Installed my new CAT yesterday

Dear Mr Oldhippie .. It appears you are redlining your heating device.. Please take precautions as this may increase the heat in your home and cause you to relax in a recliner and surf FHC..

 

I know!! I checked a bit late and it was right at redline, but no more than a glow in the box!

Finally the heavy winds died down here. How were they up in Northeast Kingdom?!

 

Lake side of VT here, and they are blowing 20 mph gusting to 30 across that frozen icebox..

 

Well, I don't know how long the ceramic cat is going to last, I only bought it as WS was out of stock on the SS cats and mine was in pretty rough shape. My drying effort at the end of my last vinegar/distilled water bath might have been thorough enough and it was rusted and the gasket material had deteriorated.

But the new ceramic cat is cooking just fine this year in my first few burns.. just bright orange and engaging at between 200'F and 250'F with nice dry 2.5+ year aged hardwood. Takes STT up to 650'F+ over the cat on the soapstone top of the Fv. All I needed to do was take the cat out, bring it out onto the deck give it a easy top top and bottom, Vacuum and brush out the screen and seating area of the cat. No fuss no muss, and just really nice Fv heat. I forget year to year how much I enjoy the evening fires and warmth the Fireview brings to our little piece of heaven here in Ashby Massachusetts.

Looks to be a nice fall and winter here in New England. I've still got lots of leaves on all the big oaks around the house. They've barely changed color. It's getting down into the low 30s some nights, but last night was only down to 42'F so it's every fire is a cold start pretty much. Just recovering from right shoulder rotator cuff surgery (again) so, hopefull the snow holds off for a bit into November.

 

I'm aware of this phenomenon and do my very best not to post to wildly. As the great author Kurt Vonnegut wrote in the opening chapter of Slaughterhouse Five. "I have this disease late at night sometimes, involving alcohol and the telephone." Fast forward a few years and it's "...alcohol and the Internet".

 

Add a warm fire and that's the recipe

 

I know Dennis. I've been consumed with replanting new lawn all summer, various other work and fun things... but as usual, I'm back. I guess I'm the equivalent of a New England Snowbird... they leave in November to go to Florida and we don't see them again till Spring.

But I am always so impressed with the quality of the info and especially the friendships of the people here. Best Internet Forum in the Universe as far as I'm concerned.