Catalytic Combustor

[Marcski]

Good day - new to the wood stove thing - got a HearthStone II for free. I have burned 1/2 a cord of wood though it - was cleaning it out today and saw this "honey combed" cylinder sitting in it. Navigated to this site and found out it is called a "Catalytic Combustor". Several questions:

1) Can stove be run without it
2) The actual unit itself is intact, I can't tell how it fits in the part it "fell" out of. Any thoughts - appears maybe with some sort of gasket material - I took out the insert part from top of inside of stove and it is fine and the combustor looks fine - I noticed what looked like a gasket type piece in stove as I was cleaning it - does it just get sandwiched in that unit with the "gasket" holding it in place?
3) Any leads on parts required to "fix" it, even if it can be run without it I want it fixed. I think it is responsible for "keeping" heat in stove and slowing it down from going right up the chimney.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Marc

 

[tarzan]

You are on the right track, Replace It! A working cat is what makes your stove run as advertised. I wouldn't advise running it without the cat.

 

[defiant3]

Generally that's true, but the H 2 was in production when the EPA rules went into effect in the 80's and they simply retrofittted a cat. to it. It was a great stove without the catalyst, and if the thing just fell out, that says to me there's damage to the baffle that supports it. I'd just run the stove for now, enjoy the "soapstone advantage" as it is, and maybe replace the baffle with a regular non-catalyic baffle in the spring and never look back. GREAT old stove!!

 

[jetsam]

Check with your stove manufacturer to see if it's safe to run the stove without the cat. If the old cat is damaged or poisoned, you may need to replace it ($100-$300). Either way, you should buy a new cat gasket ($5-$25).

You DO want it properly installed and working; at high burn rates it is making a good chunk of your stove's heat; at low burn rates it is making almost all of your stove's heat. You're wasting wood and polluting if you don't get it working properly.

 

[Marcski]

Ok, I guess the question is ---> there appears to be 3 parts to it -- 1) "Cat" itself -- 2) the "ring" it sits into that sets into top part of stove -- and 3) whatever holds the Cat to the ring that sits in the upper part of stove. None of the parts listing I see even shows the complete unit. Anyone have one or know where I can get a list that shows the entire assembly? Or am I just thinking it's three parts and is really only one that has disintegrated?

 

[Bobbin]

I can't speak to Hearthstones, but we do have 2 Woodstocks (a 1991 Fireview, and a 2007 Classic) both are now "classic" wood stoves! We bought both of them new and have maintained them over the years. I can tell you that a working catalytic combustor in your stove is like the difference between night and day! Sure, you can run the stove without a functional cat. combustor, but why would you want to when using one boosts heat and "scrubs" emissions? You'll get more heat and burn less wood.

I need to replace the cat. in my beloved Classic (the model I need is backordered) and I've really noticed the drop in efficiency, longer times to achieve a nice hot burn and a quicker temperature "fall off". I noticed the drop in efficiency last winter but let it lie. Shouldn't have! when our stoves are in tip-top condition they deliver heat effortlessly.

Replace the cat. combustor and marvel at the difference.