Still not certain if the cat lit. The fire continued to burn...I adjusted the air down to still have some flames. A couple times it went to just glowing coals, but I adjusted the air back up to get a little flame (cat still engaged) If you engage the cat, and it doesn't light, what harm can it cause? Or does it do something to make you know it's not lit? I feel like I've read this info before, but can't recall now....
Prior to engaging your Cat go outdoors and look at your exhaust plume. Should be able to recognize smoke! Engage Cat and give it 10-15 minutes with full air. Reduce air to a point that gives you a lazy slow flame. Give that setting 10 minutes and head outside and have a look. If the Cat is operating correctly there should be very little lasting/floating/sinking smoke. Most likely you will see some very light colored steam that disappears before floating away very far. Or just heat waves. I don't have your stove but this works on other Cat stoves. This is what I would try. Hopefully some WS officiando's will chip in/modify my recommendation.
Dont have much to add, moresnow has it nailed, can't see the cat on my IS either, according to the manual the cat starts to function at 500 degrees internal flue temp, so i engage cat at 300 external flue temp. Never have any smoke from chimney.
Had a good burn going, tried engaging the cat and I don't think it lit. Disengaged, let it go a bit more, then threw it. Went back out and couldn't see smoke. Reduced air down to 3, stt now at 450. First time I've had it to 450. Whew that's warm. Black box, have to turn off the lights to even see the coals, and then that's barely visible....
So....thermometers. the magnetic one that came.with the stove said 450. The laser said around 375, right beside the magnetic. Remembered that I bought a rutland thenother year when I thought about running the old stove. Put it right behind the other (closer to back of stove, right beside stove collar, door side)...it said around 300. So, I guess I don't know what temp I was running. But it was definitely hotter than it had been before, could both feel that and see the paint curing more.
The magnetic ones aren't known for accuracy...they'll give you an idea though...and the IR ones are most accurate when used on flat black surfaces.
Well, 2 are giving me the idea, that I have no idea... Flat black....does that mean hold it over it so that the laser isn't hitting the surface at an angle? Or just shoot any flat surface...not the nook, crannies,curves, corners etc....
Flat black, as in color...not glossy. And yes, shooting while being square with the surface is preferred too. If you look at the gun (or at least on the package/directions) it will tell you what the guns "aspect ratio" is...basically the sample size at a given distance...IIRC mine is 12:1, which means that at 1' away, it is sampling an area that is about a 1" circle...and that red dot is not necessarily in the center of the sample either, its "supposed" to be close though...but seeing as these guns mostly come from china, and the price of 'em...
If using an IR thermometer on something that is not flat black, you can either spray some flat black paint on it, or if its not something that can be "graffitied", a couple pieces of black electrical tape on the surface will work too. Depending on what you are taking the temp of, the accuracy of any random surface may be close enough though.
Had no idea about the flat black. I've been shooting the wall, stove in all different spots, floor....all over trying to see what temp things were.... Guess doing all that is useless then huh. I think I got mine at HF or northern tool, so no doubt cheap and chinese. Is there a brand of stove top thermometer that is accurate? Right now I'm kinda shooting in the dark, cause I don't know what I'm doing, I've got double wall pipe, can't use the cat probe cause of the shroud...so it'd be nice if the stove top thermo would be something I could count on....
"Is there a brand of stove top thermometer that is accurate? Right now I'm kinda shooting in the dark, cause I don't know what I'm doing, I've got double wall pipe, can't use the cat probe cause of the shroud...so it'd be nice if the stove top thermo would be something I could count on.... " Condar is considered the most accurate, you should get a probe for the double wall stovepipe.
Should really consider altering the shroud to allow use of the Cat probe. Surprised WS hasn't replied to you on that question? As mentioned, the stove top Condar meter works well. I pick the hottest spot and place the meter there. Another stove top meter recently successfully tested on another site is this one. Amazon.com: REOTEMP S1-F73 Magnetic Analog Surface Thermometer, 50 to 750 Fahrenheit : Patio, Lawn & Garden
I had not contacted them on that question, just found that Saturday evening. I just wrote an email to them about it 5 minutes ago. Tried phoning, but now there is an answering service answering their calls........
Woodstock responded. You can't use the shroud and the cat thermometer. I will measure to see if I really need the shroud for clearances and go from there. If I do, maybe come up with a stand to hold that shroud, or construct another... I don't think the probe location is that far down from the top, surprised they didn't just make a cut out in the shroud.
What did WS recommend for determining Cat engagement time? A certain STT measured at a certain location? That would be fine. And repeatable. Maybe a certain EGT on a probe? What say WS AS users not using the factory Cat gauge?
The rep that answered didn't get into temps, I will write back and ask about a stt in a certain location. Did say I could use a probe type thermometer since have double wall, like others here have suggested. What's EGT? I've been burning in the evenings, so having to use a spotlight to look at the chimney. By looking at the exhaust, i think I'm getting the cat to burn. Hopefully this weekend I will be around in the day enough to do a burn and can see what the chimney/smoke is showing.