Opinion on Catalytic Converter

[may79]

Please see the attached photos, I'm looking for opinions on the condition of the Cat. It is out of a Defiant Encore; I believe model #0028. There is no serial tag on the stove, so I'm basing it off photos I've seen posted here of other 0028s. The stove came with a house that we purchased in February 2019. So I'm not the original owner, the lady we purchased the house from said it was there when they purchased the home in 2000 (the home was built in 1983 according to the deed history). She also said the stove had not been used since 2008 when her husband passed. The stove appears to have been used very little, as it is in pristine shape. There are a couple minor chips in the enamel, but otherwise it looks brand new. There is no indication of warping on the fireback and when I had the cat access cover off the refractory looks to be in excellent condition from what I can see. The insurance company required an inspection and flue cleaning/inspection before they would write my homeowner's policy. I had both done prior to using the stove and everything came back clear.

When I pulled the cat out in November to inspect it, it appeared to still have a yellowish ceramic coating on it. After using the stove the last several months, I wanted to inspect it again. I had very little ash built up, but it is now white like the ceramic coating burned off. It still lights off and when it does I see almost no smoke coming out of the flue, just wisps of steam. I also cleaned the flue last week with a sooteater and got maybe 1/3 - 1/2 cup of brown powder, so it seems to be burning very clean. Given the cost of a new cat, I don't want to replace it prematurely if it still has usable life left. However, since I don't know the history of the stove I'm not opposed to replacing it.

 

[toddnic]

Looks fine! As long as it is working well, nothing to worry about. Just keep it clean (i use a shopvac and very low pressure air). Also, you can do a thorough clean at the end of season (directions can be found in the forum).

 

[Diabel]

It looks fine to me. Be very careful putting it back in. The refractory is very fragile there, especially the sides.

 

[Highbeam]

The yellow with brown streaks is how a new ceramic cat comes from the factory. They turn white or grey after the first use. You may have had a new cat and certainly there is no need to replace it if the stack emissions are clean. If you feel like you need to do something you could always buy a new cat for the eventual replacement. With an older stove it might be harder to find that particular cat someday.

 

[may79]

Thanks for all of the responses. The stove is not my main source of heat, I have gas forced air. I get a lot of enjoyment out of firing it and stacking/splitting wood. On the weekends, when I can burn all day, it heats the entire house which is close to 2,400 sq. feet. I don't see the burn times that others see, I'm getting 5-6 hours. It's getting better each time I burn though as I learn the stove better.

I've been seriously mulling over purchasing a new stove, something along the lines of the Englander NC-13. Especially now that they are on sale. I didn't want to get into rebuilding this and spending close to what I'd have in a newer stove. However, I may just hold off. I really don't think this stove was used at all, and if it was it definitely wasn't used hard.

 

[begreen]

The 13NC is undersized, see if you can get a 30NC instead. And also consider a Drolet HT2000 or HT3000.

 

[Diabel]

Here is a picture of a spent cat. Just for reference. It was used for 5 seasons (almost 24/7).

 

[jetsam]

You can't tell if a cat is good from looking at it (without a microscope, anyway, and I think you'd have to break the cat up to get it under the microscope).

You can sometimes tell if it is bad, if it has suffered severe thermal or mechanical damage to the substrate (see Diabel's photo above).

If unsure about an old one, the best way is to just give it a vinegar bath, then burn it and see if it works.

A cat can last forever. It depends on hours burned, how it was treated, and what the user's definition of acceptable performance is. Someone who demands higher performance from their cat will probably be replacing it every 10,000 hours or so.

 

[Diabel]

The cells disintegrated upon removal. However, in its lifespan it did see several 1600 + brief episodes.

 

[may79]

Thanks again... I appreciate the photo, it definitely gives me a reference point.

Begreen, I knew the NC13 would be undersized if my intent was heating the entire house. I'm not necessarily looking to do that, as I have a furnace for my main heat source. The 30NC is definitely on my radar though. There are versions of it readily available at Lowes/Home Depot. I may end up with one if I'm in there and the price is right. I just really like the look of the NC13 with the optional legs as opposed to the 30NC with the pedestal base.

 

[begreen]

The 30NC should ship with both the legs and pedestal. It's up to the user how it is setup.

 

[may79]

Thanks. I'm going to head out and look at one this evening.

 

[Highbeam]

I own an NC30 and it comes with the pedestal attached and a seperate box with the legs. I'm not fond of the legs look on this stove so I left the pedestal on. She's a heating machine! Lots of space to chuck in a few splits at a time if you want a pretty fire or you can stuff it full for pretty high heat. At 3.5 cubic feet it is one of the largest stoves available.

 

[may79]

Here are a few photos of the stove. I almost hate to even consider getting rid of it, because it is in such good shape given its age.

 

[begreen]

For the best price, if you are going to sell the stove, sell now or wait until late next Sept.

 

[weatherguy]

You might be able to get the NC30 on end of year sale if you wait

 

[begreen]

You might be able to get the NC30 on end of year sale if you wait

They seem to be getting rarer. Not sure what England is going to do in the future with this stove even though it's always been a very clean burner.

 

[Highbeam]

And the windows don’t fall out, doors don’t warp, etc. hard to understand why Englander seems to have bailed on this time proven heater.