Maybe these catalytic combusters aren’t so bad?

[Rob_Red]

3 cords have been burnt so far this year. I am new to this but this seems pretty clean?

 

[Prof]

Looks real nice! Not even worth running a brush up that chimney. Wood must have been well seasoned too!

 

[begreen]

Looks good on the bottom. How does the top look?
What stove? Can you add it to your signature line?

 

[Highbeam]

It took me 10 years of running a cat stove for 9 months per year to finally learn how to really get it to burn smoke free but my flue doesn’t stay that clean. Your flue looks like new. How do you do it?

Oh, the secret is seasoned, dry, fuel. Not even moistened by sideways rain. Shed wood.

 

[Rob_Red]

So I’m far from an expert and frankly was surprised by this result. Not 100% sure how it looks from the top down as I don’t have a tall enough ladder on site to check. But the top looks pretty clean from the ground

here’s what I’ve been doing:

Stove is a new hearthstone green mountain 40

I gently soft bristle brush and vacuum the cat about once a month.

I do a top down start anytime the stove gets cold enough to not catch a split easily (no long smolders)

I burn the stove pretty darn hot and don’t choke it down to a smolder

I’m very careful not to stall the Cat out. I watch the gauge when doing reloads or cold starts. If I close the by pass and I don’t see the Cat temp climb fairly quickly I will re open the bypass and get the stove hotter to ensure a proper light off of the Cat.

I always make sure the stove is burning hot enough to have no visible smoke (just some steam on certain days)

I cruise the stove with the damper cracked open about 1/4-1/2 inch

I try very hard to only burn 20% MC wood although I have had some sections of my stack that have been a little wet. I burn 90% red oak

my chimney has a very strong draft, I don’t get the all day / all night burn times people talk about. I reload about every 3-4 hours but it’s a small stove.

The only problem I do have is my Cats will get easily plugged with fly ash and need frequent attention.

 

[Woody Stover]

Not 100% sure how it looks from the top down as I don’t have a tall enough ladder on site to check. But the top looks pretty clean from the ground

Creo buildup is worse at the top, where exhaust temp drops. If the screen looks clean, that's a good sign. In the pic, it does look shiny up there, so maybe it is pretty clean as well.

 

[savageactor7]

...here’s what I’ve been doing:

I always make sure the stove is burning hot and don’t choke it down to a smolder.

BINGO!

 

[rwh63]

So I’m far from an expert and frankly was surprised by this result. Not 100% sure how it looks from the top down as I don’t have a tall enough ladder on site to check. But the top looks pretty clean from the ground

here’s what I’ve been doing:

Stove is a new hearthstone green mountain 40

I gently soft bristle brush and vacuum the cat about once a month.

I do a top down start anytime the stove gets cold enough to not catch a split easily (no long smolders)

I burn the stove pretty darn hot and don’t choke it down to a smolder

I’m very careful not to stall the Cat out. I watch the gauge when doing reloads or cold starts. If I close the by pass and I don’t see the Cat temp climb fairly quickly I will re open the bypass and get the stove hotter to ensure a proper light off of the Cat.

I always make sure the stove is burning hot enough to have no visible smoke (just some steam on certain days)

I cruise the stove with the damper cracked open about 1/4-1/2 inch

I try very hard to only burn 20% MC wood although I have had some sections of my stack that have been a little wet. I burn 90% red oak

my chimney has a very strong draft, I don’t get the all day / all night burn times people talk about. I reload about every 3-4 hours but it’s a small stove.

The only problem I do have is my Cats will get easily plugged with fly ash and need frequent attention.

you forgot to mention the offerings you make at the altar of the catalytic gods in the Fall!

 

[tabner]

Looks really good for what appears to be just tile and masonry chimney? Is it an interior or exterior chimney?

 

[begreen]

Sounds like it's being run a bit more like a tube stove than a cat stove. It's a hybrid which also may be helping. You could probably run it a bit lower and still keep the chimney clean enough while extending the burn time an hour or two.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I’m wondering if that shine in the top few flue tiles is some creosote glaze.

 

[Rob_Red]

I’m wondering if that shine in the top few flue tiles is some creosote glaze.

I'm going to have the chimney swept/inspected anyway and plan to do so yearly. I will keep you all posted on the findings

 

[Rob_Red]

Looks really good for what appears to be just tile and masonry chimney? Is it an interior or exterior chimney?

It's fully exterior, I'm not very knowledgeable on chimneys. Is this a problem?

 

[Rob_Red]

Sounds like it's being run a bit more like a tube stove than a cat stove. It's a hybrid which also may be helping. You could probably run it a bit lower and still keep the chimney clean enough while extending the burn time an hour or two.

I'm still learning the stove and will take this advice, thanks

 

[begreen]

I'm still learning the stove and will take this advice, thanks

A flue thermometer is a very helpful guide. Is the connector stovepipe single or double-wall?

 

[Rob_Red]

A flue thermometer is a very helpful guide. Is the connector stovepipe single or double-wall?

the connector is single wall

 

[begreen]

the connector is single wall

That would use a surface mount magnetic thermometer about 18" above the stove. Or you could use an IR laser thermometer.

 

[Rob_Red]

That would use a surface mount magnetic thermometer about 18" above the stove. Or you could use an IR laser thermometer.

begreen thank you, I wish I joined the forum last fall! you're getting me all squared away and it’s almost to warm to burn.