Failed Cats

[clemsonfor]

Well I know my cats have not been burning as efficient this year, I had a darker chimney up top and am getting more smoke. Well I went up about 3-4 weeks ago maybe 5?? It was looking glazed at the top and I had been noticing more creosote, but other than the top of the cap there was no chunky globs of creosote. Well went up this week and it looks like globs of the stuff hanging all over the edges and in the holes of the screen This is all in a few weeks. ANd some days I have not been burning for a few days and others just an evening fire. So there have been more restarts on a colder chimney but not as many as early in the season. Those cats just fell off a cliff! I mean for the last few seasons I have not had the slightest bit of creosote at the top of the chimney then all of a sudden a ton of it. I don't have a liner yet which Is on the list so this is on the flue tiles. I am going to get something here and clean it in a week or so when all the fires stop. What probably got it was the less than optimal wood that I have been burning, which was better this year than last and will only get better from here on out.

I ll get some pics when it cools next and post them. Looks pretty bad to have occurred in suchj a short time

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Even with a good catalyst, if you burn wood that is not ready you will reap the harvest of creosote. Cats can not take care of poor fuel. In addition, water is an enemy of cats.

Lesson learned: dry wood is still needed no matter what stove you have.

 

[clemsonfor]

I know but burn what you have, that's what I have been doing. And yes Cats can make up for less than primo wood, they did if for 3 years, then all of a sudden whamo. I put the early death on them I know but the wood was what I had as I caught up last year. next year I will be on almost 2 year wood and the year after that should be on close to 3 year wood. Like I said I was just up there and nothing, then this week was awful. And I have not burned that much in the last 3 weeks.

 

[mellow]

Warm weather like we have been having will wreck havoc on your draft, especially with no liner.

Try cleaning your cats first before writing them off: (broken link removed to http://www.woodstovecombustors.com/Cleaning_your_combustor.html)

 

[clemsonfor]

Ill clean them but I think they have had it, like I say I know I have run some less then optimal wood through them. Ill probably order some new ones this summer and clean these. I have burned in years past in weather like this and not had any buildup. Like I said I have not brushed the liner since stove was installed this is the 3rd season on it. Each year I go up and check several times in the season, last year and the first of this year the only sign was some fly ash and soot up there, nothing concerning even at the top 6"s of the flue, this time it was awful and dripping from the cap looking. You will see when I take the pics. It looks like something that was burned 24/7 with GREEN wood. I have been burning a mix the last 2 weeks of some wood that is 20% some that is 15% and some that is around 27%MC far from green. Really even the stove manual says wood that has been seasoned a year is fine. But this chimney looks awful!

 

[mellow]

Well, the manual also says to install it as a slammer, so you gotta take it with a grain of salt.

 

[clemsonfor]

haha, good point

 

[rideau]

Well I know my cats have not been burning as efficient this year, I had a darker chimney up top and am getting more smoke. Well I went up about 3-4 weeks ago maybe 5?? It was looking glazed at the top and I had been noticing more creosote, but other than the top of the cap there was no chunky globs of creosote. Well went up this week and it looks like globs of the stuff hanging all over the edges and in the holes of the screen This is all in a few weeks. ANd some days I have not been burning for a few days and others just an evening fire. So there have been more restarts on a colder chimney but not as many as early in the season. Those cats just fell off a cliff! I mean for the last few seasons I have not had the slightest bit of creosote at the top of the chimney then all of a sudden a ton of it. I don't have a liner yet which Is on the list so this is on the flue tiles. I am going to get something here and clean it in a week or so when all the fires stop. What probably got it was the less than optimal wood that I have been burning, which was better this year than last and will only get better from here on out.

I ll get some pics when it cools next and post them. Looks pretty bad to have occurred in suchj a short time

Once you start seeing smoke coming out your chimney, your cat is compromised and you should either clean it and see if it solves the smoke issue and if not replace it, or just replace it. You should not burn a cat stove with visable smoke coming out the chimney at any time other than start up. If you burn with smoke coming out the chimney, the cat is not working, and you are putting all the smoke up the flue at low temps, so you are accumulating more creosote than you would burning with a non cat stove at higher temps. If you are still burning, don't wait until next year to get a cat. Get it now. You'll just keep adding creo otherwise. And.I'd clean what I could now. If you have stuff like that you are at risk for a chimney fire. Any reason you didn't clean when you were up inspecting the cap?

 

[Woody Stover]

I would clean 'em first; The cats ain't cheap! Then try burning your reload hotter, longer at startup to cook more of that moisture out of the wood before engaging. Moisture is still going up the flue but maybe the cat will work a bit better on the particulate...

 

[clemsonfor]

Once you start seeing smoke coming out your chimney, your cat is compromised and you should either clean it and see if it solves the smoke issue and if not replace it, or just replace it. You should not burn a cat stove with visable smoke coming out the chimney at any time other than start up. If you burn with smoke coming out the chimney, the cat is not working, and you are putting all the smoke up the flue at low temps, so you are accumulating more creosote than you would burning with a non cat stove at higher temps. If you are still burning, don't wait until next year to get a cat. Get it now. You'll just keep adding creo otherwise. And.I'd clean what I could now. If you have stuff like that you are at risk for a chimney fire. Any reason you didn't clean when you were up inspecting the cap?

Cause i have to order the brushes, i dont own them yet. I would have done it if i did.

 

[clemsonfor]

I would clean 'em first; The cats ain't cheap! Then try burning your reload hotter, longer at startup to cook more of that moisture out of the wood before engaging. Moisture is still going up the flue but maybe the cat will work a bit better on the particulate...

I had this last week sometime. I forgot to close the bypass one night and i took a shower and was watching tv and remembered it. My cat temp probe was at 1500 without them engaged I then engaged them and reduced the air, so they were getting some pretty hot smoke up them at that point when they first were engaged.

 

[nate379]

"I know but burn what you have, that's what I have been doing. "

No, get good wood!

"Cats can make up for less than primo wood, they did if for 3 years"

No, you will kill it, probably what you did burning crap wood! The local stove shop has a wall of shame with cats on it. Some were destroyed in only a few WEEKS from burning wet wood, trash, not running the stove correctly, etc.

 

[rideau]

I also noted you have had the stove for three years and have never cleaned the flue, just visually inspected it. I think that's a dangerous practice with a new stove. I'd sure like to see the owner of a new stove clean the stove at least once at the end of the first burn year, to make certain he/she knows without question whether or not there is a creosote issue, and to get an idea how often the chimney needs cleaning. While many have posted that their greatest residue in chimney is near the top, for instance, the only place I have ever had any is right near the stove in the chimney pipe. Takes so little time and money to take this significant step in increasing stove safety.

 

[mellow]

Clem's is coming along, heck he is even getting a liner for his install. Baby steps....

 

[rideau]

Yes, I know that, and I applaud Clem for caring and posting and resolving his issues.

I just didn't like to see that 3-year item go uncommented upon, in the best interest of any newbies who might be reading the post and think that was OK or routine practice. It's risky.

 

[clemsonfor]

yea i know 3rd season cleaning is a no no for a new stove guy. But like I said I go up there almost every 4-6 weeks during the winter to look. The cap is below my line of sight so I can kind of see down into it, at least on one side for about 6-10's. Its on the side of the house so I cant walk all around it just on the high side of it next to the edge of the roof. Anyway there has never been more than a barely I mean barely coating of anything more than dust like stuff on it, that is until this last check, and since the last one it was about 3-4 weeks, and not even 24/7 burning in that time. I know it was about that time frame cause I noticed some exposed nails on my new roof. I called the roofer, and when I called back as I had not heard from them the lady said oh they went out already, "that was like 3 weeks ago right"?

this will be a pricy off season I see, new liner, and new cats!