Green Mountain 60 Cat Placement

[Dajolu]

I have a brand new Hearthstone GM 60 and I put the soap stones in the firebox and the cats in their designated spots. Do the cats just sit in the slots? It says to install them through the access door in the back but they fit through the flue collar fine. There aren’t any gaskets or anything else to keep them in place? I guess they are fine as is?

 

[cabinwarmer]

There are wrap around "gasket" insulation pieces you should replace each time you clean them. Approx 1 inch wide.

 

[stoveliker]

Interam gaskets is what some vendors use.
They swell up to seal the cat in place. (and come out as powder when the cat is removed, hence the need to replace them each time - which may be every time you sweep seeing the position of the cat under the collar... )

 

[Dajolu]

My stove did not come with any gasket when I purchased it new. Some one in another thread told me theirs didn't ether. So I may just leave it as is..

 

[stoveliker]

I would agree; if it got approved in testing without gasket, why bother..
As long as there is no more permanent gasket I would not bother with the onetime use gaskets in your case.

 

[neverstop]

When I had the dealer that I bough my stove from reach out to Hearthstone they said that they putting the cat gasket on isn't a requirement. My response was 🤷‍♂️. They definitely EPA tested it that way initially, but at some point they just stop installing them from the factory.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

Thats a hell of a spot to put a catalyst..........

 

[Dajolu]

I'm not sure why everyone has an issue with the cat placement on Hearthstone Stoves. Can some one enlighten me? Isn't the purpose of the cat to further burn/clean unburnt gases exiting the stove. If so why is the placement poor. I don't know for sure, I am new to this.

 

[Wisco Shepherd]

I'm not sure why everyone has an issue with the cat placement on Hearthstone Stoves. Can some one enlighten me? Isn't the purpose of the cat to further burn/clean unburnt gases exiting the stove. If so why is the placement poor. I don't know for sure, I am new to this.

Some folks experience high rates of the cats clogging up with ash at faster rates when compared to other cat stoves. Its not a complete deal breaker but just seems like it could have been better thought out.

 

[stoveliker]

A cat below the flue pipe is going to catch anything that falls down.
You want gases to go thru the cat, not solids...

 

[tabner]

I think it's inefficient placement. Most of the heat they generate just goes up the flue. On the Hearthstones I think the Cats are just installed as a "scrubber" to clean up the emissions and pass testing. But they don't really improve the operation or heating ability of the stove.
On a BK where the cat sits horizontally, down inside the stove, with a baffle behind it to slow down some of that super hot exhaust, i think you get a lot more actual heating from the Catalyst.

 

[begreen]

On a BK where the cat sits horizontally, down inside the stove, with a baffle behind it to slow down some of that super hot exhaust, i think you get a lot more actual heating from the Catalyst.

Different technology, BKs are purely catalytic, Hearthstones are hybrids.

That said, I agree that some of these stoves don't look like the most efficient setup for recovering heat from the cat. Lopi, Regency Pro, Jotul, etc. hybrids all have a horizontally place cat.

 

[Dajolu]

Ok, I understand. Good points by all of you, Thank You for clearing that up. @stoveliker's comment would concern me the most, luckily I have a 90deg. going to a tee in a liner so I think I am safe from any debris coming down from the chimney.