Opps. Don't know how this happened. This week, i noticed a very substantial decline in the performance of the the ol' VC 2550 Encore (CAT) so much so that when I closed the damper to engage the CAT the fire in the box just simple went out. Choked off sort of thing. Even with air on full blast it would only work if the damper was open.
Well decided to open it up and vacum out the CAT. The problem is I now have no CAT. I opened up the internal wall seperating the fire box from the refractory enclosure and pulled off the top of the refractory housing and started removing indivudual pieces of the CAT. It is now sitting in a heap on the hearth, all white and brittle. The metal frame that it is supposed to sit in is melted on one side. So not much I can do there. I have to get a new one. I brought the shop vac out and vacumed up as much as I could yet I know there is gunk in the bottom of the refractory where it disintegrated in my hands and fell into the hollow. My question is: how to I get the refractory out to vacuum it without destroying it? If I can get a picture I'll post that as well. The missus has the camera at present.
Thanks
Ray
Well decided to open it up and vacum out the CAT. The problem is I now have no CAT. I opened up the internal wall seperating the fire box from the refractory enclosure and pulled off the top of the refractory housing and started removing indivudual pieces of the CAT. It is now sitting in a heap on the hearth, all white and brittle. The metal frame that it is supposed to sit in is melted on one side. So not much I can do there. I have to get a new one. I brought the shop vac out and vacumed up as much as I could yet I know there is gunk in the bottom of the refractory where it disintegrated in my hands and fell into the hollow. My question is: how to I get the refractory out to vacuum it without destroying it? If I can get a picture I'll post that as well. The missus has the camera at present.
Thanks
Ray