this cat stove is making me angry

[ozarkjeep]

so, ive finally sort of gotten the hang of making the cat combustor glow

I can get it to glow within about 10 minutes of a wood reload, had it glowing just now, solid, all the way across ( its a 15"x2.5 combustor)

then, when I reduce the intake air, it stops glowing, and the temps start to drop again.

Why wont it keep going with out wide open air flow?

one thing too, it takes flames being sucked into the flame guard in front of the cat to get it to glow.

so, if I reduce the air flow for prolonged burn, the cat eventually stops glowing.

and the stove top temp..
when the cat is glowing, stove top goes to 700, when I reduce airflow, it steadily declines.

is this how it is supposed to work?

I thought, once lit, I would reduce airflow and it would stay hot for a long time?

is this the sign of a defective cat?

help and advice is greatly appreciated, im going thru wood like made here!

oh yeah, MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Merry Christmas!

Is this the new cat? You have been burning it for a while, is it by any chance clogged by particulates? I noticed a problem getting mine to light off and found the cat nearly clogged. After I gave it a good bath it is working much better now.

Matt

 

[ozarkjeep]

not a new cat, the one that came with the stove when I bought itused ( my guess is its old)

its working though, since I first posted this, top temp has fallen to 650, but holding steady with the air intake open about 20%.

I stacked the wood differently to try and direct the secondary flames into the front of the combustor better, that seems to help.

right now, it is burning hotter than ever, and longer than ever before.

maybe Ive finally gotten it figured out.

I dont understand why I need to keep enough air in there to ignite the secondary flames though, the blue/purple flames are whisping up and they explode when they touch the hot metal surfaces inside the stove.

cool to watch, but I guess thats an indicator to the proper gases, intake air flow, and temp.

?

the next time I reload Ill try again, and maybe be as successfull as THIS load.

thanks!

 

[DavidV]

I think the glowing cat is overrated. mine doesn't glow all that much but I have nothing but heat waves coming out of the chimney.

 

[ozarkjeep]

I agree DavidV, but in my limited experience, it needs to glow initially to get lit.

after that it can still be working, but I can tell by the stove top temps when its lit as well.

when ive got no glow, and no big temps up top, its not lit.

just reloaded, and it relit prety easily, letting it roast along for a bit before I damper it down.

 

[Todd]

It took me some trial and error to figure mine out. Mine doesn't always glow. It will glow with the initail reload and as the wood burns down the glow goes away and the temp drops. My manual says it doesn't have to glow to be working. Also have read that it starts to glow when the temp inside reaches 1000 degrees? If I fill the stove up to it's max I get a good red glow for quite awhile. The less wood I load the less I see the glow.

Could be the cat is due for replacement. Do you have a probe thermometer inside near the cat? If so what kind of temps? Also look at your chimney and check for smoke.

 

[ozarkjeep]

no probe inside, just my non contact IR to check with.

the smoke goes away for a time of the burn cycle, but always comes back at the end.

I do beleive it needs to be replaced, it works, BUT it is hard to light, and goes out quicker than I think it should.

Todd, you say your temp drops.

here is why I think mine is not working right, the temps drop on mine, and within an hour after the glow subsides, the top temp is even all the way around the top.
I can tell when the cat is burning from the hot spot on the stove top right behind the cat ( nearly 700 degrees when intake is open), the rear corners of the stovetop will still be in the 300 degree range.

after a while of burning with the air intake reduced, the glow goes away, and the top temps slowly drops, and will eventually be around 300 , just like the rest of the stovetop.

It took me some trial and error to figure mine out. Mine doesn't always glow. It will glow with the initail reload and as the wood burns down the glow goes away and the temp drops. My manual says it doesn't have to glow to be working. Also have read that it starts to glow when the temp inside reaches 1000 degrees? If I fill the stove up to it's max I get a good red glow for quite awhile. The less wood I load the less I see the glow.

Could be the cat is due for replacement. Do you have a probe thermometer inside near the cat? If so what kind of temps? Also look at your chimney and check for smoke.

 

[Todd]

no probe inside, just my non contact IR to check with.

the smoke goes away for a time of the burn cycle, but always comes back at the end.

I do beleive it needs to be replaced, it works, BUT it is hard to light, and goes out quicker than I think it should.

Todd, you say your temp drops.

here is why I think mine is not working right, the temps drop on mine, and within an hour after the glow subsides, the top temp is even all the way around the top.
I can tell when the cat is burning from the hot spot on the stove top right behind the cat ( nearly 700 degrees when intake is open), the rear corners of the stovetop will still be in the 300 degree range.

after a while of burning with the air intake reduced, the glow goes away, and the top temps slowly drops, and will eventually be around 300 , just like the rest of the stovetop.

It took me some trial and error to figure mine out. Mine doesn't always glow. It will glow with the initail reload and as the wood burns down the glow goes away and the temp drops. My manual says it doesn't have to glow to be working. Also have read that it starts to glow when the temp inside reaches 1000 degrees? If I fill the stove up to it's max I get a good red glow for quite awhile. The less wood I load the less I see the glow.

Could be the cat is due for replacement. Do you have a probe thermometer inside near the cat? If so what kind of temps? Also look at your chimney and check for smoke.

Yep, I think it's time for a new combustor. Your temps should stay up longer than that, and there should be no smoke from a couple minutes after you engage til the fire is completely out.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

guys correct me if im wrong , but shouldnt the catalyst be getting fresh air through a secondary tube leading up to just below the cat? ours had a small tube that released this air just below the catalyst , if this tube is plugged the cat wouldnt function correctly or would die when the stove was dampered back, i do not know the model in question here , but i'd check for this air supply and ensure that it is clear sounds like the cat is not getting what it needs to stay lit off

 

[elkimmeg]

Good suggestion about possibly clogged secondary air tubes. All stoves, not just Cat stoves ,should have total clean out prior to the start of the burnig season.
Fly ash is the #1 reason for lost preformance as stoves age. In some stoves, particial dissessembly may be required, to make sure fly ash is not clogging air passages.

 

[ozarkjeep]

You are correct!

and I clean that everytime I do an ash cleanout.
sometimes I clean it more than that if the combustor is especially cantankerous.

I do beleive I have a reduced capacity, worn down combustor.

guys correct me if im wrong , but shouldnt the catalyst be getting fresh air through a secondary tube leading up to just below the cat? ours had a small tube that released this air just below the catalyst , if this tube is plugged the cat wouldnt function correctly or would die when the stove was dampered back, i do not know the model in question here , but i'd check for this air supply and ensure that it is clear sounds like the cat is not getting what it needs to stay lit off