Approaches to burning in cold snap

[kennyp2339]

Something I've noticed and it works pretty good is keep a min of a day supply in the stove room, there's a much better rebound of fire in the stove when its loaded with room temp wood vs cold wood from outside or in the garage.

 

[begreen]

I have a follow up question. How do I burn the coals down better? I have an insert with a cat. Cat was recently cleaned and working fine. I fine if I load the stove, I get the hot temps, but coals don't burn down well. So, I then put only one piece in and open the air up and try to burn the coals down. Otherwise, I have to melt my face and remove the coals with shovel and metal bucket. I saw someone mentioned pine, but I don't think that is approved in a cat stove. Any ideas? Thanks.

The Clydesdale is a hybrid, with secondary tubes and a cat to clean up the smoke. The way you are burning down the coals is fine. So is pine in a cat stove. It won't harm the cat. Just make sure the wood is fully seasoned.

 

[Woody Stover]

For those with a cat stove how do you keep the cat in control and maximize heat output? That is my biggest problem when it's cold. Increased draft and the cat goes high fast. Cut the air back to control the cat and the stove temp drops. It's fine until it gets below freezing then the heat output is really lacking.

I'm not sure about the Encore, it's a whole different type of cat stove than my Keystone. But when I run a little flame in the box, bypass closed and cat glowing, the flame eats some of the smoke, dimming the glow of the cat a bit. And the flame heats up the sides of the stove more, not just mainly the top over the cat as happens in a cat-only burn. With the top and sides hot, this little stove tosses serious heat, so that's how I run when the polar express comes sweeping down.
But like I say, you're is a different stove altogether. If you haven't found it yet, check out the Vermont Castings sub-forum by clicking "Wood Stoves by Manufacturer" at the top of the Hearth Room topic page.

 

[Woody Stover]

I have a follow up question. How do I burn the coals down better? ....I saw someone mentioned pine, but I don't think that is approved in a cat stove. Any ideas? Thanks.

Out west, Pine is the most common wood available, and they burn it in cat stoves with no problem, as far as I know.