Catalytic combuster in flue pipe

[Joyboy]

Has anyone used these? I was looking at chimney liners and came across this. Evidently you install it as the first pipe coming out of the stove.

It's an entertaining thought if you had an older stove and it actually worked. About $200.

 

[ddddddden]

I don't think it will work as well as a catalyst in a stove designed around it.
How are you supposed to bypass this catalyst while the stove warms up? Lots of cold starts without bypassing the cat will gunk it up, and you will have a $200 flue obstruction.

 

[Joyboy]

I don't think it will work as well as a catalyst in a stove designed around it.
How are you supposed to bypass this catalyst while the stove warms up? Lots of cold starts without bypassing the cat will gunk it up, and you will have a $200 flue obstruction.

It bypasses like a regular stove pipe damper. I'm not sure how much this would help it stay clean though.

 

[webby3650]

It would be an interesting experiment if you can monitor cat temps.

 

[Joyboy]

It is interesting. Kinda like the down draft retrofit pipe they had at the wood stove decathlon. The intensifire? That was more like $400-$500 per stove.

Might be something to look at for older stoves in areas that are going to stricter emissions.

 

[Coyoterun]

Maybe I can get my Dad to try one in his old Woodchuck furnace. I wonder how much the thermal shock from opening the door would affect it. It would be a long ways from the door, but still.

What would you do, install a probe thermometer and then "close" the cat when flue temps reach 500dF?

 

[webby3650]

We have a few old ones laying around from the early 80's I think. It's definitely not a new idea.

 

[ddddddden]

It bypasses like a regular stove pipe damper. I'm not sure how much this would help it stay clean though.

Now I see the handle in the pic. . .if that doesn't lock down tight against a gasket when closed, it will probably work as well as the cat in my stove works when the gasket is bad. . . not very well. It may seal well and work, but maintaining draft in a cat stove can be tricky. The catalyst restricts the exhaust flow, similar to a pipe damper, and you have to turn the air down to let the catalyst really do it's thing. I would worry about stalling the cat. Also, larger stoves require larger cats. 3+ cu ft cat stoves with capacity like many old smoke dragons use a cat larger than what will fit in the stove pipe.