What happened to my cat?

[Dare]

I've owned a kuma sequoia for about a year now. The compartment at the top is filled with hard matter that isn't ash. What is this? Is it a crumbling catalytic combustor? Stove performance is poor. The process of inspecting further involves a lot of steps, so I haven't done that yet. Thanks in advance.

 

[mellow]

Looks like that cat is shot, you should see something that resembles honey combs. Contact Kuma as it should still be under warranty, even if it is prorated will be cheaper than buying a new one.

 

[Dare]

What could cause it to fail in one year?

 

[mellow]

For one to fail in a year it is usually due to 2000+ temps consistently.

 

[bholler]

Or thermal shock from very wet wood.

 

[mellow]

Are you monitoring your cat temps with a probe (looks like it but want to make sure)?

 

[Dare]

no, not measuring temps with a probe. i'm guessing it's probably from having wet wood and not letting it get going enough before engaging the cat. Didn't really know what I was doing, with this being my first stove.

 

[mellow]

That would have to be some really wet wood to destroy it like that in one year, more than likely it was going over 2000+ for it to crumble that much so fast.

You really need to monitor the temps on these cats, they don't like you going over 1800 depending on the cat.

 

[mellow]

The other reason I say heat is what killed it is looking at your damper housing, it is already starting to sag from being overheated, not good for only 1 year of burning.

 

[Dare]

The other reason I say heat is what killed it is looking at your damper housing, it is already starting to sag from being overheated, not good for only 1 year of burning.

so replace housing, cat, and burn less wood in it so it doesn't get too hot?

 

[mellow]

You might be able to bang out the housing flat once you get it out (I have seen a lot worse), I would talk to Kuma about that and how to install a cat probe on that stove.

You can load it up with (dry) wood, that isn't the issue, you need to control your primary air better and keep the cat from going nuclear. You are flying blind without knowing the cat temps, it would be like driving your car without a speedometer.

Are you monitoring the exhaust or stove top temps?

 

[Dare]

You might be able to bang out the housing flat once you get it out (I have seen a lot worse), I would talk to Kuma about that and how to install a cat probe on that stove.

You can load it up with (dry) wood, that isn't the issue, you need to control your primary air better and keep the cat from going nuclear. You are flying blind without knowing the cat temps, it would be like driving your car without a speedometer.

Are you monitoring the exhaust or stove top temps?

nope

 

[Deano31]

Dare I think if I remember right you have a very tall chimney as well. With a very tall chimney you can be getting way to much draft. Way to much draft and leavening your air open is just straight flames to the cat. You really need to have a cat thermometer and a chimney thermometer. I was actually on the phone with Mark the owner of Kuma today and we were talking about cats. He told me he has some customers that have been using the same cat for 12 years. I also recommend you buy a moisture meter and a inferred gun to keep a eye on everything. Post some pics of your set up and how tall your stack is

 

[stoveguy2esw]

Thermal Shock, results usually from wet wood, specifically from adding wet wood to a hot fire, which is far worse than starting a fire with wet wood.

the Catalyst in many cases is still firing somewhat when the stove is in the coaling stage this means its still over 550F internally in many cases it could be much hotter than that, now , adding wet wood you are adding water which flashes to steam, if the wood is really wet (like recently rained on or snowed on) the amount of steam generated can be quite significant. now, this steam is not going to be heated to the temperature the cat is running at s the water converts to steam at 212F so the effect is similar to getting frost off your car windshield with hot water. the rapid temperature change literally can shatter the cat.

so for Cat stove owners reading this; remember adding wet wood to a hot stove is DEADLY to a ceramic Catalyst! and they are not cheap. keep that seasoned wood covered up folks, could save you from an expensive part purchase and a deadlined stove while you wait for a replacement!


hope this helps!

 

[Deano31]

Forgot to add you may need a key dampner

 

[weatherguy]

Make sure your door is tight, a leaky door will kill a cat faster than anything else.

 

[fire_man]

Make sure your door is tight, a leaky door will kill a cat faster than anything else.

I've heard this before but why is it true? I can't imagine the little bit of cooler air entering would be a problem.

 

[mellow]

I've heard this before but why is it true? I can't imagine the little bit of cooler air entering would be a problem.

You're adding more primary air, which then results from the fire burning hotter and the cat running hotter which will destroy it.

For a cat stove to run correctly the primary air needs to be regulated, any leaks will cause issues.

 

[kuma.jason]

If you haven't done so yet, please give us a call. We'll get you fixed up in no time.

888-714-5294

 

[stoveguy2esw]

If you haven't done so yet, please give us a call. We'll get you fixed up in no time.

888-714-5294

THIS! ^^^^^^^ this is how you do it! tipping my cap to @kumastoves

 

[Old puffer]

If you haven't done so yet, please give us a call. We'll get you fixed up in no time.

888-714-5294

I have never heard of Kuma before, but I am going to remember it now! Service like this goes a long way!

 

[stoveguy2esw]

I have never heard of Kuma before, but I am going to remember it now! Service like this goes a long way!

good solid company, they make some impressive stuff

 

[kuma.jason]

Thanks Mike, very kind of you!

 

[Deano31]

I recently bought a Kuma sequoia and let me tell you the company Kuma is a company that really cares about its customers. When you can call the company and always talk to somebody that knows what they are talking about its great. I had to call the company to ask some questions and spoke with Jason who I believe is one of the sons. He spent over a hour with me on the phone explaining to me step by step what to do to get better performance out of my stove. He spent the time as I did each thing he recommended until we had the stove running to its peak performance. Let me tell you that this stove is a heating monster. Two thumbs up to a great company that treats their customers as if they are family.