Hi, all. I'm selecting my first wood-burning fireplace insert, so I've been learning about different brands and types. There are several Lopi dealers near my home with showrooms, so I've had the chance to see their inserts in person, and I like the look of them. But they no longer make non-catalytic inserts, and I don't get the appeal of the hybrid thing. Even the dealers seem not to like them. They seems like the worst of both worlds. Or maybe I'm missing something.
People say you have to operate catalytic and non-catalytic inserts differently. Since Lopi NexGen Hybrids have both reburn tubes and a cat up top, do you operate them like they're catalytic or non-catalytic?
I've seen several diagrams of cat stoves like this:
According to that diagram, the cat is typically protected from flames by a shield. As I understand it, once the stove reaches 500 degrees, you close the damper. Then the products of primary combustion flow around the shield and through the cat.
But I don't recall seeing a shield like that in Lopi hybrids. I recall seeing the cat right on the firebox ceiling. I've read that cats are fragile and can be damaged by flames and high heat. Wouldn't a Lopi cat be vulnerable to flames and high heat where it's positioned, unshielded at the top of the firebox?
If I want a few hours of beautiful fire for ambiance, I'd just leave the damper open, right? But that raises two concerns: 1) Wouldn't flames for hours damage the cat? And wouldn't the insert just operate like a less efficient non-cat insert, since it has fewer reburn tubes to make room for a cat?
Seems like burning hot enough to utilize the reburn tubes could damage the cat, but if I close the damper at 500 degrees to utilize the cat, the reburn tubes won't be used.
Those of you with Lopi hybrids, am I misunderstanding something here? What's the appeal? Why did Lopi abandon non-catalytic altogether? My fireplace is a bit odd, ruling out many other inserts due to clearances and dimensions, but Lopi makes a few models that could work, so I'd love to have my mind changed.
People say you have to operate catalytic and non-catalytic inserts differently. Since Lopi NexGen Hybrids have both reburn tubes and a cat up top, do you operate them like they're catalytic or non-catalytic?
I've seen several diagrams of cat stoves like this:
According to that diagram, the cat is typically protected from flames by a shield. As I understand it, once the stove reaches 500 degrees, you close the damper. Then the products of primary combustion flow around the shield and through the cat.
But I don't recall seeing a shield like that in Lopi hybrids. I recall seeing the cat right on the firebox ceiling. I've read that cats are fragile and can be damaged by flames and high heat. Wouldn't a Lopi cat be vulnerable to flames and high heat where it's positioned, unshielded at the top of the firebox?
If I want a few hours of beautiful fire for ambiance, I'd just leave the damper open, right? But that raises two concerns: 1) Wouldn't flames for hours damage the cat? And wouldn't the insert just operate like a less efficient non-cat insert, since it has fewer reburn tubes to make room for a cat?
Seems like burning hot enough to utilize the reburn tubes could damage the cat, but if I close the damper at 500 degrees to utilize the cat, the reburn tubes won't be used.
Those of you with Lopi hybrids, am I misunderstanding something here? What's the appeal? Why did Lopi abandon non-catalytic altogether? My fireplace is a bit odd, ruling out many other inserts due to clearances and dimensions, but Lopi makes a few models that could work, so I'd love to have my mind changed.
