VC Encore & smoke/steam question

[Diabel]

It is about 14* out there & I see smoke/steam coming out of the pipe. The cat is glowing nice and dull red, the temps are nice (400* internal flue & 650* griddle). The smoke looks a bit too gray to call it steam. So I am a bit concerned. With my other stove (encore NC) at this outside temps there was no smoke/steam at all. Mind you that stoves' flue temps were much higher.

I did the dollar test & the smoke test for leaks & it seems all OK....

 

[jharkin]

Is it the cat glowing red or the iron around the fireback and draft hood?

I don't know how the 2140 is , but on my 2550 the cat is too deeply buried back here for me to see any glow unless its glowing metal

 

[greenbrierwv]

sounds like smoke to me. anytime you have smoke of any sort...whether it be grayish or whitish or whatever...it generally means there is a bit of moisture in the wood. It sounds as though the stove is hot and the cat is engaging...but you still have a little moisture in the wood from the sounds of it. i have the Encore 2190 and will still get a little smoke when im burning semi questionable wood...even with the cat doing its work. probably nothing to worry too much about

 

[Diabel]

With this model you can actually see the stainless steel plate that surrounds the cat through the firebox. So the glow is actually from the cat itself...I believe. I know that the 2550 has the hood which prevents looking into the box.