FPX 44 elite catalytic converter

[Borneo hunt]

HI all-

Nice forum! I'm asking for help to replace the cat combustor on a wood burner, fireplace xtraordinairre. It's a 44 inch model with roughly an 18" by 3.5" ceramic converter. Amazon wants $405 for a new one, but with 9 kids under 14, that's hard for me to stomach! I installed the unit in 2004. Great fireplace, by the way.

Thanks for any help!

 

[velvetfoot]

Wrong forum.

 

[Borneo hunt]

This is a fireplace forum, is it not?

 

[begreen]

This is posted in the boilers and furnaces forum. Hearth.com's main forum covers wood stoves and fireplaces. I'll move it for you and welcome to hearth.com.

 

[begreen]

Same price at Condar. It's a large combustor. If the first one lasted 14 yrs, that's excellent.
(broken link removed to http://www.condar.com/woodstovecombustors/xtrordinair.html)

 

[Borneo hunt]

Oops. Thanks for doing so!

 

[webby3650]

You will also need a catalyst gasket kit. It may not be available aftermarket. Might be a dealer item?

 

[Mikeb]

I too burn a 44 elite. I occasionally remove the combustor to clean (either blow or vac)(slides right out). Where I live, we have no problems with the smoke Nazis and I have often considered just burning without the combustor. If burning dry wood, I wonder what the con's would be in doing so.

What happened to the combustor anyways?

 

[begreen]

Page 3 - CAUTION: DO NOT OPERATE WITHOUT THE CATALYTIC COMBUSTOR IN PLACE.
The manual specifically warns against running the stove with the combustor. It increases efficiency while reducing emissions.

 

[WoodyIsGoody]

I too burn a 44 elite. I occasionally remove the combustor to clean (either blow or vac)(slides right out). Where I live, we have no problems with the smoke Nazis and I have often considered just burning without the combustor. If burning dry wood, I wonder what the con's would be in doing so.

You will be cutting and hauling a lot more wood, your burn times will be much shorter and your stove won't put out as much heat.

What happened to the combustor anyways?

Sounds like it plain wore out after 13 years of use.

 

[webby3650]

I too burn a 44 elite. I occasionally remove the combustor to clean (either blow or vac)(slides right out). Where I live, we have no problems with the smoke Nazis and I have often considered just burning without the combustor. If burning dry wood, I wonder what the con's would be in doing so.

What happened to the combustor anyways?

Are you replacing the gasket each time you pull the cat?

 

[Borneo hunt]

The ceramic is disintegrating, and efficiency is decreasing. I too clean mine out twice a season, as it gets full of fine dust. If I do not do this, the cat clogs and the glass doors get stained with crap. Has anyone tried the stainless vs. ceramic cat burner?