Catalyst temperature range you guys like to operate in

[handsplitter]

I am relatively new to the website and have much to learn. I have several questions and will keep each of them in its own thread.

Obviously it depends if you are in Alaska or Mississippi and what you're trying to achieve , time of year, size of your house, type of stove, etc.

I just got my first catalyst probe/thermometer so that is the reason I am asking. The active range is 500°F-1500°F. No doubt over the months and years I will figure out what works best in my situations but so many bright guys here that I will likely learn something if I ask.


I was just wondering if you guys had any general principles since my thermometer is new to me. And I assume all you guys are all proud of me trying to join your ranks by getting the catalyst probe?

 

[Woody Stover]

I've read that if you run it too hot (1800) you may shorten its life. I don't have a cat probe that works (too long if I use the hole provided, I would need a thermocouple) so I look at the intensity of the glow. I don't want to see that thing bright orange, I want a medium orange at most.

 

[ajayabb]

I try to run between 1100-1400


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jetsam]

I put wood in the stove, and the stove's thermostat worries about what temperature stuff is. That's the deal we have and I like it!

Keep it above 500 so the cat can do its work. Keep it below 1500 so you don't sinter the washcoat and lose a bunch of surface area. Aside from that, don't sweat it.

 

[handsplitter]

Thanks, helpful.

 

[jetsam]

BKVP posted a great illustration showing how the washcoat can sag and bury a lot of the catalyst. I'll see if I can find it.

Here it is!

 

[Highbeam]

How accurate are these cat gauges anyway? I don’t like to see more than 1500 or less than 500. I have the most control over the bottom, the top end is pretty hard to control. Sometimes turning the intake air down will make the cat temp go up!

My particular stove installation seems pretty controllable and I can keep my aftermarket cat meter with actual numbers in a safe range.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have the most control over the bottom, the top end is pretty hard to control. Sometimes turning the intake air down will make the cat temp go up! My particular stove installation seems pretty controllable and I can keep my aftermarket cat meter with actual numbers in a safe range.

Running a little flame in the box will eat some smoke and the cat will run cooler..but the stove walls may get hotter and you may not need that much heat in the house.

 

[jetsam]

Hmm. If you have access to a kiln or tempering oven or such, you could bake the thermometer at 500 for a couple hours to allow the oven firebrick to stabilize in temp, and then pop it open, read the probe, and zap the floor of the oven with an IR gun to double check the oven's thermometer. That should get you within the width of the needle, accuracy-wise, assuming the IR gun isn't too far off.

 

[Highbeam]

Hmm. If you have access to a kiln or tempering oven or such, you could bake the thermometer at 500 for a couple hours to allow the oven firebrick to stabilize in temp, and then pop it open, read the probe, and zap the floor of the oven with an IR gun to double check the oven's thermometer. That should get you within the width of the needle, accuracy-wise, assuming the IR gun isn't too far off.

Like the probe thermometers, the cat meters are designed to have their faces and bimetallic springs outside of the stove and indicate remotely. They should all read high when submerged in heated air.

 

[jetsam]

Like the probe thermometers, the cat meters are designed to have their faces and bimetallic springs outside of the stove and indicate remotely. They should all read high when submerged in heated air.

Guess you're drilling a hole in your kiln!

Maybe a garage sale toaster oven could be coaxed into holding 500°. Put a rack mounted oven thermometer in. You can calibrate the oven thermometer with an IR gun, and then use the oven thermometer to calibrate the flue probe thermometer. That could cost about $20 if you already have an IR thermometer.