Question for all Catalytic stove owners

I've had tube stoves in the past, but never a catalytic stove til now. We have been chasing a subtle charring/combustion odor with the stove since last season. Its a top - brand stove, I'd prefer to leave the manufacturers name out of it because their customer service has been very responsive. I'm also not looking to troubleshoot here, we are running the stove correctly, have plenty of draft, burn seasoned wood, etc. Rather, I'd appreciate people's feedback regarding whether or not catalytic stoves are by nature a bit smellier than tube stoves. Do you ever get a whiff of charring or creosote odor near the stove? Would you consider this acceptable? I've never smelled anything out of my tube stoves, but then again I've always run them on high, so I'm just looking for some perspective here. Thanks!

 

I have a high end catalytic hybrid stove, the only time I smell an odor is if I turn it down to soon or too much and it back puffs when the wood gas builds and ignites. That's the only time I smell something, which is my error.

 

My experience with our Ideal Steel is similar to NVhunter. It would sometimes have a flash of fire in the stove if we turned it down too much. That flash of fire sometimes sent a smoke smell throughout the room. The Ideal Steel is a hybrid though. I’ve never run a cat only stove.

 

Yep, I have the same stove.

 

I have an OAK, back puffing isn't an issue. So if you put your nose near the door gasket you smell nothing?

 

Some BK owners with the newer stoves were having some char smells around the door gasket top right if I recall correctly. I Ashford stove i believe was one of the models affected. But BK was very responsive to owners who had issues from what I've read anyway

 

My Princess used to be stinky if I turned it down too low before I fixed my flue collar fitment issues and changed out a 90 elbow for 2 45’s. I have to be more careful loading and opening the door than I ever had to be with my non cat. With my non cat I had too much draft, with a cat I think it would like more draft. I’ve had the stove since 2011 so I’ve learned along the way.

 

Not odors when the stove is cranking away.

 

No odors with my cat stove.

 

Good here unless like was mentioned, cut it back, engage the cat too early.

 

I can’t smell smoke in the room but if I put my nose right on top of the gasket during a fire I can smell a smoke aroma.

I call it dog butt syndrome. Even when he doesn’t fart if you shove your nose right up under his tail it’s going to smell like a butthole.

 

I have dog button syndrome. And a sensitive enough nose that on low I occasionally get whiffs elsewhere. On medium to medium high what I would describe as hot candlewax smell. That one isn't too unpleasant but is constant in certain areas of the house and I worry it could be a health hazard if it's combustion.

 

Catalytic stoves <may> back- puff more than [non- cat] stoves simply because they are often set to run quite a bit lower than secondary burn stoves. That is what leads to back- puffing, and any stove will produce a bit of smoke and smoke odor if / when they do that. The key it to set them to run a bit harder and prevent the back- puffing in the first place. It is usually more of a problem if burning very dry wood, and that can be fixed by mixing in some less- dry wood (but not green and sopping wet, of course) in with the dry splits.

You mention that you have an OAK and seem to think that will prevent odor if / when back- puffing happens but that is not really the case. It does eliminate a direct vent 'hole' into the building where the stove is but during a back- puff, a significant amount of pressure is often produced w/in the stove; under those circumstances, no wood stove or stove pipe, especially the stove pipe joints, are really air tight and will spill a bit of smoke into the room where the stove is.

Brian

 

No odor from mine.

 

Thanks BDF I can see where you'd be right about that. It's still not a back puffing issue though, its a consistent albeit low grade seepage of odor.
Anyone have thought on a knife edge gasket versus a gasket that fits flush on the face of the stove? IS is flat face, my stove is knife edge. It's always seemed to me that a knife edge wouldn't provide as tight a seal.

 

Do you have video of that ?

 

To be really effective, I think you would need 'Smell- O- Vision' to appreciate a video like that.....

Just sayin'.

Brian

 

He can run pretty fast.

 

I’ve had gasket-related issues on my stoves that allowed smoke smells from the stove. I think they are more noticeable with the draft throttled way down.

I think when the PH was new there were a number of people with stoves that allowed the faintest of whiffs out, and lead to a lot of research before they settled on a fix.