to add fuss and steps to stove operation. We are enthusiasts.
 
It is an older technology for EPA clean burns, though not that old.

I would think the car industry would be using something else.

This is why the auto industry is preparing for a switch to electrics and hydrogen powered fuel cells. Though there has been some interesting work on new catalysts recently. It will be interesting to see if it gets applied in the woodstove industry.
 
Anytime someone brings up the whole "cat in the car" discussion I am left wondering what the blazes it has to do with stoves? Sure I know they do much of the same thing (i.e. combust remaining CO and other organics in the exhaust) but the purpose is somewhat different isn't it? We don't optimize cars for the heat they produce - the cat there is simply to clean up the exhaust and if anything it negatively affects the performance of the vehicle.

I do think it is an "older" technology and stoves may well be borrowing/learning from the auto industry research but I don't know as that has much to do with whether or not current cat stoves are good or bad, easy or hard to operate etc. Older does not imply inferior to me - simply mature. This idea that something has to be new (or that newer is automatically better) is, in my opinion, a flawed viewpoint. Now, when IS that new stove from Woodstock going to come out so I can order one? :)
 
"Older does not imply inferior to me - simply mature."

I'll have to use that. Older VCs were better than new ones, older diesels are better too. I wonder how often newer really does equal better.
 
Imagine how many cars you would sell if the owner's manual said something like "Start the car and hold the accelerator half way down until the pyrometer reads 500 then pull the lever next to the drivers seat to close the bypass and engage the combustor. You can then proceed to the proceed to drive the car.".
 
BrotherBart said:
Imagine how many cars you would sell if the owner's manual said something like "Start the car and hold the accelerator half way down until the pyrometer reads 500 then pull the lever next to the drivers seat to close the bypass and engage the combustor. You can then proceed to the proceed to drive the car.".

I prefer manual transmission cars.
 
BrowningBAR said:
BrotherBart said:
Imagine how many cars you would sell if the owner's manual said something like "Start the car and hold the accelerator half way down until the pyrometer reads 500 then pull the lever next to the drivers seat to close the bypass and engage the combustor. You can then proceed to the proceed to drive the car.".

I prefer manual transmission cars.

Oh great. Now ya gotta open the bypass for each gear change and then close it again. :lol:
 
BrotherBart said:
BrowningBAR said:
BrotherBart said:
Imagine how many cars you would sell if the owner's manual said something like "Start the car and hold the accelerator half way down until the pyrometer reads 500 then pull the lever next to the drivers seat to close the bypass and engage the combustor. You can then proceed to the proceed to drive the car.".

I prefer manual transmission cars.

Oh great. Now ya gotta open the bypass for each gear change and then close it again. :lol:


I also like old manual transmission 4x4 jeeps when you need to turn the wheel hubs to use four wheel drive.
 
BrowningBAR said:
BrotherBart said:
BrowningBAR said:
BrotherBart said:
Imagine how many cars you would sell if the owner's manual said something like "Start the car and hold the accelerator half way down until the pyrometer reads 500 then pull the lever next to the drivers seat to close the bypass and engage the combustor. You can then proceed to the proceed to drive the car.".

I prefer manual transmission cars.

Oh great. Now ya gotta open the bypass for each gear change and then close it again. :lol:


I also like old manual transmission 4x4 jeeps when you need to turn the wheel hubs to use four wheel drive.

You would have been in heaven driving that over the road tractor I drove for a while with the two stick Spicer transmission. Arm crooked through the steering wheel shifting with both hands at fifty miles an hour with 40,000 pounds behind ya.

Here is how it is done. Notice that you never touch the clutch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3cFz9wzGPw
 
Highbeam said:
"Older does not imply inferior to me - simply mature."

I'll have to use that. Older VCs were better than new ones, older diesels are better too. I wonder how often newer really does equal better.


Yes, older wine. Some older women. The older the buck the stiffer the horn, etc.
 
I realize the auto/stove illustration is a flawed apples and oranges to some degree. And technology moves forward and perhaps some completely new technology will grab the wood stove industry. Until then, though, in a real world situation of non-perfect firewood, and imperfect conditions which often happen, I cannot fathom anyone who knows how to use any wood stove would complain using a cat is too difficult compared to a noncat. Brand new users? Possible, but again, even using a noncat for the first time ... look at the posts that come in here from newbies totally frustrated with some aspect of using their set up, cat, noncat ... earning curve. Everything has a learning curve.

I guess my partiality comes from using both and seeing the results of each type of unit. I'll take the second function, and now burn off into the sunset. Great thread, though.
 
With your hybrid ref1 you will never know if it is the cat or the burn tubes that are really getting it done. :lol:
 
Ha! Both. There ya go. I'm a cat non-cat burner. Who can argue with me now!
 
REF1 said:
Ha! Both. There ya go. I'm a cat non-cat burner. Who can argue with me now!


The complexity of merging a cat and non-cat stove has been known to cause nose bleeds and black holes.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.