High-draft cat burn

No, I generally avoid a black firebox because it usually results in backpuffs. When running with some flame she is highly controllable.

 

So...you are running with the cat engaged, but your air isn't shut all the way down (whatever setting that would be at the time), which gives you some flame. I'm curious how much flame, although I realize that is probably hard to quantify and describe.

Do you have any idea how much that decreases your burntime of a load?

 

I’m usually needing more heat (large old farmhouse), so am generally not trying to get a low, slow burn. I’ll load 4 or 5 times a day on weekends when I’m home all day (3-yr dry red maple and black cherry is typical).

The PH is rated up to 80,000 BTU, but you only get the higher heat by burning the wood (a lot of wood).

 

So...if you didn't need all that heat (which I don't know yet), but wanted to keep some flame for the reasons you've stated... You would control the heat by.......amount of wood in the box? Or species you use? Or....?

 

You are running your stove exactly like i am.

 

For me its some of both.

 

Yes, and yes. Also tolerate wider temperature swings. Plan the loading around daytime temperatures (bigger load earlier in the morning, and then maybe coast into late afternoon/evening). Keeping some ash in the firebox helps keep a few coals. I use much more kindling in the shoulders - now I likely won’t be needing another match until late winter or early spring.

 

OK, so with a very hot cat and a black box, when I open the air intake, generally I do get more flames, but the cat temps also continue to climb...at least according to my cat probe. I end up using the air intake to control the cat temp...but maybe I should just let it ride.

 

I might be running my IS all wrong but i dont burn with a black fire box, I'm kinda weird that way.

 

Yes you do! That thing probably has expired warranty!

What do you heat with now? You can figure out your heat load of you know how much fuel (and type/efficiency of appliance) you use on average.

 

We have a heat pump. The location of the stove in the house is going to be the issue, in terms of air (heat) movement. I don't anticipate being able to heat the whole house sufficiently. I know I need to put a fan blowing cooler air towards the stove, but the layout of the house is the issue. But I also don't want to run us out of the room where the stove is, cause that's our family/tv room. But, we'll see....

 

I highly doubt these stoves are as fragile as some think. Actually, if you look at the weight alone of WS stoves you will see they are NOT wimpy by any means.

Sure, it’s easy to say that a stove is designed to run a certain way for a given reason, like burning clean and to satisfy EPA, but beyond that I don’t think it matters. Any parts you might ruin are designed to be replaced anyway. With some sense you won’t destroy them in one or two days either.

So how would not engaging the by-pass and perhaps using a pipe damper to control heat be any different than burning in a pre-EPA stove just because there’s a baffle and a catalyst in the stove? It’s still a stove. LOL!

The catalyst isn’t engaged, so you can’t hurt it because the heat is going a different direction. And if a pipe damper is used the baffle is just that, a baffle, just like in an old Fisher stove…the heat is still rolling around in the firebox, mostly being pulled away from the catalyst area and instead is directed up the pipe. Even if the hot air still went up and out the front of the firebox, because it may not be designed like a Lopi by-pass for example, then if the catalyst isn’t engaged the hot air is still directed around the bypass somehow. There must be an exit for the start up air and those exits would still apply for firing with out the catalyst.

Make no mistake, I believe the intent is to run as the manual states, but I highly doubt if the stove is rendered inoperable if a catalyst fails or breaks. I also highly doubt that WS left the possibility of having to run the stove without a CAT out of their design.

They just likely, and for obvious liability reasons, as well as to satisfy “Big Brother’s Thumb” being on their head, won’t tell you that you can run the stove just fine without the catalyst engaged.

I’m sure their design also incorporates and satisfies the need to use the stove while possibly having to wait on the shipping of a new catalyst. If they didn’t plan on this, then I’m not sure I would own one, or any other modern stove for that matter. The main part and function of the stove is still just like any other pre-EPA stove. Insert wood, get warm. That’s as simple as it gets.

To be sure, I’m not suggesting to run their stoves in this manner, I’m just saying it likely would not hurt them even if you had to, for whatever reason, for even an extended period of time even. Just look at the shipping delays since the pandemic. All things should be accounted for in the design.

Using the stove in this way in no way should be any more risk of causing a chimney fire than burning any other pre-EPA stove, is beyond me. Good judgment, dry wood, and good burning practices, along with some common tools like a pipe damper and thermometers go a long way into putting common sense into running a stove. It might even require closing some doors and not trying to get the stove so hot or not heat the house, sort of going into survival mode with the stove.

Without a pipe damper as an additional means to control a fire then all bets may be off on overfiring the stove or causing a chimney fire. I know many of you run without a pipe damper and I understand it’s easier to clean a chimney from below without a manual pipe damper in place. I get it. However, the benefits or “pro’s” of having a pipe damper in place far out weigh the “cons” if nothing but safety alone … and no one said it can’t be left full open anyway.

WS stoves are NOT your average box store stove. Theu are among the best of the best. They ARE a BEAST!! I don’t think there’s too much you can do to them that wasn’t accounted for in their design, including burning while waiting on a catalyst delivery. Surely they don’t expect people to freeze while waiting. That goes against owning a stove in the first place.

Just another viewpoint … and yours may vary.