Who actually makes cat combustors?

[slindo]

Whenever I go shopping for a cat, someone usually tells me that there is only one manufacturer in the US that actually make them, and when I was buying parts for my Encore last week my usually reliable and well-connected VC dealer told me that the cats VC supplies are by Condar. So I have always assumed that Condar must be making them.

However, I was at the Applied Cermanics site today and noticed they say they actually make theirs. So I emailed them and asked how they compared to Condars, and they said they make them for Condar!

So assuming they are telling the truth, that would mean the Applied Ceramic and Condar cats are the same thing. Interesting if true, sincee the ACs are usually (with a little finagling) much cheaper (the warranty isn't nearly as good, but I actually like that, since prorated warranties are alway a pain to collect on, and a frustration when you can't. so I'd rather save up front and lose the warranty) than Condar.

Blue Skies, which are noticably different than the others, and many have commented here do not seem to hold up as well, seem to be something completely different. An import?

If any of you industry types here have any comments or inside knowledge that would clarify this, please chime in.

 

[Redox]

Bump!

I think we have a catalyst expert somewhere around here...

Chris

 

[stoveguy2esw]

personally i like the applied cats. my 24-ac unit was used for 13 years with its origional catalyst by applied. i am not however enamored with the clearskies cats sold on stovecombustors.com i didnt get the performance or the durability from them that i did with the applied cats

 

[webbie]

They were originally made by Corning Glass works.

Today, it seems the biggest suppliers are Applied Ceramics and Sud-Chemie Inc

Condar does not make them, but works to make sure they are mounted properly and sized for the many stove models out there.

Clear skies make some different ones - but I have not seen enough feedback on those and some members had problems with their orders (I forget exactly what). I would stick with Condar or another supplier of known ceramic replacements.

 

[slindo]

I just learned that the Condar SS cats are supposedly made by Sud-Chemie. Anyone know if S-C also makes ceramic, or just SS?

Condar is quick to say that their current metal cats are not the same ones as ACS was selling, which seem to be responsible for much of the bad rep metal cats seem to have.

 

[VTSR5]

I just learned that the Condar SS cats are supposedly made by Sud-Chemie. Anyone know if S-C also makes ceramic, or just SS?

Got a new Sud-Chemie ceramic cat for my VC WinterWarm (small) under a VC part number through my VC dealer last week. This is the same model used in Intrepid. So at least we can say Sud Chemie are branding ceramic combustors. Though it seems to me from their website they are manufacturing them as well. By the way, the Sud-Chemie website has several pages of technical information about cats for wood combustion, how they work, various properties, etc. I learned for example that I have violated 4 of the 5 rules they set forth for cleaning the cat!

Don't drop the cat (I did not drop the cat)
Don't scrub the interior passages of the cat (I very methodically reamed ALL of the passages with home made pipe-cleaner cat reamer tool)
Don't flush the cat with tap water (I flushed the cat with LOTS of tap water)
Don't used compressed air to blow out the cat (I used 100 psi air to blow out the cat, and blew chunks out too)
Don't put the wet cat in stove, let dry 24 hrs (I put the wet cat back in stove and COULDNT WAIT to fire up)

 

[Rockey]

I just bought 2 cat combustors for my Energy King insert. They arrived in a Honeywell box. Inside there was literature from Applied Ceramics with a limited lifetime waranty. It looks like Applied is located in Atlanta Ga.

 

[Redox]

Our cats HATE being poked, washed, blown out and put in the stove wet. They howl for hours afterward... :coolsmile:

Sorry, that just sounded so funny!

Chris

 

[MarcM]

Don't drop the cat (I did not drop the cat)
Don't scrub the interior passages of the cat (I very methodically reamed ALL of the passages with home made pipe-cleaner cat reamer tool)
Don't flush the cat with tap water (I flushed the cat with LOTS of tap water)
Don't used compressed air to blow out the cat (I used 100 psi air to blow out the cat, and blew chunks out too)
Don't put the wet cat in stove, let dry 24 hrs (I put the wet cat back in stove and COULDNT WAIT to fire up)

The ASPCA would like to have a word with you...

 

[VTSR5]

Don't drop the cat (I did not drop the cat)
Don't scrub the interior passages of the cat (I very methodically reamed ALL of the passages with home made pipe-cleaner cat reamer tool)
Don't flush the cat with tap water (I flushed the cat with LOTS of tap water)
Don't used compressed air to blow out the cat (I used 100 psi air to blow out the cat, and blew chunks out too)
Don't put the wet cat in stove, let dry 24 hrs (I put the wet cat back in stove and COULDNT WAIT to fire up)

The ASPCA would like to have a word with you...

Yeah, I'm really more of a dog person.