Vermont castings defiant encore clogging cat issue

[joebass]

Hi everyone!
I had another post about buying a used Jotul stove, but I missed out on it, and I'm also stubbornly wanting to get my VC back in tip top shape since I love it so much when it's working properly.
I did a complete rebuild 4 years ago including new cat, refractory box and fireback. It ran perfect for one season with a condar steelcat. During the second season, the cat started clogging often. Condar generously exchanged the steel cat for a ceramic one. This improved the situation a little, but the problem persists and has gotten worse, to the point that I have to clean the catalyst weekly now. WIth my install this is a royal pain. The first season after rebuild I only cleaned the cat at the end of the season, even when I burned some greenish not so great stuff at the end of the season.
When I clean the cat it works perfect for about 2 days. Then the cat seems to clog with fly ash, making the stove slow and smoldery, once the cat chamber is engaged. I'm burning nice clean dry hard wood, and the same thing has happened with several different loads of wood, so I'm sure it's not a wood issue. I just ordered a gasket kit, and I'm about to tear it all down and do a full clean and inspection, plus regasketing everything. Have any of you had similar problems? Any specific spots that I should triple check? Could a worn out cat cause this? I love this stove so much when it's running properly... I would love to get another few seasons out of it while saving pennies to get the woostock progress hybrid of my dreams...



Thanks!

-j

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Hi everyone!
I had another post about buying a used Jotul stove, but I missed out on it, and I'm also stubbornly wanting to get my VC back in tip top shape since I love it so much when it's working properly.
I did a complete rebuild 4 years ago including new cat, refractory box and fireback. It ran perfect for one season with a condar steelcat. During the second season, the cat started clogging often. Condar generously exchanged the steel cat for a ceramic one. This improved the situation a little, but the problem persists and has gotten worse, to the point that I have to clean the catalyst weekly now. WIth my install this is a royal pain. The first season after rebuild I only cleaned the cat at the end of the season, even when I burned some greenish not so great stuff at the end of the season.
When I clean the cat it works perfect for about 2 days. Then the cat seems to clog with fly ash, making the stove slow and smoldery, once the cat chamber is engaged. I'm burning nice clean dry hard wood, and the same thing has happened with several different loads of wood, so I'm sure it's not a wood issue. I just ordered a gasket kit, and I'm about to tear it all down and do a full clean and inspection, plus regasketing everything. Have any of you had similar problems? Any specific spots that I should triple check? Could a worn out cat cause this? I love this stove so much when it's running properly... I would love to get another few seasons out of it while saving pennies to get the woostock progress hybrid of my dreams...



Thanks!

-j

usually there is an air source supplying the cat, instead of it having to use half spent air from the primary, look for this assuming it has one and ensure that it is not restricted somehow.

 

[defiant3]

Normally, most fly ash gets drawn THROUGH the cat., and ends up in the refractory assy., or in the chambers next tio it. Yes eventually some will obstruct the cat., but it normally takes a full season or even more, as you had found previously.

My 1st wild guess is that for some reason, the draft at the catalyst is insufficient to draw the ash through. Not sure why, never in 25 years heard of this happening. If there were an alternative route for air to take such that it went up the chimney and not to the primary air channels, it might cause this. Again, wild guess, but it's possible. If the BACK were not sealed well for instance? 2190's and 2550's have sort of gaping channels to be cemented, and it could be possible to miss this on a rebuild. I guess.

Or if you had suddenly burned a load magazines...

 

[defiant3]

Yes there is a source of air to the catalyst, but if it were messed up either the cat would overfire or may not fire at all. Probably wouldn't present these symptoms, but who knows? Check the 2ndary air probe and its gate.

 

[Simonkenton]

Are you a masochist?
Ditch that Vermont Castings and get a Jotul.