Time for a Fireview gasket replacing session, any suggestions

[fireview2788]

My Fireview has been in use for 7 years and I noticed more smoke smell in the house last winter than in previous and not as much heat from the cat. Per manufacturer specs it's time for a rebuild and a new cat. I keep the cat clean so it's not that she's dirty, she just lost her purr.

I've watched the videos and read the instructions in the kit, but I thought I would check with others to see if there were any recommendations from those that have done it before to make the task easier.


Thanks,
FV

 

[begreen]

Seven years is still pretty young. Hopefully the stove just needs new gaskets and a new cat. Should be fairly straight-forward. For sure give Woodstock a call for tips.

 

[Highbeam]

Per manufacturer specs it's time for a rebuild and a new cat.

What do you mean when you write "rebuild"? A rebuild normally means taking the dang thing apart into a pile of rocks and putting it back together. Surely you aren't thinking that this is necessary?

The cats don't last that long when you are a full time wood heater. 2-3 years is all. If you're at 7 on the original cat and you burn full time then I would consider testing the cat for function and testing the gaskets for sealing only.

 

[fireview2788]

What do you mean when you write "rebuild"? A rebuild normally means taking the dang thing apart into a pile of rocks and putting it back together. Surely you aren't thinking that this is necessary?

The cats don't last that long when you are a full time wood heater. 2-3 years is all. If you're at 7 on the original cat and you burn full time then I would consider testing the cat for function and testing the gaskets for sealing only.

Sorry, yes rebuild is misleading. Gasket replacing and a new cat, sorry. I am a full time burner but the cat has been doing great until last year. I clean it about three times a year. I'll be getting a new one when they are back in stock.

 

[begreen]

Have you tried pickling the cat to buy you some more time while waiting for new stock to get in?

 

[fireview2788]

Have you tried pickling the cat to buy you some more time while waiting for new stock to get in?

OK, I'll bite. What is "pickling" a cat?

 

[fireview2788]

Seven years is still pretty young. Hopefully the stove just needs new gaskets and a new cat. Should be fairly straight-forward. For sure give Woodstock a call for tips.

Actually, Woodstock said that's about the average life.

 

[Alpine1]

Pickling means boiling the cat in a bath of water and white vinegar. Some forum members did it with good results. Better do it in summer in the garden, or the kitchen windows wide open. A member posted a thread with pictures last autumn IIRC

 

[Highbeam]

The average user doesn’t burn wood for all of their heat. The average burner burns a single load of wood every few weekends at most. The average woodburner is not on this site. Catalysts are rated for 10,000 hours of active life and for some folks that is 50 years and for some of us that is just two years.

 

[begreen]

The average user doesn’t burn wood for all of their heat. The average burner burns a single load of wood every few weekends at most. The average woodburner is not on this site. Catalysts are rated for 10,000 hours of active life and for some folks that is 50 years and for some of us that is just two years.

Can you provide a link to the pickling of the BK cat for fireview2788?

 

[Highbeam]

Can you provide a link to the pickling of the BK cat for fireview2788?

Woodstock provides vinegar wash instructions on their very good website as I recall. After doing it once, I wouldn’t recommend it. You might get a few more months of life. A new cat is pretty cheap.

 

[Rickb]

Woodstock provides vinegar wash instructions on their very good website as I recall. After doing it once, I wouldn’t recommend it. You might get a few more months of life. A new cat is pretty cheap.

Is that a few more months of 24/7 use? Because for someone like me that runs their stove 4-5 days a week 5-6 hours a day that could a be a year of use.... Just wondering because after 5 years I am thinking of doing this.

 

[xman23]

The average user doesn’t burn wood for all of their heat. The average burner burns a single load of wood every few weekends at most.

I wonder, is that true. Are the majority of wood stove owners not using there stove for most of there heat? I think most here do. So there's huge amounts of stoves out there sitting cold like most fireplaces. Don't want to steal the thread, just curious. Any guess at the number of stoves out there?

 

[fireview2788]

Woodstock provides vinegar wash instructions on their very good website as I recall. After doing it once, I wouldn’t recommend it. You might get a few more months of life. A new cat is pretty cheap.

This may come in handy since the cats continue to be out of stock.

 

[Highbeam]

Is that a few more months of 24/7 use? Because for someone like me that runs their stove 4-5 days a week 5-6 hours a day that could a be a year of use.... Just wondering because after 5 years I am thinking of doing this.

I revived my cat with the vinegar boil method. It was not visibly plugged. It really did bring that cat back from dead for at least a few months of full time use. I’m sure a half time burner would get double that.

I’m keeping the vinegar method as a short term backup plan if cats are unable to be sourced.

The Woodstock clan is also fond of a vinegar rinse/spritz where you just spray the cat with vinegar and then rinse it with water.

I do not like hearing about any current model cat stove not being able to buy replacement cats. That’s not good at all.

 

[Highbeam]

I wonder, is that true. Are the majority of wood stove owners not using there stove for most of there heat? I think most here do. So there's huge amounts of stoves out there sitting cold like most fireplaces. Don't want to steal the thread, just curious. Any guess at the number of stoves out there?

We are the exception. The enthusiasts. The oddballs. The cool kids!

The huge majority of wood burning appliances sit cold 100% of the time. The majority of members on this site are not 100% wood heat.

 

[Lakeside]

"I've watched the videos and read the instructions in the kit, but I thought I would check with others to see if there were any recommendations from those that have done it before to make the task easier."

You may want to check the top seal for leaks if it looks like the culprit replace it. I replaced mine last year, to my surprise the mortar cement provided in the kit was no good. It was hard as a rock, so a quick phone call to woodstock and a new tube was mailed to me. So my advice is check the mortar first.