Cat question

This question is all about timing.... When I'm running the absolute steel overnight and want to load it for the day, I get up earlier than normal. Usually can get the stove going and set before I have to leave for work. Some times the process is a bit slower than other times, may be my timing, coals, temps, wood etc (although I'm burning all 'well seasoned' wood).

My question is....if I engage the cat a bit too early (judging by the stt is a bit low for what I usually engage at, and still have some smoke coming out of the stack...knowing it takes a few minutes for changes to show and 'outside of that time'), will the stove/cat "catch up" and "start burning"? I imagine/know that this depends on if the stove is set so that temps will continue to rise enough to get into that 'burn zone'..... Are there any issues in having to do this? (It doesn't happen often.)

 

There is a risk that you're coating the cat with stuff before it has a chance to start combusting and producing its own heat to stay clean, and then you block the interaction of the smoke when the the active parts of the cat with that coating. (You'd need to supply the heat from the primary fire to burn that off then.)

You don't have a cat temp probe? STTs are not all that great to judge cat temps by

 

One came with the stove, but you cant use it when using the side shield. I.was on the phone with woodstock a week or two ago, and mentioned this to Lauren (I think, having a brain moment). Only way to use it is to self-adapt the heat shield. She commented that the cat probe doesn't mean much other than getting an idea, that it actually tends to worry people more than it's worth.

 

I see.
(I have a cat probe on my stove and it's essentially the only thing I go by. So I disagree with her, but I'm only me and she sees more folks....)

On hot reloads (i.e. enough coals to light the new load) I almost always engage my cat immediately after flame appears. Often that's therefore immediately after closing the door. (Stoopid dry wood catches before the door closed -> welding gloves.)

My wood is warm though as it's sitting next to the stove for 2 days. If for some reason it's cold (from the garage rack) I wait a minute or two to have vigorous flames so as not to shock the cat with cold gases.

 

It's fine if one corrects it a few minutes after. But the OPtalked about leaving for work. I wouldn't want an unlit cat seeing smoke for 9 hrs... (Nor my chimney.)

My point is that I don't leave until I know the stove is in a safe mode. One day and f smoldering can put a significant amount of creosote in a chimney.

 

So my wife works from home, and usually is up right about the time I'm leaving. Those days, I can check with her shortly after and make sure things are good. She doesn't know how to run stove, but I can get her to make adjustments based on what she's telling me and vid calling.

Today she was sleeping in an hour extra, so there was a bit more time before I could check on things with her. Talked to her about 8:20, things were good.

 

Okay. Then I would be less worried.
Try to get it right before you leave and otherwise have the wife fix it (seems like a recurring phenomenon at my place...)

 

Yeah, usually it's not an issue, but every once in a while it fights me for some reason and the timing is not on my side.

 

I have a cat probe but use flue temps (as the manual suggests) as my main guideline, cat is also hot and stovetop is good using this method for me anyway.

 

I've had fires that didn't seem to work like normal, never could put a finger on why it acts up once in awhile, fortunately i am retired so plenty of time to deal in it.