VC Defiant not putting out as much as I thought it should.

[Woodsplitter67]

Back puffing happens when the draft is weak, This is only when I have the CAT engaged and I try to dial down the air flow at night to extend the burn . Its not every night but sometimes when I do try and dial the air back

yes.. this is when it will happen.. normally back puffing will not happen with the damper open.. when the damper is closed and the cat is on and its back puffing thats an indication of weak draft

I'd get a cheap moisture meter off Amazon and check the moisture content.. to narrow down what the problem is.. your going to need to rule out some variables..

 

[stoveliker]

One year seasoning might not be enough.

Also, try so slooowly decrease the air with the cat engaged. Doing it too fast means a lot of half-burned gases are still created, and the cat may have trouble chewing through this, and this could lead to back puffing. (I agree that poor draft does that too.)