Progress Hybrid Sweepings...

[rideau]

Had not swept the chimney for my Progress Hybrid since early Spring 2012. Just swept with standard brushes. Soft light brown powder on the pipe, total of perhaps a cup, Seemed nearly as much light powder in the area below where the stove pipe attaches to the stove, when I removed the slip section to sweep from below, as in the slip section and remaining pipe/chimney. Swept from below with standard brushes and plastic bag taped to the ceiling box. No mess at all.

I have just installed a much larger diameter gasket around my cat, as I found the original gasket just fell apart into small pieces. I hadn't though the large gasket would fit in, as the small one seemed tight, but the large gasket fit is easily. I'm interested to see if this new gasket makes any difference in the accumulation of powder on the downside of the cat, or changes the performance of the stove in any way. I have gone back to the original screen in my stove. So far, so good. I prefer the design. Just wish it were easier to install.

 

[Machria]

I swept my chimney a few weeks ago using the $49 sweep brush that was on sale everyone was talking about, just attaches to a hand drill. Worked like a charm. I also had a total of about 1 cup come out of the chimney, most of it was in the first 6 or 8 feet from the stove. And I vacumed about a cup of dust... inside the stove below where the pipe goes in.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

The amount of soot you got does not surprise me. You no doubt got about the same with your Fireview. I remember we got only about a cup of soot and fly ash after 2 winters with our Fireview. Haven't cleaned it since but do plan on doing it before fall, just for kicks.

If the larger gasket works okay for the cat, then it can be a good thing but I doubt it will make any difference in the amount of fly ash beyond the cat. Time will tell on this one. Please let us know how it works out.

 

[fire_man]

Rideau

Why did you go back to the original screen? Is this the original 2 piece curve shaped screen with the smaller hole size? The only reason I can see to go back to that screen is if it keeps the cat from getting clogged.

Or was your one piece screen sagging?

 

[rideau]

My one piece screen sagged no matter what I did, and just didn't seem like as good a design for the stove. When I finally removed it and looked at all the powder everywhere on it, I was glad I had removed it. It certainly did not effectively stop fly ash. It is the original two piece curved screen design. The curved screen seems to me a better fit for the stove...just a pain getting in, and hard to clean without knocking down. I asked Woodstock to send me one that slid together well: my original screen had rough, loose wire and caught something awful. The new screen has an extra finished edge and is much better. I can definitely go longer with the original screen between cleaning the cat. I do (did) have the problem with the cat clogging. Not so much with the original design screen, but still....I really suspect the cat stays cleaner with an ash drawer. Don't want one, but may experiment...

 

[Todd]

These are steel cats right? I wonder if a ceramic cat has bigger cells than the PH steel cat which could allow more fly ash to pass through and not clog? I have noticed in their other stoves that the new s/s scoop screen does prevent less fly ash on the cat but you also have to clean the scoop more often. It is easier for me to get at the scoop than the cat.

I noticed the new Lopi Cape cod hybrid doesn't even have a screen and doesn't seem to have any issues.

 

[rideau]

A ceramic cat does have bigger cells. The steel cat works very well - I think handles wetter wood better than the ceramic...but with only some of the PH we found the entry side of the cat got a lot of light fly ash accumulating on it. Most people do not have the problem. We were trying to figure out in which scenarios the accumulation was a problem. I wonder if it isn't when one has no ash pan and a lot of fly ash in the stove. My draft is such that I can see the fly ash being pulled up. I suspect if I had an ash pan the fly ash would settle into the pan and be much less likely to be pulled up toward the cat. Just my hypothesis. I don't like the way the ash pan looks, or I would have added one already. (I shouldn't put it so strongly -rather, I prefer the way the stove looks without an ash pan.) May try the ash pan this winter as an experiment. First, I am adding a damper to cut my draft. If that takes care of the ash accumulation, good. If not, I'll likely try the ash pan mid winter.

 

[fire_man]

I can't wait for winter just so we can see how Rideau fixes the clogging problem! This has been a tricky issue.

 

[teutonicking]

Had not swept the chimney for my Progress Hybrid since early Spring 2012. Just swept with standard brushes. Soft light brown powder on the pipe, total of perhaps a cup, Seemed nearly as much light powder in the area below where the stove pipe attaches to the stove, when I removed the slip section to sweep from below, as in the slip section and remaining pipe/chimney. Swept from below with standard brushes and plastic bag taped to the ceiling box. No mess at all.

I have just installed a much larger diameter gasket around my cat, as I found the original gasket just fell apart into small pieces. I hadn't though the large gasket would fit in, as the small one seemed tight, but the large gasket fit is easily. I'm interested to see if this new gasket makes any difference in the accumulation of powder on the downside of the cat, or changes the performance of the stove in any way. I have gone back to the original screen in my stove. So far, so good. I prefer the design. Just wish it were easier to install.

Hi Rideau,

Did you get the larger gasket from Woodstock? If so, are they recommending it instead of the smaller one now? I may ask them to send me a new "old" screen as well. I am having some trouble installing the new one, and I have read some posts such as yours that the new one has some issues.

 

[Waulie]

I just swept my chimney after a year of burning the Progress. I got about a cup of brown powder as well. I do still have a little bit of black build up in the top of chimney past where it exits the roof which I'm sure is because I have a masonry chimney and it's cold up there! It's probably fresh loads that smoke until the cat is engaged that condenses up there, but it's not a huge concern as it's just a little bit.

I still prefer the new screen by a huge margin, but I don't have any cat clogging issues. The new screen does tend to sag so a couple of times last year I had to remove, bend, and replace. Still much easier IMO than dealing with the old screen. Again, if my cat was clogging that would change everything.

 

[Woody Stover]

Well, I got about a 1.5-qt. saucepan's worth. Exterior masonry chimney, 17' insulated liner. Most of my wood was pretty dry.

I can't wait for winter just so we can see how Rideau fixes the clogging problem! This has been a tricky issue.

Do you have a strong draft, as rideau does? I know from experience that there's way more ash flying around in the Fv box, with all that ash falling off the sides of the shovel, as opposed to moving a poker through the ash (below the top surface of the ashes) to drop it through the grate into the pan in the Ks. Even though you have the bypass open, air is still drawn through the cat to some extent, at least on those stoves. No experience with the PH....

 

[Woody Stover]

I'll have to see how fast ash collects on the cat with the Ks this season; Haven't run it for a full season yet like I did with the Fv. Both have steel screens.

 

[rideau]

Be interested to hear, Woody. With the Fireview, ceramic cat, same flue, but rear exit stove so added 90 degree turn in the set up, I never got any built up in my cat. Cleaned once a year, and didn't really need it then.

 

[Woody Stover]

Be interested to hear, Woody. With the Fireview, ceramic cat, same flue, but rear exit stove so added 90 degree turn in the set up, I never got any built up in my cat. Cleaned once a year, and didn't really need it then.

As Todd mentioned, I don't think the ceramic, with the bigger cells, collects nearly as much fly ash, even though the screen should catch more, vs. expanded-steel on the ceramic. I have both setups for the Ks....

 

[Todd]

As Todd mentioned, I don't think the ceramic, with the bigger cells, collects nearly as much fly ash, even though the screen should catch move, vs. expanded-steel on the ceramic. I have both setups for the Ks....

I've tested every different setup and found the s/s scoop and ceramic cat worked best for me.

 

[Machria]

"Scoop"? What is the "scoop"?

Rideau, GET THE ASHPAN! You can't even see my ahspan, of course my stove is sitting on pretty dark colored slat tile, so maybe that is why, it blends in. But seriously, you really can't see the thing. I also have the front ash lip, that also hides it a bit. BUT, having said all that, the ahpan works sooooooo well, I really can't see onwing this particular stove without it. It's huge, easy to use, works really well. Then throw in it might solve your other issue, GET IT already!

Regarding the screens. I never had any cat cloggging issues, or screen sagging or clogging issues at all. But Woodstock sent me an updated screen recently with some other updates they did, and the new screen has a few supports welded on it. I suspect it would not sag at all because it has these new supports on it. Anywho....

 

[fire_man]

Do you have a strong draft, as rideau does?

I have an average draft - 15 foot insulated SS liner. I do not have (so far!) a cat clogging problem and I do not have the ashpan.

 

[Tenn Dave]

"Scoop"? What is the "scoop"?

Rideau, GET THE ASHPAN! You can't even see my ahspan, of course my stove is sitting on pretty dark colored slat tile, so maybe that is why, it blends in. But seriously, you really can't see the thing. I also have the front ash lip, that also hides it a bit. BUT, having said all that, the ahpan works sooooooo well, I really can't see onwing this particular stove without it. It's huge, easy to use, works really well. Then throw in it might solve your other issue, GET IT already!

Regarding the screens. I never had any cat cloggging issues, or screen sagging or clogging issues at all. But Woodstock sent me an updated screen recently with some other updates they did, and the new screen has a few supports welded on it. I suspect it would not sag at all because it has these new supports on it. Anywho....

Like Machria says, you really don't notice the ash pan very much. If I were to get the optional ash lip, I don't think you would notice it at all. Click on the picture I have attached and judge for yourself.

 

[Woody Stover]

"Scoop"? What is the "scoop"?

The bottom is a sheet of stainless to keep the flames from hitting the cat. The back of the sheet is up against the top of the firebox, the front is down from the top a few inches to let the exhaust pass through the cat when the bypass is close, then there's a stainless screen around the opening to create turbulence and catch some of the fly ash.