Catalytic Combustor, food for thought.

I guess it is the combination of cat placement and low air flow rates through the BK box that must prevent that. I have much less fly ash accumulation with my Fireview than with the old Hearthstone, but I've burned a ton of black cherry this year and that stuff produces a lot of ash. The second BK dealer I spoke with this summer said they had not cleaned their cat (BK King) in 3 years ... I thought he was just being lazy, but why clean it if there isn't the need.

 

For cleaning I'm thinking more along the line of residue to expose the catalytic elements again.....

 

acid bath, vinegar and water....

 

Oh boy Threadjack in progress "The Sauce"

 

That cat is beat up looking! Mine isn't nearly that bad after 5 seasons. Glad you got your freebie!

Backside of mine at the start of season 5.

 

The Steelcats are not sensitive to thermal shock or damage from air leaks which according to bk accounts for 95% of failures. I also expect longer life due to much more surface area so more precious metal.

The bigger thing for me is earlier light off. Lower temperature and faster to glow active and make clear emissions. I have to burn totally stealth during burn bans and I prefer people have no idea that I even burn wood.

Bk delivered stoves with both. Now, New models are steel only. They wouldn't spent the extra if there wasn't a reason.

 

Thanks for that tidbit of steel only now....

 

Just my experience regarding ceramic vs steel cats. I had a CDW in my family room for 25 years, that had a ceramic cat. The stove top had a built in temp probe just above the cat. "Engage cat when probe hit 500'F" was the directions. The cat was once of the Corning 6 inch round cats. Once a year I would take it out, which was very easy, tap it gently on a 2X6 to knock any loose ash out, and put it back in. Replaced it once in 25 years.

Today I have a Fireview with a steel cat. It's okay, but after the first two seasons I noticed in season 3 that I wasn't hitting my higher stovetop temps that I did in the first two seasons, where my maintenance was lift the cat out, tap out the looser ash, then gently use a vacuum to pull any deeper ash/crud out of the cat. So I did the 50/50 water/vinegar thing with a spray bottle and that worked wonders.

So from my perspective and experience so far, I'd rather a ceramic cat just based on the positive experience I had in the past with that old CDW and the Corning cat. I guess time will tell with the steel cats, because now I have two on them. One in the Fireview and the other in a Absolute Steel.

Just my 2¢ YMMV.

 

New BK models, like the ashfords, scirroco, and the chinook are steel only. The princess/king are a wild card. Some got them new with steel and some with ceramic. Luck of the draw and probably more to do with supply of ceramic cats. Seems most of us got ceramic on new princess/kings.

I can't say for certain but I believe that the current WS hybrids are all steel too and steel is an option on the older full cat stoves. I'd like to think the higher surface area of a steelcat means more catalyst exposure so higher efficiency and earlier startup to an active cat eating pollutants. Also less chance of failure due to thermal shock or flame impingement.

 

I think the WS are all steel now, and I agree with your "like to think" points, the only downside I'd see is if I had to be replacing them every 3 to 5 years.. at $200+ bucks a pop that would be a down side.

I'm not sure what they cost, but I know it's a chunk of change.

 

About 300+tax and shipping for a steel in the BK Princess

 

What species was giving you the fly ash? I know that compressed air is a no no for the ceramics but what about the Steels?

 

Was that a durafoil or dieselfoil steel cat?

 

Not cheap.