I would like to (attempt to) clarify something that may be not clear. (Apologies if it was clear.)
The fact that the same wood works in the other stove does not mean "it's good", it means "it's good enough for that other stove with that other chimney".
Whether something works in a particular set up depends on what that stove needs in terms of both wood and chimney. Since the stove is different (finicky, needing more draft to function) , the chimney is too (shorter, less draft), the wood quality might just be near the borderline for this set up.
Skirting around the edge of the needed wood quality (moisture content) can then easily lead to problems - as indeed seen in the weather dependence of the performance.
The chimney suitability remarks (short +bends) stand.
The wood concerns allow you to provide a big "told you so" finger to the criticism here IF you would take the time to prove it wrong. How? Buy a moisture meter. Bring a few splits into the home, let them get up to temperature for 24 hrs. THEN resplit them and measure with the pins deep in the wood and along the grain in the center of the freshly exposed surface. If the number is good (<20%), you have a great "told you so" on your hands. If not, then the suggestions provided above regarding both wood and chimney stand.
The reason for doing it this way is that the wood dries from the outside in, so the outside will be drier than the inside of the wood.
Regarding "should work without the cat" - sure, it'll burn. But it will only work if you burn hot. The point of the cat is that you expand the (burn rate) range with which you can burn in a stable (and clean) fashion. The expansion is to the lower end of the burn rate range the stove can provide. SO without the cat you can burn, but you can't burn as low. Yet the stove offers the capability to choke it down a lot - but that should only be done with a cat installed.
I hope this is helpful. Again, apologies if you were aware of all this.
I do concur with the remarks about the attitude - after all it appears you're asking for help. If my kids respond to me with an attitude after they ask for help, then I tell them that they should make it easy for them to be helped, that they should make the person helping them not feel bad *even if the helper is stoopid*. Asking for help means being ready to receive help, and consider the insight you were asking for in the first place.
I do wish you the best, as a stove that performs poorly is frustrating indeed.
That's my $0.02
The fact that the same wood works in the other stove does not mean "it's good", it means "it's good enough for that other stove with that other chimney".
Whether something works in a particular set up depends on what that stove needs in terms of both wood and chimney. Since the stove is different (finicky, needing more draft to function) , the chimney is too (shorter, less draft), the wood quality might just be near the borderline for this set up.
Skirting around the edge of the needed wood quality (moisture content) can then easily lead to problems - as indeed seen in the weather dependence of the performance.
The chimney suitability remarks (short +bends) stand.
The wood concerns allow you to provide a big "told you so" finger to the criticism here IF you would take the time to prove it wrong. How? Buy a moisture meter. Bring a few splits into the home, let them get up to temperature for 24 hrs. THEN resplit them and measure with the pins deep in the wood and along the grain in the center of the freshly exposed surface. If the number is good (<20%), you have a great "told you so" on your hands. If not, then the suggestions provided above regarding both wood and chimney stand.
The reason for doing it this way is that the wood dries from the outside in, so the outside will be drier than the inside of the wood.
Regarding "should work without the cat" - sure, it'll burn. But it will only work if you burn hot. The point of the cat is that you expand the (burn rate) range with which you can burn in a stable (and clean) fashion. The expansion is to the lower end of the burn rate range the stove can provide. SO without the cat you can burn, but you can't burn as low. Yet the stove offers the capability to choke it down a lot - but that should only be done with a cat installed.
I hope this is helpful. Again, apologies if you were aware of all this.
I do concur with the remarks about the attitude - after all it appears you're asking for help. If my kids respond to me with an attitude after they ask for help, then I tell them that they should make it easy for them to be helped, that they should make the person helping them not feel bad *even if the helper is stoopid*. Asking for help means being ready to receive help, and consider the insight you were asking for in the first place.
I do wish you the best, as a stove that performs poorly is frustrating indeed.
That's my $0.02