New PH CAT

[rdust]

I would expect at least 6 yrs of consistent .

After season 3-4 I noticed a drop off. I replaced the one in my BK this season, it had 5 burning seasons on it. It may have still worked some but it's performance noticeably fell off in season 5.

Here is what mine looked like when I pulled it out.

 

[Woody Stover]

After season 3-4 I noticed a drop off. I replaced the one in my BK this season, it had 5 burning seasons on it. It may have still worked some but it's performance noticeably fell off in season 5.

Did you try the distilled vinegar/distilled water simmer?

Here is what mine looked like when I pulled it out.

A few cracks, but looks pretty good. Was the new one you got a DuraFoil? How long has it been in?

 

[rdust]

Did you try the distilled vinegar/distilled water simmer?
A few cracks, but looks pretty good. Was the new one you got a DuraFoil? How long has it been in?

I did the vinegar bath last season, it may have helped a little.

New cat is still a ceramic one from firecat(applied ceramics). I was satisfied with the performance/life of the OE one. I didn't expect more than 3 when I bought the stove. The new one is fresh this season so it hasn't been long.

 

[Berner]

Good catch! The old diesel-foil cats would warp longitudinally, as well as shrivel slightly, so that they didn't fit well in the Woodstocks' two-piece cast iron cat frame. I was able to flatten them somewhat, then wrap with enough interam gasket to prevent leaking. I never called in the warranty on one, just patched 'em together and got 'em to work. With an open gap, smoke would blow right around the edges. If you went out to look at your stack, you might well assume that the cat was shot. Not sure how the cat is set up on the PH, if @Berner may have had a cast cat frame in his stove. The new DuraFoil cats don't use the frame or interam gasket. They have two tab ears with bolt holes, and you just bolt the cat in using the old shipping bolts that kept the ceramic cats from breaking in transit (in the Fireview and Keystone.)

I took everything apart a couple of weeks ago and snapped a picture of the new CAT. I think this is the DuraFoilCAT that you were talking about? The two tab ears don't look like they bolt into anything. Do they have a newer version of this CAT with tabs that bolt in?

 

[fire_man]

Last week was at Woodstock and heard a story of someone firing the PH up without the cat. Let's just say, it wasn't a good thing to do.

I'm surprised if it caused any huge problem. By the time you engage the cat, the air intake should have been reduced so I would not think it would cause an overfire unless the air was left too far open.

 

[Woody Stover]

I think this is the DuraFoilCAT that you were talking about? The two tab ears don't look like they bolt into anything

Sorry for the confusion, I should have mentioned that the bolts were packing bolts that came with the FIreview and Keystone to keep the cat frame and cat from bouncing around in transit, and possibly cracking the ceramic cat. I think the instructions included with your new cat would have mentioned the bolt, if it was applicable in the PH.
Yes, that's the new Durafoil cat; See how the rows run straight, all the way across? Here's a pic of the diesel foil cat (this one isn't warped or shriveled...judicious use. ) This is a different (wrapped) construction, no straight rows across. I assume your warped cat was a diesel foil...?

Last week was at Woodstock and heard a story of someone firing the PH up without the cat. Let's just say, it wasn't a good thing to do.

I'm surprised if it caused any huge problem. By the time you engage the cat, the air intake should have been reduced so I would not think it would cause an overfire unless the air was left too far open.

If the guy had the cat and the cat screen out, a lot of heat from the secondary may have gotten directly to the top...that's my guess. Could be bad if he was giving it a lot of air, as you said.

I will just try to do those recommended practices. I will just keep an eye on the performance of the cat over the future years.

You can also "breathe new life" into a cat by following the instructions on the Woodstock website. It really works well.....

Maybe toddnic has a link to a better description on the Woodstock site, but here's a post in the blog about the "short version" method of the distilled vinegar/distilled water simmer described on the Condar site. This method doesn't require simmering the cat, you just use a spray bottle. They mention only steel combustors...I think heavy hammer has a ceramic cat. I think it would still work, but if the cat is "canned" in a steel band with interam gasket inside the band, or has multiple sections with interam gasket between, I would avoid soaking the interam gasket with vinegar....it may be hard to rinse it all out. I would spray only the actual ceramic portions a couple times with the 50/50 distilled vinegar/distilled water, then rinse several times with distilled water.

 

[Berner]

Yes, that's the new Durafoil cat; See how the rows run straight, all the way across? Here's a pic of the diesel foil cat (this one isn't warped or shriveled.) This is a different (wrapped) construction, no straight rows across. I assume your warped cat was a diesel foil...?
View attachment 190799.

The picture attached doesn't open for me but your description of the diesel foil sounds correct. So far this new CAT has been almost too good.

 

[Woody Stover]

The picture attached doesn't open for me...So far this new CAT has been almost too good.

Oops, sorry...now fixed! Yep, that new cat might be a little "hot" for several burns, then should start to settle in.

 

[Berner]

Oops, sorry...now fixed! Yep, that new cat might be a little "hot" for several burns, then should start to settle in.

My old CAT didn't look like that. It was in a metal casing that had two or three vertical support bars. I might be able to find an old picture somewhere. Maybe there was a generation of CATs inbetween these two?