Absolute Steel Owners, Please Help Me Learn How To Run This damm Thing!

What I think this is going to be really helpful for me is on a reload knowing when to engage the cat. I think I was waiting way too long resulting in a strong fire.

 

Bingo. Guidance for reloads and cold starts.
The next obstacle is figuring out where to set the air control for an adequate heat producing, long steady burn without any further futzing around. I call this my low set point. I know the stove will consume the load at this setting while keeping the cat in the active range of the probe.
If you need more heat simply add a little air with your primary air control.
Guessing you were told what length probe to purchase from WS? Have fun.

 

Troutbum, thank you for creating this thread and sharing your issues and learning experience. I am learning lots! Not sure if you stated this before, but which size cat probe did you end up getting?

 

8 inch.

 

And this why forums can be so helpful.

 

I read the first page, and then jumped to the end.

When my BK is ready for a reload, Ill open the thermostat and get the coals going, with the bypass closed. This helps heat the cat back up so I can close the bypass sooner, usually immediately after reloading.

If I miss that window, then I open the bypass, rake the coals and pull the larger ones to the front, load the stove and then leave the bypass open until I get a good fire going on the new load. Then I close the bypass irregardless of where the thermometer is but leave the thermostat on high until the cat gets in the active range. Then adjust for cruising.

I have on occasion stalled the cat by getting anxious to crawl in bed, but thats always been user error.

 

That is a really good piece of information, I’ll try that!

 

Tonight I was able to ignite the cat when the probe reached 700. I’m able to tell because after closing the bypass, the temp steady climbed to 800 within a few minutes. So I knew the cat was working. So when it got just above 800, I set the air 3/4 closed (1 setting). Within 15 minutes, the probe read 1000.

 

Is this helping with the aggressive fires you were having? Are you having to use the pipe damper as much/any now?

 

So I thought I figured it out, but on a full reload. The one I described above. I ended up with a higher burn rate than I wanted. I must be able to ignite the cat sooner than 7oo like I did. I guess it’ll take some experimenting.

 

Somewhat of an aggressive fire tonight on a full firebox. I’m trying to not use the key damper. That can’t be right to use the key damper. Has to be operator (me) error.

 

I would leave that damper open until you learn the stove.

You can control a fire with them, but stove air controls together, plus the pipe damper adds another layer to the equation...and that layer is on the “other side” of the fire. Used together they act different...different than you might think.

I’ll just say you can close that damper a little past 45* or near full closed (if it has holes in it) then you can open the stove air and wait...and watch that stove go nuclear. So closing it doesn’t necessarily cause it to act the same as your stove air controls. They are different, on different sides of the fire and combined can make you or break you. Add a CAT...add more confusion for an newbie. Ever wonder why most manufacturers frown on the use of a pipe damper in a CAT stove?

Not saying you can’t use it, or that you shouldn’t use it. Just saying learn the stove first.

Have a buddy playing with a new to him BK King model. Not once has he had to fully load his stove to heat his home. He’s learning the stove and learning to trust it as well. Doesn’t even have a pipe damper in the pipe. He has a nice bed of coals and adds about 5-6 small splits at a time. Getting 15-20 hour burns. He can put his hand on the stove pipe at thimble and leave it there at low burn. It’s acting just like my coal stove.

Yes, a different stove than yours and it has a thermostat. Principals of operations should be very close.

Looks like you have made a little progress. That is good.

 

So you have to always consider this….

Cats eat smoke. So the longer you let the fire go
Before turning it down, will generate a lot of smoke because you physically have more wood burning. This generally isn’t an issue if you’re going to run the stove a little hotter since you’re burning some of the smoke in the fire, but as soon as you turn the air down, you can over fire the cat for a short while.

Once you see the cat thermometer start to climb, you should be able to adjust your air intake down to whatever you want. You don’t need to wait until it reaches 700. If it’s a steel cat, they can start to fire around 400, ceramic cats start around 500.

You shouldn’t need a secondary damper, it’s just a matter of learning the stove. It took me awhile because catalytic stoves operate counter to what we have all learned in that smoke means were not burning efficiently. Cat stoves love smoke. They need smoke to operate as designed but still have the ability to operate at higher burn rates.


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I am trying to follow Hoytman’s advice, but it’s hard for me to be patient sometimes and then I try putting too much wood in. I’m trying to limit the amount of wood I put in. Only put in a little.
This morning, strong coal bed. Cat probe 600 before I started to do anything. I put in 6 pieces. I tried to ignite the cat twice at 600 and it didn’t seem to react. I’m going by the instructions that came with the probe. The instructions say when you engage the cat you should see the temps on the probe rise to 700 (or more) within 2-5 minutes. So, the third time, when I saw the temps on the probe start to climb above 600, I engaged the cat, and the temps on the probe rose to 700. Then I set the air way down, 1/4 open. The cat temp dropped to around 600 for a while, an hour or so. The sst to around 300, and the pipe to just below 200. But then eventually the temp on the cat probe started to rise. It’s 750 an hour and a half in. Now I’ve got to leave for work.

 

Am I doing this right?

 

I read through this thread...

If this were a motorcycle- we've established you have spark (cat works)- and you've got air (the damper / air controls / checked the gaps by the window) - how about fuel? I don't remember seeing the wood you're burning / how old it is or any mention of moisture.

I have the Survival, the smallest brother of Woodstock's stoves and I gauge it by the stove top's thermometer, and check my math by looking at my chimney stack. IF I'm blowing smoke, I disengage the cat and let the temps climb a bit more then give it a go again in a few minutes. Sometimes that does the trick, or I'll throw in a compressed wood brick ameliorate the moisture content in the stove and I've never had a problem. Sometimes the glass looks like a wild flame show- other times it can look dark and stormy with a little orange/yellow flicker at the top. Sometimes it just looks kind of black and dead but the stack outside shows no visible smoke.

My thoughts if they're worth anything... try to simplify it a bit. Is the wood dry and are you blowing smoke? Tweak those things.

 

Some of the wood is two years, some is one year. The wood that is one year is less than 20% moisture. Maple, birch, beech.

 

Question. Last night, full load on a reload. When the stove peaked, I had somewhat aggressive secondaries rolling in the top front. All of my temp readings were UNDER the overburn range. So am I okay? Cat probe 1300, pipe 350, stove top 575.

Also, seems like people think I should be able to ignite the cat if the cat probe is above 500. Maybe this is happening and is taking time for the temps to climb, but it seems to me that I stall the cat unless I wait for the cat temp on the probe to start rising. This morning. Temp started at 600 before I put any wood in. And it didn’t seem like I was able to ignite the cat until the temp actually started rising from that 600 base.

 

Info overload Troutbum what a great group of contributors you are utilizing!

Cat ignition/light off can be very sluggish on my gauge on occasion. Different stove. Similiar theory I would think.

You will get this figured out. Pure repeatable pleasure at that point. Enjoy the challenge and all the conversation. You're giving everyone here something to chew on! Stay warm.

 

Be more consistent with your process and write down what you did so you can repeat it.

No more using damper one time, next time not. Leave it open and alone.

No more small loads, then full re-loads. Pick one and go with it. Be more consistent.


The purpose of the small load advice was to allow you to learn your stove and build confidence towards being able to build large fires with full loads and be sure you know you can control them without over firing your stove and having a fear of burning down your house.

Carry on...