1B4CF7CD-0511-4494-81AC-ECF230C6186A.jpeg

No what I'm saying is, it Never really living up to the stoves full potential I feel.

1) Flue / Chimney is regularly cleaned by me 2xs a year from back of the stove to top of the chimney .

2) Wood is well aged dried cut and split and out of weather in the wood shed for over 2 years .
3) I inspect the cat ........oh once a month. Clean if needed

4) I clean ashes daily ( because the cat intake is low in the stove) .

5) I completely vacuum out the stove about every 3-4 days at least.

I guess my issue is two fold ,

First doesn't seem to get enough air , At start up I usually leave the ash tray door open for good airflow and find myself the first hour opening and closing it as the initial fire dies out, yeas the air lever to the right is fully open ( pulled towards front of the stove). Maybe where this fresh air comes in what the lever controls is clogged with ash ?????? Any idea where that inlet is in general.

Second I wait until the temp gauge which I have one behind the griddle and one on the exit pipe gets in to the optimal zone 400-500 degree zone and then shut the Cat. With mt old buck stove 91 the temperature would continue to rise to a point . On the VC it seems to decrease. The exhaust temp guage does as well too.

Just seems to burn much hotter without the cat engaged ...??? Thats why I feel it choking a bit.

Just looking for more air. I realize yes flow is more restricted but again I would think the overall temp would rise , thought that's the purpose of the cat to burn EVERYTHING.

My house is 2200 4 bd /2 bth , 1 of the BRs over the garage is completely closed of .

The bad built in 2002 2x4 construction and not super / tight in Colebrook New Hampshire 10 miles to CAN border Masonry Chimney is on the outside East facing wall.

Thank Ken