Calling In The Warranty On Woodstock Steel Cat

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As expected, my Fireview is running beautifully with its one week old replacement SS cat. I even take back what I said about Black Locust being hard to start now that the stove is running right again.
 
Flatbedford said:
As expected, my Fireview is running beautifully with its one week old replacement SS cat. I even take back what I said about Black Locust being hard to start now that the stove is running right again.

Ditto here with my new SS cat. I'm into it for 1 week and it lights off perfectly.
 
Maybe I'll just have to give in a plan on a new cat every year or so. I don't expect WS to replace them forever. $125 is not a huge amount of money for a super stove and wonderful, otherwise, mostly free heat. I can save on shipping if i go to the pig roast every year too. :)
 
Flatbedford said:
Maybe I'll just have to give in a plan on a new cat every year or so. I don't expect WS to replace them forever. $125 is not a huge amount of money for a super stove and wonderful, otherwise, mostly free heat. I can save on shipping if i go to the pig roast every year too. :)

I'm gonna try real hard to get there this next year. All efforts failed last year, since Katie could have deployed at any moment, which she finally did. I heard it was a lot of fun. :-(
 
I am back to running the old Iron Scoop and the old ceramic cat with a new interam gasket. No complaints! I will try with the ss scoop and the ceramic cat next.

I am guessing with the new replacement ss cats you guys are getting you are going to see having to light off at higher temps after it is broken in just like the first round.
 
jdonna said:
I am guessing with the new replacement ss cats you guys are getting you are going to see having to light off at higher temps after it is broken in just like the first round.

Probably, but I am enjoying this while it lasts.
 
Texas boy said:
Flatbedford said:
Maybe I'll just have to give in a plan on a new cat every year or so. I don't expect WS to replace them forever. $125 is not a huge amount of money for a super stove and wonderful, otherwise, mostly free heat. I can save on shipping if i go to the pig roast every year too. :)

I'm gonna try real hard to get there this next year. All efforts failed last year, since Katie could have deployed at any moment, which she finally did. I heard it was a lot of fun. :-(

Hey Terry, maybe you could fly by here and pick me up on the way. lol I do hope that we get to meet this fall.


Our new SS cat is working nicely so far. Only one time did it hesitate on lighting off. So I opened the bypass and raised the flue temperature up a bit and all was well. Not had that problem since so it must have been a fluke. I know it is hot in the house right now!
 
Just got through reading this thread and was wondering what the findings were regarding the new steel cats? I'm due for a replacement and will likely go with ceramic, unless something has been discovered to improve upon the steel cats?
 
Maybe time to start a new thread as this one is pretty old. Steel cats seem to be working fine and like Steve, we gave ours a bath last summer and that really cleans things up nicely.
 
Had a little trouble with stainless cat at start of season. Called Woodstock and they suggested using a spray bottle of 1/2 vinegar 1/2 distilled water until it dripped/drained through to the other side of the cat, and then rinsing with distilled water. Let dry before reinstalling. Took almost no time at all and worked like magic.
 
Interesting JM. Did you heat the mix before spraying?
 
Nope, just mix, spray, rinse, and dry. Hard to know whether it would work for everyone, of course, but whomever I spoke to at Woodstock said one of the employees did it from time to time with great success. Sure was easy to do.
 
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Thanks JM. I have to call them tomorrow so will be asking more questions then.
 
How long does it take the cat to dry? I guess one could use a hair dryer to dry it quickly? Wouldn't want to have the stove off for very long in the winter, though I guess one could clean the cat while the stove was in the final coaling stages....
 
She said I could use a hair dryer if I was in a hurry. I started with that on low but after 5 mins or so it seemed like it might be awhile. I just put it in front of the small fan I have running on low in the stove room and it was bone dry when I checked back in an hour.
 
Thanks. That is very helpful information and will save me some time and frustration. I'm going to clean the cat soon. Did it once, but tried...pretty unsuccessfully...to submerge it. The PH one is just too long. Spray bottle and fan great ideas.
 
Anyone know the findings from the steel cats that were sent back to Woodstock?
 
Looks like Woodstock has changed the steel cat from a wound crushed cat to a layered cat like the PH. I think it's an inprovement but I'm still not convinced it's better than a ceramic cat. I'll stick by my ceramic cat til I get more info.
 
Have to say I never had problem with the ceramic cat in the Fireview. Lasted five years. Always worked. I might check it once a year. The last time I checked it, after having some flame impingement, I could see a piece of it had started to crumple. Five years into its life, I figured it didn't owe me anything g and replaced it. The SS cat on the PH has been an adventure. Not a huge deal. Woodstock has been fine to deal with re the SS cat. It is being/has been improved.
 
Great. Glad to hear there's been some improvements.

Rideau- is hour cat one of the new cats Todd referred to? A layered cat? What sort of adventures?
 
I am bumping this thread up again. Sorry, it has been a while since I have been on guys.

I am back to running with a stainless steel scoop and stainless cat. I still am not settled on which one is better, still leaning on the ceramic.

I am on a second stainless steel cat, swapped out for a new one late last winter. I guess there is no warranty on replacement cats, just the one that came with the stove. In Woodstock's defense they have been very good to me considering I bought my stove abused and had rebuilt it all myself.

Woodstock did give me a price break on the replacement one but never did hear what the issue was with the one I sent back. I do not believe it is the multi-layer one that some of you are describing, but they said it was improved over the first release.

I am contemplating going with an aftermarket replacement ceramic cat when performance falls on this cat. I kind of like the extra firebox room the angled cast scoop gives you and easy of seeing that sweet glowing cat.

Side note: We would love to try the new steel stove out for a try on my setup =)
 
Do the wash on the stainless if performance drops off. It will be good as new.
 
Anyone know the findings from the steel cats that were sent back to Woodstock?

I was told the wound crushed cat may of forced most of the exhaust flow through the middle where the cells were larger and maybe it was degrading that area sooner. The new layered cat has a more even flow since the cells are all the same size like a ceramic cat. They also improved the wash coat.
 
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I did talk to Woodstock and found out this suggestion came from a supplier. One of the Woodstock folks gave it a try and found it works. This is good to know because as rideau found, bathing that long cat of a Progress could be a problem.

The newer cats which are just coming in now are again different and hopefully even better. They also come with their own frame but you will need those two bolts (shipping bolts that held the cat) that came with the stove to bolt this one in. It is very lightweight so this is why you need to bolt it in place.
 
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