Thank you very much guys for the help. I love the site and I need to spend more time on it.
re
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/prolonging-catalyst-lifespan.170785/#post-2290743
that above link / thread got locked and I was asked to post here on this BK18-19 thread in hopes of you guys replying
Sorry for responding so late after my initial reply and after your replies.
So resuming the catalyst discussion:
"
…when it’s depleted, which will take several years, then replace it and get on with your life. This is not something even worth considering, when comparing to the potential down-sides of running with a combustor bypassed…"
Again, that is exactly what I wanted to know and kind of what I thought. If my questions seem strange the following is why I am asking. I got the stove brand-new with the new catalyst that I did not have to install and did absolutely nothing with the catalyst for probably 15 years. Then I had to get a new catalyst that I installed, and then it needed cleaning every 3-4 years, also I noticed that it was cracked but still functioning satisfactorily. But I have to assume that I cracked it either during the installation which was quite difficult (but I have figured out a way to do it very gently now using a car jack). So I am on my third catalyst and I just would like to not screw this one up. It's just hard for me to believe that I went 15 years with my first one, and I cannot even make it 4 years ever since.
Re the
engineer comment, I'm not an engineer, but I know what you mean, and no offense taken.
"
Second, to achieve the best life of your catalyst, always burn wood at optimal moisture." I'm careful not to burn un-seasoned wood, it's a great hobby of mine so I get it right. But along these lines, I recently heard "when you reload a hot stove, of course the temperature is going to fall out of catalyst range so you want to get the fire roaring for a good 5-10 minutes until you get back in range and this also has the benefit of removing plenty of moisture from the wood just loaded". That seems reasonable to me, is that what you guys do? Obviously if you do not get out of range after loading the stove with new wood then you don't have to, or , do you indeed like to not engage the catalyst to allow "moisture to exit the wood for 5-10 minutes"?
"I, for one, enjoy thinking about the many aspects of stove operation. Some will call it over-thinking..I guess they have other stuff they'd rather think about." Ditto , I like my woodstove a lot, it's a great hobby for me, splitting wood and everything, I was too busy to give it much thought early on, but now it is a hobby.
"… burning fungus, 'shrooms etc. might only "mask" the cat, and it could be remedied with a simmer in distilled water/distilled vinegar and a couple rinses…" In my situation, the odds of me destroying/cracking the catalyst trying to remove it in order to soak it are not good, the only thing I ever attempt to do to "clean" the catalyst is gently blow it clean of loose debris. Unless you guys have a suggestion that I can just pour vinegar on the catalyst wrapped in its insulation both of which sit inside a metal housing? Is that okay or best to keep vinegar off the metal, it needs to soak, right, not just get rinsed? No way I could remove the catalyst from its metal housing and not crack it. But I'll pour vinegar on and let it sit a while and rinse everything off with water if you guys okay it. Again don't want to over-think and not worth the time and trouble, but if I have to have the catalyst out to air-blow clean it, throw in some cheap vinegar + water wash no big deal, but my guess is no, just gently blow & vacuum it as clean as acheivable.
" It's referred to as masking and deposits on top of the precious metals decreases exposure to gases in wood combustion.". The first time I only got 3-4 years out of a brand-new catalyst I just did not understand how it could get that dusty when obviously the first catalyst that came with the stove did not for 15 years? I had to believe that I failed to snug up the metal housing or something, so with my next catalyst insertion I was double sure to snug up the metal housing, still I only got 3-4 years, hence all my questions.
"How long does a cat last usually > Around 10,000 hours."
10,000 hours catalyst life
24 ÷ hours per day burning
--------------------------
417 days =
30 ÷ days per mo
--------------------------
14 months =
4 ÷ Nov Dec Jan Feb is my 24 hour burn season
--------------------------
= 3.5 burn seasons .
So my recent history of only getting 3-4 years before I have to clean the thing is actually okay? I guess what threw me was that I got 15 years out of the first one and did absolutely nothing to it, never removed it to clean it or anything, nothing! Actually I'm getting longer than 3 years because I just have to air-blow clean it (not replace it) every 3-4 years. I have been REPLACING my catalyst every 10 years. Sound about right? You guys that have a 4-month-burn-season & have fires 24/7 get about 3-4 years or do you go longer because you can clean it? Part of my misunderstanding may be when I am assuming 4 months of "24/7 catalyst-engaged-burning" that really the catalyst is not "engaged/being consumed" because there is not smoke 24/7? When you have no more smoke and only coals left but the temperature IS in range, is the catalyst still being "used up/depleted"? Doesn't matter, I will know when to replace it or clean it, just trying to learn.
"How long do they last? The fact is all wood stoves decrease in their ability to burn as clean as new after many years of use. That is why most elements of clean burning design are replaceable. Catalysts, baffle plates, tubes, ceramic blankets, refractory panels, gaskets etc. It's up to the user to maintain their stove over time. This forum is great in helping wood stove users realizing that need.". Thank you that is very helpful to know ! Aside from the catalyst and door gaskets, I don't even know what those other things are, more learning for me. I kind of felt that perhaps something about my woodstove has made it less efficient (aside from chalking it up to my poor catalyst insertion where I probably cracked the catalyst, maybe failed to snug the catalyst's metal housing up so it got more dirty, maybe used some poor wood).
"…However the OEM supplier has recognized at least one manufacturer design and offered a 10 year warranty against failure. Not diminished ability, but failure (thermal shock/destruction)…"
Okay, maybe that is what happened with my second catalyst, maybe it was not me, I'm getting ready to install my third catalyst and I will do it without banging it for sure. I did want to ask that I assume banging the catalyst's metal housing with a piece of firewood while loading the stove could certainly crack the catalyst? Also, are catalysts more prone to fracture from hitting the metal housing with firewood when hot? Porcelains more fragile when hot, right? You know, that very well could be something else I did on my second catalyst?
"…. essentially eliminating the ability for the combustor to convert gases to energy and therefore not burn cleanly. This is what happens to cats in stoves that do protect against excessive drafting or over firing.''' What is excessive drafting? And "over firing" is over 1600F?
Thank you, all comments appreciated
