Catalytic Stove; Smoke from chimney

[Jimmy C]

My Catalyst seems to be working, as I am usually in temps between 1100 and 1600 according to probe thermometer. Lights off pretty quickly in fact. I usually have the primary air shut down within 10 mins.
However, I am confused as to why I still see smoke coming from chimney during the burn phase. I will say.... some of my wood supply (mostly oak) is reading 21 or 22 percent moisture. Would this be the cause for the excess smoke? The wood supply has not caused the CAT to have problems operating correctly, according to the probe temps at least. Any one with catalytic stoves have an opinion on this?

 

[begreen]

Is it smoke (greyish) or steam (white)? Does it dissipate quickly or linger?

 

[Diabel]

Are we talking a lot of smoke (grey smoke) or some that vanishes 3-4ft past the exit?

 

[Jimmy C]

I figured it was smoke because it was greyish but its hard to tell. Gets dark so early, I will try and get a better look this weekend when I am home during daylight

 

[logfarmer]

Sometimes it is hard to tell, but the “cloud” should disappear within a few feet of exiting the chimney. If it stretching out 10-12’ it could be smoke but walk out to see if you can smell smoke or not!

 

[Poindexter]

You are going to have a steam plume. In below freezing temps it will be a cloud until the particles freeze together, gain weight, and succumb to gravity.

So if your smoke plume is 4 feet long, eight feet long, it is steam. I have seen 20 feet of steam plume, once, when the weather and wood were just right.

 

[Highbeam]

Sublimation. I don’t think it falls out as rain. Directly to gas.

Smell is no indicator. It’s all woodstove exhaust and will all stink.

It can be very difficult to determine if you have smoke or steam or a combination. It is also possible to get smoke right through an active cat.

 

[spudman99]

Keep in mind the amount of water in your wood. Typical load in a stove might be 30 lbs. At 20% moisture that is 6 lbs water. That much water is the equivalent of 3 quarts. Now that moisture does not burn all at once nor at the beginning. So you will see moisture for quite a bit of time as the wood burns down and releases internal water.

 

[Mark N MO]

My Buck 91 will smoke some on fires below CAT light-off, ~400°-500°. When it kicks in, there is literally no smoke, and it has a different smell. Depending on the temps, there may be some steam, usually below 25° or so. I don't know the moisture level of the wood I burn, but I'd guess what you're seeing is steam, if you're able to close down the primary air so soon. I don't know the workings of your stove, my Buck is very simple to operate. I do like you and close the primary air down ASAP.

 

[logfarmer]

Sublimation. I don’t think it falls out as rain. Directly to gas.

Smell is no indicator. It’s all woodstove exhaust and will all stink.

It can be very difficult to determine if you have smoke or steam or a combination. It is also possible to get smoke right through an active cat.

This is my second cat stove and I never smell wood smoke from the ground, I’m sure if I had my head my head at the top of the chimney I might?! If I do smell it either I’m waiting for the cat to light off or the cat is going bad. My experience, not saying you are wrong, 10 yrs with cat stoves so far.

 

[WoodBurnerInWI]

For my stove (the Ideal Steel) all the smoke disappears after I engage the cat. At this point, the smells coming out of the chimney is more akin to car exhaust or coal. This is how I know the catalyst is running fine. The times I have noticed smoke coming out of my catalyst was due to cat temps dropping over the course of the burn when they should have been raising. The culprit behind these events was some sub par splits that I accidently grabbed from a pile next to the dry stuff thinking it was another pile of ready to burn splits.