I didn't know this: Cat vs non-Cat

[Mark N MO]

Over the lifetime of the stove a non-cat can match a cat stove in overall efficiency. The cat wears out or gets clogged over time and the wood burner keeps on burning thinking its working fine when in fact it isn't.

I wonder how often the cat should be cleaned and/or changed out?

Can't speak for others, anyone that burns much wood KNOWS when things change in the burning routine. Yearly maintenance keeps you on top of potential problems. We installed a Buck 91 ten years ago. In that time, I've replaced the door seal twice, the CAT gasket twice, blower fan and the CAT once. A little cost for maintenance, but what I have a hard time putting a dollar amount on is the piece of mind having that lowly Buck 91 heating the house, day and night. No problems trying to start a fire, no problems trying to keep it lit. Just get the probe temp up around 500-600, close the bypass, go into cruise mode. Other than an initial learning curve of how far to close the air down for the desired burn, it's pretty much stupid-proof. The insert does the majority of heating in our 1800 sq/ft w/basement. A 96% efficient propane furnace is the back-up. The wood comes from our land, and includes red and white oak, hedge, hickory, walnut, and other non primo species.

For us, the Buck 91 was exactly what we were looking for. This season, it has been producing heat, 24/7 since late October. Might have been an afternoon or two that the blower kicked off, but there was more than enough coals to rekindle the new load of wood.

 

[maple1]

Pfft, that's not driving.

Our 2017 Civic now has 60,000+ kms on it. Our 2006 has 510,000.

 

[begreen]

Pfft, that's not driving.

Our 2017 Civic now has 60,000+ kms on it. Our 2006 has 510,000.

We have a second vehicle too and use public transportation a lot. The car is mostly for short local trips and traveling. The truck is for truck stuff. Modern vehicle maintenance costs have dropped a lot and electric vehicles' are even lower.

Point being that just like stoves, everyone's needs and costs are different.

 

[wooduser]

If you are really concerned with nice, even temperatures, and low particulate Co2 emissions, just use a condensing gas furnace, or better yet electric heat. Both are far superior on these metrics to any wood stove on the market.
I know how it feels cause i have NG furnace on the other house. I used to have a LP furnace here also. I got rid of it. With what i spent on all this stoves and hardware over all this years, I was able to install a new more efficient furnace. I can afford the LP bill too with no issue. It is just the adventure that I am into it. I like it.

I agree and that's my prime motivation as well.

I'm a firebug and I LIKE fussing with my stove.

I just threw in a bunch of 1/4" x 4" cedar scrap that I cut to suitable length on my table saw. It's a nice sunny day today and we'll probably see 50 degrees, so it doesn't take much. The lumber yard a half mile from me keeps me well supplied with a wide variety of types of wood.

I also washed a load of clothes using rain water from my rain barrels today and just hung them out to dry on my solar clothes dryer.

Life just isn't hard enough for my taste these days.

 

[PabloK]

I believe that this is misleading at best and I'm a BK fan. There is some liberal use of the term "up to" going on here. I would go farther and say that the cat can last up to 100 years if you never burn the stove! Anytime you see a cat life expectancy in years then you need to know that there are some very specific assumptions being made about how much you use your stove and also what determines end of life.

The 10 year warranty from BK does not cover simple wearing out of the cat due to use which can easily happen after just a few years.

I just bought a FireplaceX flush mount hybrid. The dealer told me to extend the life of the catalyst don't burn paper, garbage (of course) or basically anything that isn't wood. I can't imagine a little paper to start a fire is a big issue because the bypass will be open, but I guess some could get up in the cat. Has anyone heard that before and what do folks with a cat stove use to start their fires? Are the wax fire starter things ok? I'm been using a little torch which is the funnest way to light a fire.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I just bought a FireplaceX flush mount hybrid. The dealer told me to extend the life of the catalyst don't burn paper, garbage (of course) or basically anything that isn't wood. I can't imagine a little paper to start a fire is a big issue because the bypass will be open, but I guess some could get up in the cat. Has anyone heard that before and what do folks with a cat stove use to start their fires? Are the wax fire starter things ok? I'm been using a little torch which is the funnest way to light a fire.

Its glossy paper.. regular print is ok to burn
Glosdy paper is a no no

 

[Highbeam]

I just bought a FireplaceX flush mount hybrid. The dealer told me to extend the life of the catalyst don't burn paper, garbage (of course) or basically anything that isn't wood. I can't imagine a little paper to start a fire is a big issue because the bypass will be open, but I guess some could get up in the cat. Has anyone heard that before and what do folks with a cat stove use to start their fires? Are the wax fire starter things ok? I'm been using a little torch which is the funnest way to light a fire.

I am having excellent luck with a torch. The little press to light map/lpg torches for plumbing. Super cheap, effective, fast, fun, and you can use them to heat the flue if needed.

 

[SpaceBus]

I am having excellent luck with a torch. The little press to light map/lpg torches for plumbing. Super cheap, effective, fast, fun, and you can use them to heat the flue if needed.

I keep forgetting to pick one up whenever I go to the hardware store. A friend of mine has one and I used it to light their stove. I really want one.

 

[Woodsplitter67]

I keep forgetting to pick one up whenever I go to the hardware store. A friend of mine has one and I used it to light their stove. I really want one.

I'm using one.. like 15 seconds in the kindling pile and its going good

 

[paulnlee]

This is amazing. I can drop a stick match in and away it goes. Mapp gas to light the kindling??????

 

[SpaceBus]

I like the torch because you don't really need kindling if your firewood isn't huge.

 

[Highbeam]

This is amazing. I can drop a stick match in and away it goes. Mapp gas to light the kindling??????

Mapp gas torches work with lpg. When you buy the torch it often comes with a bottle of mapp gas. You can use the mapp or save it for later and use green camping bottle of propane instead.

You don’t need matches, only a couple pieces of kindling if you’re in a hurry, or just torch the splits!

I’ve been refilling the green 1# bottles for years so each one costs me 20 cents to refill and lasts for most of the winter.

 

[mellow]

Lowes has a $15 trigger start torch head that goes on the green bottles, works great. Its by the welding stuff up near the tools.

 

[Highbeam]

Lowes has a $15 trigger start torch head that goes on the green bottles, works great. Its by the welding stuff up near the tools.

I’ve been considering buying a second one so that I can have one for each stove.

They are also great for starting cardboard if you ever wanted to burn some in the fire pit.

 

[mellow]

I have one in my camper that I use for starting bonfires while I am camping, works great. Got one for home as well since I would often forget to put it back where I got it from.

 

[SpaceBus]

I have a true value and a Hammond Lumber, everything else is over an hour. I'll have to see if they have anything like the trigger torch for refillable bottles.

 

[weatherguy]

I gotta get one if these torches you guys are talking about, sounds like more fun that kindling and a super cedar.

 

[PabloK]

I gotta get one if these torches you guys are talking about, sounds like more fun that kindling and a super cedar.

Torch is super easy and fun, but I'd still like an alternative fire starter, other than paper. Preferably something I can make or isn't too expensive or toxic. I've seen people making lint, wax and egg carton starters, but that seems like it may fit into the burning garbage scenario. Any recommendations?

 

[SpaceBus]

Torch is super easy and fun, but I'd still like an alternative fire starter, other than paper. Preferably something I can make or isn't too expensive or toxic. I've seen people making lint, wax and egg carton starters, but that seems like it may fit into the burning garbage scenario. Any recommendations?

Is the torch super toxic? I hadn't considered this possibility.

 

[maple1]

Torch is super easy and fun, but I'd still like an alternative fire starter, other than paper. Preferably something I can make or isn't too expensive or toxic. I've seen people making lint, wax and egg carton starters, but that seems like it may fit into the burning garbage scenario. Any recommendations?

What are you wanting to get away from by getting away from using paper?

Can't think of anything easier, less expensive, less toxic or that works much better than a couple balls of newsprint. I use that on the bottom, another couple on top that get lit first to get heat going up the chimney good - and use a trigger torch to light them up.

 

[maple1]

Is the torch super toxic? I hadn't considered this possibility.

No.

 

[EbS-P]

Fascinating reading for the last 8 pages. Thought I would add my two cents as a non cat owner.

I think a cat stove is a great piece of engineering. Heat output control at the touch of an input control is a great feature. While I can’t dial it down I do have a good deal of control with my particular installation, a deep set hearth mounted stove with interior chimney and a blower. No I can’t do 20 hour reload times but choosing lower BTU wood smallers I essentially have a masonary heater that after two small short fires with the blower off will throw heat for 8-10 hours. If it’s real cold I load it full of dogwood and and crank up the blower.

I’m reminded of the story my father in-law tells about how much his aunt hated the new electric cook stove and made them put them her wood cook stove in the summer kitchen complete with her wood rack that contained many different species and sizes of wood that she would select depending on what she was cooking. Small birch for morning eggs... ect..

My take is every stove is unique and no to installations are equivalent. All of them require some user input to operate and a cost to maintain for the life of the stove. Back to the OP and emissions I think the real question should be is the EPA testing protocol adequate? It’s a lab test intended to reduce harm to the earth. They have a standard fuel efficiency test that specifies tire pressure. I know for a fact that my tires aren’t inflated to spec. I know I could have purchased a car with better mileage. In the end I chose what would work best for me and I know how to keep it running as efficiently as possible when I MAKE the decision to do so. In the end the user has the biggest impact on efficiency. How many times a day week is a OPer asked the moisture content of the wood they are burning, or if their chimney is to spec?

Thanks for a good morning read.

Evan

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I gotta get one if these torches you guys are talking about, sounds like more fun that kindling and a super cedar.

You dont even need paper if you use s torch. lights the kindling off to a blaze in seconds.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

No I can’t do 20 hour reload times but choosing lower BTU wood smallers I essentially have a masonary heater that after two small short fires with the blower off will throw heat for 8-10 hours. If it’s real cold I load it full of dogwood and and crank up the blower.
Evan

I love that setup. I was thinking of building some kind of fireplace looking structure with about 2 ton of stone products
and neatly locate my freestanding stove into it ,as a heat sink. Let the stone take up all that excess heat and give it up later over time.

 

[weatherguy]

I love that setup. I was thinking of building some kind of fireplace looking structure with about 2 ton of stone products
and neatly locate my freestanding stove into it ,as a heat sink. Let the stone take up all that excess heat and give it up later over time.

I love that setup. I was thinking of building some kind of fireplace looking structure with about 2 ton of stone products
and neatly locate my freestanding stove into it ,as a heat sink. Let the stone take up all that excess heat and give it up later over time.

That's kind of how my set up works. Stove in a fireplace and heats all the stone in the fireplace I can even feel warm stones upstairs, when I let the stove go out the stones radiate heat for hours.