absolute steel

Hello woodstock burners, I installed a absolute steel last year and really enjoy the stoves efficiency and heat output, but I have a few problems that bother me.
When burning between 250-500 this thing pings and pops like somebody shooting empty cans, I cant seem to isolate it but seems like from the catalytic converter. I guess its just the nature of a steel stove?
If I don't burn the stove for a few days upon refire the stove will put off a smell that is hard to describe other then a metallic, burnt smell.(completely different than the break in paint smell) if I burn everyday it doesn't smell.
Anybody else have this experience?

 

Is the cat on the stove able to be rotated? Maybe reseat. I expect to hear noises from my stove but they are not too bad with the Progress Hybrid.
Maybe you could check the stove pipe where it connects to the stove. I wonder if the smell might be creosote that is burning off where the stove and pipe connect?
There will be more input later from people with more experience. I hope you get things worked out. Maybe a pic or two of the stove, I like the looks of the plain one and the tall one.

 

Yes the cat has been rotated with no difference in popping sounds, the smell seems to come from the stove top where the cat radiates against it.

 

I wish I could help, but I'm still pretty new to my IS woodstove.

You say it pings and pops, I assume it's metallic sounding, maybe even a 'creaking/cracking' kind of sound, it's the stove and not the wood.
My old stove used to make all kinds of sounds coming up to temp.

Our new stove doesn't really do that much, and being installed for just under 2 months I've experienced no issues with the cat.

As to the smell.. mine hasn't had a day off yet, so I cannot comment on that either.
edit.. I can say that the old stove would always do the same after sitting some time unused, I always figured it was dust and such that settled on the top of the stove or the chimney pipe and was 'cooking' off.

I do believe Backwoods Savage has a woodstock stove, and I know there are others but I can't answer just who has what yet.
I'm sure some will be around soon with more questions, and hopefully some answers for ya.

Chaz

 

My AS makes noises as it's warming up. Nothing excessively loud, just metal expanding. Nothing much you can do about that. As for the smell, I've never experienced anything like that.

 

I've got an AS and it pings a small bit at start-up and not so much as it dies out.. but I'm used to my Harley doing the same thing on cool down, so I guess I'm just used to steel doing this.

As for the smell, can't say I have any issues out of the normal stove break-in paint smell for the first week or two of ownership. Paint also smells if you've got a new stove pipe, which I had too. It's either creosote or something else burning off inside or outside the stove pipe..(price/part number sticker?) or something else pretty near the heat source.

I don't think it's the Cat, and I don't think my cat is reversible due to the frame it's in.

In any even, we want pics!!

PS don't use the door lever too close your stove to tightly.. just minimize the pressure as it compresses the gasket and can compress so much it'll air-leak in spots. But if that happens, let the stove go out and just use your fingers to squeeze/pinch the gasket and it will reshape. That door lever is almost too solid and gives so much leverage it flattens the gasket too much.

PPS This thread is worthless without pics!

 

I've got an AS and it pings a small bit at start-up and not so much as it dies out.. but I'm used to my Harley doing the same thing on cool down, so I guess I'm just used to steel doing this.

As for the smell, can't say I have any issues out of the normal stove break-in paint smell for the first week or two of ownership. Paint also smells if you've got a new stove pipe, which I had too. It's either creosote or something else burning off inside or outside the stove pipe..(price/part number sticker?) or something else pretty near the heat source.

I don't think it's the Cat, and I don't think my cat is reversible due to the frame it's in.

In any even, we want pics!!

PS don't use the door lever to close your stove to tightly.. just minimize the pressure as it compresses the gasket and can compress so much it'll air-leak in spots. But it that happens,let the stove go out and just use your fingers to squeeze/pinch the gasket and it will reshape. That door lever is almost too solid and gives so much leverage it flattens the gasket too much.

PPS This thread is worthless without pics! Sorry I see you did put in a pic.. but we want more pics!!

 

I will try to make sure there is no dust tonight, I would guess its either burning creosote or dust.

 

NICE!! I have the exact stove except I have the bling that is a tad brighter (copper color?) and I vent from the top.

 

Have you lifted the lid on top to look the metal plate installed there, and also the CAT itself. There might be something to the suggestion of making it's all seated right. Strange that the smell is there on start-up but then goes away. Does the pinging also go away after start-up?

 

I opened my PH once without disengaging the cat and got a metallic "cat" smell like I've never smelled before. But I know that smell now! As far as noise, might want to record it and send it to Woodstock? Sounds annoying to put up with. A few tick tick ticks are one thing what you describe is different.

 

Thinking back on it now, I don' think I would call it a pinging sound. It's more like a clink. It will start slow, then pick increase as the fire ramps up. Not loud by any means.

Would you agree with that?

 

That sounds about right (tink... tink), if it's not really loud and worrisome, I wouldn't think twice about it.
Seems your stove and install is just fine.

Given your time on this board, I don't imagine this is your first stove, so you must be experiencing something that gives you some level of apprehension.

I know that when we put in the first woodstove, I could barely sleep.
Every smell was different, and the tinks and pops worried me a bit.

Now.. for better or worse, I sleep quite soundly knowing that my stove will keep me warm, and as safe as I operate it.

Chaz

 

Yes its def a clink/ping lol, the hotter it gets the louder it gets, it seems like it could be coming from the secondary burn plate as it heats and expands. I have been around stoves along time but always cast iron.

 

I was thinking it might be that "radiator" which is a plate attached to the top door, just above the hood-scoop/catalytic. The guys with the IS stoves have had some issues with it warping. (I think, I haven't followed that enormous thread that closely.)

 

If the radiator isn't sitting properly it might cause it to ping louder than it should.