can I engage cat when burn time won't last the night?

[stoveliker]

Hi all, new member - meaning lots to learn here

I bought a home with a Dutchwest FA224CCL (or 264; both listed on the label), from '82 or '83.
It still runs well, with the stovepipe around 350 F, the door at 475 F, and the cat around 1000 F.
But loading it up with dry maple at 10:30 pm, and having the over the fire air 1/2 to 3/4 turns open overnight (all others closed), if I'm lucky I have two glowing spots at 8 am - all the rest has burned up cleanly. So I think it gets too much air - it's leaking here and there (I posted a request for contact info of someone who refurbishes this type of stove in the classifieds section - but would welcome suggestions here too).

My question here is: given that cats need temps >500 F or so, is it bad to engage the cat at 10:30 pm, and run the stove until it empties out (and is thus cooler than 500 F at the end)?
Or does that not matter because burning it "empty" means that when it cools down there is not (enough) smoke going thru the cat to damage it when it's not at temperature anymore?

Any and all opinions, expert advice, and other feedback of the likes I've seen around here (spending almost as much time here as in front of my stove playing with it to figure things out ) is welcome!

Thanks for indulging me.

 

[begreen]

If the cat is up to temperature (>500º) it's ok to run it with the bypass closed and leave it that way till morning.

 

[stoveliker]

thanks for your quick response!
To make sure there is no ambiguity left: you are saying that as long as it's up to temperature *at the start* it's okay to run with the bypass closed all night, even when after a couple of hours it drops below the 500 F threshold?

Thanks again to all of you for volunteering an incredible amount of advice and knowledge on this website!

 

[begreen]

Yes, that's right.

 

[stoveliker]

Yes, that's right.

Thank you!
Going to try tonight - curious whether there'll be still fire in the box tomorrow morning.

 

[LumberCity]

If you're afraid that there are leaks you can pick up a tube of stove cement and caulk all the seams in the firebox. It's more or less the same process as using standard caulking. It's not as permanent as a total rebuild but it will hold pretty well.

 

[stoveliker]

If you're afraid that there are leaks you can pick up a tube of stove cement and caulk all the seams in the firebox. It's more or less the same process as using standard caulking. It's not as permanent as a total rebuild but it will hold pretty well.

Thanks, yes I know. There are more issues than only that cement (broken hinge pin, cracker window), so I need a bit more than a tube of caulk.

Thanks for the advice though! Much appreciated!

 

[begreen]

Thanks, yes I know. There are more issues than only that cement (broken hinge pin, cracker window), so I need a bit more than a tube of caulk.

Under those conditions the stove should not be used! Fix them first.