Thermal shock question.

[RandyBoBandy]

Hi guys last week or so I started the thread "what to do". Basically asking what you guys do when you end up wanting to go to bed but the stove is somewhere around mid burn. A lot of people said just interrupt the burn and fill the box up. Ok sounds great! That got me thinking a little more. What about thermal shock to the cat? At what temp does this become a real issue? Should I be opening the bypass and letting the cat temps fall for a bit before opening the stove up to add more fuel?

 

[weatherguy]

Yes, absolutely open the bypass, never open the door without opening the bypass, in fact the two new woodstocks make it impossible to open the door without opening the bypass. Once you open the bypass when you open the door the air will not go through the cat.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I know I have to open the bypass before my griddle top. I guess what I'm asking is should I open the bypass then wait for cat temps to fall before opening the griddle to load up? Or is it fine to open bypass then open griddle right away and load up? Let's just say cat temp is around 700-750.

 

[weatherguy]

I'd do it right away, the airs bypassing the cat at that point.

 

[mellow]

I open my bypass and give it a minute if I have time, sometimes I will open the bypass for 20 seconds then open the door, I try to increase the draft before opening the door just so I have less chance of smoke rolling out.

As for your cat, I have loaded mine with the cat at 1200 degrees several times, thermal shock mostly comes from water hitting the cat from wet wood.

 

[jetsam]

If I am doing a hot reload I open the bypass, turn the fan up, check the time, go get wood. I try to give it 5 minutes before I crack the door. My stove manual says to give it 2.

This is just to let the cat cool down from red hot to internal stove temp.

My cat's been through almost one season of burning a lot of wet wood, and the front face still looks mint.