Sirocco 30.2 going on 3rd winter. Due to excessive chimney smoke. I cleaned the cat prior to this year's burning. I did a 50/50 vinegar and distilled water cleaning. Stove then worked perfectly with the cat fully into the active range. I noticed smoke intermittently with long smoke free periods. Now, one month after the cleaning I again see excessive smoke with the cat falling almost into the inactive regularly. Wood is very dry fir ( <15% MC). Chimney and cap were cleaned also. Do I need to replace the cat.
Questions about cat and effective burns
- Thread starter bikedennis
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Do you run most of the time in black box mode?
And (NorCal) with e.g. fir?
If always "no flame" mode, the cat has more work to do.
And there is an impression here (e.g. @Highbeam) that running sappy wood (while fine; the BK is designed in and by fir/tamarack burners) may be harder on a cat.
On the other hand, how tall is your flue? Inside or outside? Insulated or not? (Are you located at elevation?)
Maybe you're running at borderline draft, i.e. skirting cat stall often. And the older a cat gets, the stalling thermostat setting will creep up a bit.
Maybe you should burn at a bit higher thermostat system
Edit: not saying the above IS the problem; maybe your cat is simply dying (although it's surely a bit early after 2 full seasons and a little bit).
And (NorCal) with e.g. fir?
If always "no flame" mode, the cat has more work to do.
And there is an impression here (e.g. @Highbeam) that running sappy wood (while fine; the BK is designed in and by fir/tamarack burners) may be harder on a cat.
On the other hand, how tall is your flue? Inside or outside? Insulated or not? (Are you located at elevation?)
Maybe you're running at borderline draft, i.e. skirting cat stall often. And the older a cat gets, the stalling thermostat setting will creep up a bit.
Maybe you should burn at a bit higher thermostat system
Edit: not saying the above IS the problem; maybe your cat is simply dying (although it's surely a bit early after 2 full seasons and a little bit).
I'm at 3000 ft elevation with a 20 ft chimney. Yes, mostly all black box with thermostat at 3:30 (12-14 hr burns). Double wall stove pipe inside. Very early for a failure considering that I'm only here half the time.
If the flue is straight up, then I think that should all be good.
Black box is more taxing for the cat.
In the end the life time of a cat is 10,000-12,000 hrs. If you burned a cumulative 7 months (twice 3.5 months) 24/7, then that's only 5000 hrs. That's low indeed.
Yet, if you would go to 3:45 instead, would you be able to keep the cat active?
Is the cap clean? (no partial blocking decreasing draft leading to cat stalls)?
Black box is more taxing for the cat.
In the end the life time of a cat is 10,000-12,000 hrs. If you burned a cumulative 7 months (twice 3.5 months) 24/7, then that's only 5000 hrs. That's low indeed.
Yet, if you would go to 3:45 instead, would you be able to keep the cat active?
Is the cap clean? (no partial blocking decreasing draft leading to cat stalls)?
What I'm wondering about is that after doing the vinegar/dist water clean, the cat thermometer indicated active off of the scale until near the end of the burn, then it was about 12 oclock. Now after about a month it's barley into active. If I set at 4 oclock, it's a about 1/2 inch into the active.
You’re dealing with a steel cat I assume since it’s the first cat in a 30 box. I tried a BK metal cat and it died much earlier than the aftermarket ceramic cats. I only got about 8000 hours out of it. I did a really good full vinegar boil and it rejuvenated the cat for just a month or two then it was dead again.
Get a new cat. They’re relatively cheap on Amazon and I’d suggest a ceramic cat. It’s just not worth futzing around with a nearly dead cat when you’re saving so much money anyway.
Don’t forget to get that first replacement under warranty. I like to have the next cat bought and on the shelf since there have been supply issues with stove cats.
Get a new cat. They’re relatively cheap on Amazon and I’d suggest a ceramic cat. It’s just not worth futzing around with a nearly dead cat when you’re saving so much money anyway.
Don’t forget to get that first replacement under warranty. I like to have the next cat bought and on the shelf since there have been supply issues with stove cats.
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