Only thing I don't like about my new Manchester so far...

[rpwalton]

... is that I cannot ever see the catalysts to tell if they are working or not.
I just think it would be nice if there was a way to actually see the catalysts glowing orange when they are working.

 

[Woody Stover]

You should be able to tell if the cat is burning by the probe themometer. If it is in the active range, cat should be burning. And a cat can be burning, but not glowing. On a new load, you should see the needle rise fairly quickly in the active zone, if the cat has lit.
Or at the beginning of a load, with the bypass closed, if secondary flames aren't burning in the top of the box, yet the chimney is not smoking, then the cat must be burning the smoke.
Can you shoot the top of the firebox directly above the cat, with in infrared thermometer? On a new load, once the bypass is closed and the cat is burning, the temp of the box above it should rise quickly.

 

[rpwalton]

Yeah, just going by the cat probe getting into the active zone, seems to be working fine, no smoke at all from the chimney top.

 

[bholler]

Yeah, just going by the cat probe getting into the active zone, seems to be working fine, no smoke at all from the chimney top.

The cat probe is far better than visual indications regardless

 

[Woody Stover]

The cat probe is far better than visual indications regardless

Yeah, you can tell roughly how hot the cat is if it's glowing, but if it's burning and not glowing, the probe still tells you it's working.
I've been using the Auber digital thermometer with thermocouple cat probe that Todd gave me, for a couple months now...instant feedback on exactly what's happening when you make an air adjustment. 👍