New combustor...maybe it's not as bad as it looks.

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
  • Hope everyone has a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving!
  • Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
Status
Not open for further replies.

Woody Stover

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Dec 25, 2010
13,226
Southern IN
Picked up a combustor for the Buck 91; It came directly from firecatcombustors.com, the place they send you to from the Applied Ceramics site (Buck OE.) I almost sent this thing back. My first thought was "They should have a machine spraying on the catalyst, not some guy with a spray gun who gets distracted every time the hot office chica walks through the plant." ;lol
And where's the QC inspector? I could look down through the cells and see where there was little catalyst compared to other areas, or none at all. It is sprayed from both sides, and the other side looked pretty good.
Here's a question: If the combustor substrate is glowing, would it be burning smoke that passes through it, but not burning it if the cat wasn't glowing, whereas areas that were coated with catalyst would be burning it at that lower temp?
I understand that the catalytic metals aren't cheap, but I spent hundreds of dollars on this thing. Maybe I'm way off base on this. I saw one on Condar's site (made by Sud Chemie?) that had similar thin spots in the coating, but not to this extent. Maybe it doesn't mean I have a sub-standard comustor; It's working fine...so far. If it craps out early, though, I'll certainly be calling in the warranty...

Condar site pic:
[Hearth.com] New combustor...maybe it's not as bad as it looks.


My AC:
(broken image removed)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.