How do you cat guys clean your cat?

In my case I just called Condar and ordered new ones. Went to clean them yesterday and they crumbled. A mere 5 years of punishment was all they could take.

 

Did you buy the newer, stainless steel version? If not, you may want to consider going that way before you use the new combustors; the stainless steel types light- off sooner / easier, do not crack or crumble and are generally much more durable (physically, not the catalyst surface). Plus they are a small restriction in the exhaust path than the same size and type made out of ceramic.

Brian

 

Would like to try them, but they don't come in the correct size for my stove. At least on Condar's site there is a limited size selection. I like to stick with the old "tried and true". A few years back I did try a different kind of cat. It was ClearSkies or something like that. Didn't seem to do anything except take up space. Can't recall what it was made of but it wasn't ceramic. Never could get the things to light off.

 

Ashley ASH1B. I believe a 1984 model. Love it like a member of the family. Wish I could find another for my shop. Been looking for some time and have never found one like it. I nick named it "The Reactor".

 

I'm no chemist but I'd be concerned that the aluminum might react with the acidic vinegar, possibly depositing unwanted chemistry on the cat or worse, poisoning it.
Well, my diesel-foil cat in the Dutchwest seemed to be dropping out too soon, and it has been a year since I checked it. It appeared to have some ash that wouldn't blow out so I simmered it out. Now I can see that some of the wash coat is peeling. It will be interesting to see if the cat works any better after the cleaning, but I've ordered a new Dura-Foil from Woodstock. They have a round one, 6" x 2", that fits their old Palladian and Classic stoves. That just happens to be the size I need for the Dutchwest.

 

The diesel-foil is definitely is working better after the simmer. Higher temps on less air, so the ash I got out of it definitely freed up the flow through it. There were little flakes of what looked like wash coat in the bottom of the pan. You can see that the cat is cone-shaped, smaller on the end that was toward the fire box. Not sure if the interam gasket could have squeezed it down a bit, or if that end just shriveled more. Can't wait to finally try the Dura-Foil I've got coming.

 

Here's a somewhat boring video regarding a blaze King stove. They show a short clip of vacuuming the CAT.