Will a dead or dying cat combustor still glow in low burn mode?

[crstrode]

Yup - that's my question:

"Will a dead or dying cat combustor still glow in low burn mode?"

FYI, my Blaze King is the Sirocco insert (SC25). It was manufactured in June, 2020 and came with a steel cat.

 

[BKVP]

Combustors diminish in efficacy with every single fire. The degree to which that can be measured fire to fire is infinitesimal.
Glowing is a by product of the volume of gases being presented in the face of the combustor. Older combustors or those with over-plating will likely glow less frequently.

Opacity coming out of the stack is a good way to observe if the stove is still burning clean.

BKVP

 

[crstrode]

Combustors diminish in efficacy with every single fire. The degree to which that can be measured fire to fire is infinitesimal.
Glowing is a by product of the volume of gases being presented in the face of the combustor. Older combustors or those with over-plating will likely glow less frequently.

Opacity coming out of the stack is a good way to observe if the stove is still burning clean.

BKVP

BKVP, Thanks for the reply. I do understand how smoke from the stack relates to cat function.

My question is much simpler; will an exhausted cat glow?

I know when I am exhausted I glow red - or maybe it is from the cold today and not from blowing and shoveling snow from my acres of driveways, decks and sidewalks.

 

[BKVP]

Fully exhausted, no. Partially, sure.

BKVP

 

[crstrode]

Fully exhausted, no. Partially, sure.

BKVP

Thanks again!

Now, back to the snow . . .

 

[Highbeam]

My question is much simpler; will an exhausted cat glow?

That's a much different question than the title of the thread. I can confirm that a cat that is dead enough to not glow "in low burn mode" can be made to glow if you run the stove really hot. You can make a noncat stove glow if the fire is hot enough!

We know what you mean though and BKVP's answer is spot on.

 

[crstrode]

That's a much different question than the title of the thread. I can confirm that a cat that is dead enough to not glow "in low burn mode" can be made to glow if you run the stove really hot. You can make a noncat stove glow if the fire is hot enough!

We know what you mean though and BKVP's answer is spot on.

Yes indeed! As a kid, the stove we had in the kitchen was red-hot a lot of the time. We went through more than one stove in those days. It took a lot of kindling and a few splits of Doug Fir just to get the Oak logs going. That stove, plus another in the living room, and a big open fireplace were always blazing to heat our farmhouse built in 1881.

 

[ratsrepus]

Im on two years and mine still glows, but i have to run it hotter than when new. ILL replace it next year

 

[crstrode]

Mine seems to be working fine after 4 years . . . just want to be ready